INSTRUMENTATION FOR THE APPLICATION AND ANALYSIS OF CONTROLLED MECHANICAL LOADS TO PLANT TISSUES IN STERILE CULTURE

THIS PROPOSAL, SUBMITTED BY LIVECO INC., A SMALL BUSINESS LOCATED IN BURLINGTON, VERMONT, REQUESTS DOE SUPPORT FOR A PROJECT TO DEVELOP AN INSTRUMENTATION SYSTEM FOR THE APPLICATION OF CONTROLLED MECHANICAL FORCES TO PLANT TISSUESGROWING IN STERILE CULTURE, AND FOR TEH SIMULTANEOUS MEASUREMENT OF TISSUE GROWTH AND DEFORMATION UNDER LOAD. SPECIFICALLY THE INSTRUMENTATION WILL BE APPLIED TO UNDERSTANDING THE BIOPHYSICAL CONTROLS WHICH REGULATE AND MODIFY PLANT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. THE INSTRUMENT WILL BEBUILT AROUND A STANDARD "OFF-THE-SHELF" GLASS CULTURE VESSELMODIFIED TO ACCEPT A SPECIALLY DESIGNED STERILIZABLE FORCING-FRAME. THE FORCING-FRAME WILL BE EQUIPPED WITH SENSITIVE LOAD-CELLS AND DISPLACEMENT TRANSDUCERS WHICH WILLCONTINUOUSLY KEEP TRACK OF THE APPLIED LOAD AND THE GROWTH OR DEFORMATION OF THE TISSUE. AN EXTERNAL MICROPROCESSOR BASED CONTROL SYSTEM WILL CONTINUOUSLY MONITOR EXPERIMENTAL VARIABLES AND ADJUST THE CONTROLLABLE PARAMETERS (APPLIED LOAD OR STRAIN RATE) ACCORDING TO ANY ONE OF A NUMBER OF EXPERIMENTAL ALGORITHMS. THE FORCING-FRAME AND BASIC MECHANICAL ACTUATOR DESIGN ARE ALREADY ESTABLISHED, AND EXIST IN A PROTOTYPE FORM. THIS PROJECT WILL BEGIN IN PHASE1 WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE MICROPROCESSOR CONTROL SYSTEM UPON WHICH FURTHER DEVELOPMENTS WILL BE BASED, AND THE PROTOTYPING OF A SENSITIVE DISPLACEMENT TRANSDUCER WHICH WILL RECORD GROWTH AND/OR DEFORMATION OF THE TISSUE UNDER LOAD.