3D-Bioimaging of Charge Transfer within Biofilms Associated with Plants

Bioimaging of plant/microbial interactions was identified as an important tool in understanding the factors controlling the production of biomass. Presently, no field- deployable research instrumentation exists for long-term monitoring of plant/microbial interactions. Potentiometric (open-circuit voltage) measurements have been developed as an analytical technique for understanding plant/microbial interactions. The simplicity of the analytical technique allows the deployment of large arrays of sensors throughout the environment (plants, roots, soils).Instrumentation and methods were developed using large arrays of sensors (>200 sensors) to measure the potentials generated by biofilms throughout the structures of a plant (rhizosphere, stems and leaves) over a period of several months. The data generated by the instrumentation was used to create visualizations (3D and 4D) of the charge transfer between the structures of a plant, and its surrounding soils. Refinements will be made to the instrumentation and visualization capability combined with machine learning algorithms to allow the modeling the factors impacting the plant/microbial interactions. It is anticipated the models will lead to predictive tools capable of optimizing the production of biomass. The primary deliverables from this project will be a cost-effective, research instrument as well as a field-deployable instrument allowing workers to understand and optimize biomass production.