Developing a system for in vivo imaging of maize roots containing iodinated contrast media in soil using synchrotron XCT
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Developing a system for in vivo imaging of maize roots containing iodinated contrast media in soil using synchrotron XCT and XRF Callum P. Scotson & Arjen van Veelen & Katherine A. Williams & Nicolai Koebernick & Dan McKay Fletcher & Tiina Roose
Received: 24 August 2020 / Accepted: 25 November 2020 # The Author(s) 2020
Abstract Aims We sought to develop a novel experimental system which enabled application of iodinated contrast media to in vivo plant roots intact in soil and was compatible with time-resolved synchrotron X-ray computed tomography imaging. The system was developed to overcome issues of low contrast to noise within X-ray computed tomography images of plant roots and soil environments, the latter of which can complicate image processing and result in the loss of anatomical information. Methods To demonstrate the efficacy of the system we employ the novel use of both synchrotron X-ray Responsible Editor: Peter J. Gregory . C. P. Scotson : A. van Veelen : K. A. Williams : N. Koebernick : D. McKay Fletcher : T. Roose (*) Bioengineering Sciences Research Group, Department of Mechanical Engineering, School of Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Southampton, University Road, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK e-mail: [email protected] A. van Veelen Material Science and Technology Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545, USA A. van Veelen Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA N. Koebernick Soil Science and Soil Protection, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Von-Seckendorff-Platz 3, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany
computed tomography and synchrotron X-ray fluorescence mapping to capture the translocation of the contrast media through root vasculature into the leaves. Results With the application of contrast media we identify fluid flow in root vasculature and visualise anatomical features, which are otherwise often only observable in ex vivo microscopy, including: the xylem, metaxylem, pith, fibres in aerenchyma and leaf venation. We are also able to observe interactions between aerenchyma cross sectional area and solute transport in the root vasculature with depth. Conclusions Our novel system was capable of successfully delivering sufficient contrast media into root and leaf tissues such that anatomical features could be visualised and internal fluid transport observed. We propose that our system could be used in future to study internal plant transport mechanisms and parameterise models for fluid flow in plants. Keywords Roots . Maize . Soil . X-ray computed tomography . Iodinated contrast media . X-ray fluorescence mapping
Introduction X-ray computed tomography (XCT) is a commonly employed technique for biomedical imaging research (Kalender 2006), and it is increasingly used for nondestructive 3D imaging of plant root and soil systems (Mooney et al. 2012; Roose et al. 2016). However, due to overlapping X-ray attenuation of soil pore water and
Plant Soil
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