(PNAS Science Sessions) Getting to the Root of the Rhizosphere
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - Science Sessions Podcast
A new episode of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS)'s Science Sessions podcast features Dr. Molly Hanlon of the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, who describes a low-cost technique for imaging plant anatomy along the root axis. Her team developed the Rapid Anatomics Tool, or RAT, using an off-the-shelf USB microscope and UV light, which causes compounds in the plant cell wall to fluoresce and reveal internal root structures. Hanlon designed the system to be affordable and easy to set up, lowering the barrier for more researchers to study plant anatomy. You can see the RAT in action in the video below.
The episode also features researchers from Texas A&M University and Caltech, who describe complementary 3D imaging techniques for tracking microbial activity in the rhizosphere. Together, the episode offers new ways to observe the hidden underground interactions between roots and microbes that shape plant and soil health.