New Mesoscale Multi-Modal Imaging Of Cellular Communication Between Microbe And Plant In The Rhizosphere – A Pilot Project

The interaction between plants and their environment is of key importance in promoting sustainable, healthy, and robust plant growth. Underlying the ability of plants to cope with a variety of stresses and often suboptimal conditions are sophisticated mechanisms to establish and maintain cellular homeostasis, as well as nurture beneficial symbiotic partnerships while defending against pathogenic exploitation. However, the interface between plants and their environment remains a poorly understood, complex microenvironment. Gaining insights into these interactions thus requires a combination of intercalated scientific techniques. Here, we attempt to Achieve a more comprehensive understanding of how plant adaptation is influenced by the genome(s) and local environment. Such an understanding would potentially enable the engineering of more tolerant plants, optimization of cultivation practices to improve yield and productivity, and strategies allowing important plant species to flourish within marginal or otherwise challenging environments. This project will develop, extend, and integrate technologies to generate a “toolkit” capable of investigating length scales—from atoms to organisms—and dynamics—from microseconds to growth seasons. In providing these tools, the project will exploit (1) mass spectrometry imaging capabilities at EMSL for structural biology, imaging, and spectroscopy; (2) capabilities for creating ?and measuring short-lived radioisotopes including 13C, 15N, and 18O 18F, and several transition metals; and (3) partnerships with academic and BNL researchers to extend the toolkit’s application.