Computational wide-field imaging of poplar embolism and wound-response with a deployable microscope.

Abstract

Low-cost, minimally invasive microscopy for tracking cellular dynamics in living plants within their natural ecosystems is crucial for addressing fundamental questions in plant ecology and biology. However, existing solutions are constrained by coarse resolution, limited field-of-view (FoV), and poor deployability in natural settings. Here, we utilize a compact, portable microscope ("miniscope") for label-free (autofluorescence) imaging in living poplar wood. We systematically implement and evaluate multiple computational methods to enhance resolution and FoV. Our optimal computational pipeline, comprising maximal intensity projection, deconvolution, and flat-field correction, increases resolution by up to 39% on-axis and up to 49% at the field edges, resolving features of 2.87 μm, averaged over a FoV of ∼1 mm (diameter), compared with a 4.34 μm baseline. We demonstrate microscopy within the tissue of a living poplar plant in our greenhouse, observing the embolism of vessel elements, wound response, and tissue deformation from moisture evaporation.

Plant phenotyping relevance

生体ポプラ組織の細胞動態・木部塞栓・創傷応答を観察する携帯型顕微鏡と画像処理パイプラインを開発・評価しており、植物状態の取得手法が中心である。

Code and data availability

公開本文の所在を確認できませんでした。非公開または購読が必要な可能性があります。

No evidence-backed public reproduction asset is currently recorded.