Plant-on-a-chip: monitoring chemical responses in living plants with printed sensors
File(s)
Author(s)
Coatsworth, Philip
Type
Thesis
Abstract
Time is an often-neglected variable in biological research. Single-point measurements cannot capture the time-sensitive and information-rich chemical signals that non-equilibrium systems like plants produce under environmental changes and stresses. Advances have been made into real-time sensing in plants, where optical and electrochemical methods have both been utilised for detecting ions, radicals, inorganic molecules and organic molecules. While optical techniques are powerful, they are often cost-prohibitive. Electrochemical sensing provides a lower-cost alternative of measuring specific analytes continuously in whole, living plants, although research into chemical sensing in the root area is currently limited, despite roots being the primary source of water and nutrition.
In this thesis, a whole plant chemical monitoring platform is presented: TETRIS (Time-resolved Electrochemical Technology for plant Root environment In-situ chemical Sensing). The TETRIS platform consisted of low-cost screen-printed electrochemical sensors to measure salt, pH and H2O2 in the root environment of whole plants in real time. Multiplexing enabled multiple sensors to operate simultaneously and many experiments to be run concurrently.
TETRIS has been used to monitor the uptake of various inorganic salts in Brassica oleracea acephala (kale), Solanum lycopersicum (tomato), Solanum pimpinellifolium (wild tomato) and Oryza sativa (rice) seedlings, and was compatible with multiple growth media. In kale, a common crop plant, differences in uptake between nutrients, sodium and heavy metal salts were established, and modulation of ion uptake with Ca2+-channel-blocker LaCl3 was monitored. In tomato, a valuable crop and model plant, the uptake of NaCl was investigated under different growth conditions. Differences in uptake between commercial varieties of tomato with different tolerances to NaCl were also established, as well as comparison to the relatively salt-resistant "wild tomato" sister species. TETRIS has the potential to overcome the urgent "bottleneck" in high-throughput screening in producing high yielding plant varieties with improved resistance against stress.
In this thesis, a whole plant chemical monitoring platform is presented: TETRIS (Time-resolved Electrochemical Technology for plant Root environment In-situ chemical Sensing). The TETRIS platform consisted of low-cost screen-printed electrochemical sensors to measure salt, pH and H2O2 in the root environment of whole plants in real time. Multiplexing enabled multiple sensors to operate simultaneously and many experiments to be run concurrently.
TETRIS has been used to monitor the uptake of various inorganic salts in Brassica oleracea acephala (kale), Solanum lycopersicum (tomato), Solanum pimpinellifolium (wild tomato) and Oryza sativa (rice) seedlings, and was compatible with multiple growth media. In kale, a common crop plant, differences in uptake between nutrients, sodium and heavy metal salts were established, and modulation of ion uptake with Ca2+-channel-blocker LaCl3 was monitored. In tomato, a valuable crop and model plant, the uptake of NaCl was investigated under different growth conditions. Differences in uptake between commercial varieties of tomato with different tolerances to NaCl were also established, as well as comparison to the relatively salt-resistant "wild tomato" sister species. TETRIS has the potential to overcome the urgent "bottleneck" in high-throughput screening in producing high yielding plant varieties with improved resistance against stress.
Version
Open Access
Date Issued
2024-01-11
Date Awarded
01/08/2024
Copyright Statement
Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial Licence
License URL
Advisor
Güder, Firat
Sponsor
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
Grant Number
EP/L016702/1
Publisher Department
Bioengineering
Publisher Institution
Imperial College London
Qualification Level
Doctoral
Qualification Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Rights Embargo Date
2025-01-31