Speaker
Description
Oxygen deprivation triggers rapid physiological and biochemical changes in plants, including alterations in ion homeostasis and nutrient redistribution. However, most elemental imaging approaches require harvested tissues and therefore provide only static snapshots of these dynamic processes. We are developing experimental approaches for live synchrotron-based elemental imaging of intact plants during anoxia and recovery. Our goal is to directly visualize temporal changes in elemental distribution, with particular emphasis on calcium and other elements implicated in low-oxygen signaling and stress adaptation. Initial studies focus on maintaining plant viability during imaging, integrating controlled oxygen environments with X-ray fluorescence measurements, and assessing the feasibility of repeated imaging through time. We will present our experimental design, technical challenges, and preliminary observations as a foundation for future studies examining elemental dynamics during plant responses to oxygen deprivation.