Neutron Imaging of Plant Signaling
Start Date
7-8-2026 12:00 PM
End Date
7-8-2026 12:15 PM
Location
ALT 207
Abstract
All living organisms exchange information with other organisms in their environment, and plants primarily rely on organic chemicals to perform this function. Our group has shown that mycorrhizal fungal hyphae have a key part in chemical transport between plants in the soil, although the precise mechanisms of flow are not clear. We differentiated among three mechanisms of chemical flow in hyphal networks. Chemicals could move (1) by passive transport along hyphae in water potential gradients, (2) by active transport withcarbon, which mycorrhizal fungi transport as fat, or (3) by active transport of phosphorus, which moves in aqueous vesicles. We grew pairs of plants, one day-transpiring plant and one night-transpiring plant, in shared chambers, added chemical between the two plants, and imaged flow over time for five days. We used two chemicals, cineole (hydrophobic) and tetraethylene glycol (hydrophilic). We also varied whether plants received light or not, and whether or not chambers had continuous fungal networks. For imaging, we used a neutron imaging instrument (VENUS, Oak Ridge National Laboratory). Imaging was successful, and data analyses are ongoing. In early results, we see clear patterns and variation in chemical movement.
Neutron Imaging of Plant Signaling
ALT 207
All living organisms exchange information with other organisms in their environment, and plants primarily rely on organic chemicals to perform this function. Our group has shown that mycorrhizal fungal hyphae have a key part in chemical transport between plants in the soil, although the precise mechanisms of flow are not clear. We differentiated among three mechanisms of chemical flow in hyphal networks. Chemicals could move (1) by passive transport along hyphae in water potential gradients, (2) by active transport withcarbon, which mycorrhizal fungi transport as fat, or (3) by active transport of phosphorus, which moves in aqueous vesicles. We grew pairs of plants, one day-transpiring plant and one night-transpiring plant, in shared chambers, added chemical between the two plants, and imaged flow over time for five days. We used two chemicals, cineole (hydrophobic) and tetraethylene glycol (hydrophilic). We also varied whether plants received light or not, and whether or not chambers had continuous fungal networks. For imaging, we used a neutron imaging instrument (VENUS, Oak Ridge National Laboratory). Imaging was successful, and data analyses are ongoing. In early results, we see clear patterns and variation in chemical movement.
