title: A new type of thermoluminometer: a highly sensitive tool in applied photosynthesis research and plant stress physiology.
abstract: Here we describe a newly developed thermoluminescence measuring device that employs flash excitation, peltier heating, and light detection by channel photomultipliers (CPM). The new thermoluminometer is equipped with four sample holders for simultaneous measurements of thermoinduced light emission in the temperature range from -20 degrees C to +180 degrees C. It allows one to measure leaf samples, chloroplasts, thylakoids, algae, or even bioorganic material lacking chlorophyll by means of naturally induced or artificially applied chemilumigenic probes. The temperature range of the thermoluminometer allows one to analyse the thermoinduced radical pair recombination of photosystem II in the lower temperature region as well as chemiluminescence from lipid peroxidation in the higher temperature region. Hence, plant material can be assessed concerning both its photosynthetic and its oxidative stress status. Since the device is equipped with four sample holders and four CPM channels for simultaneous detection of thermoinduced light emission, it facilitates a high throughput. Therefore, the new device is interesting, not only in ecophysiology, but also in the field of plant breeding, as it can be used to study the stress tolerance of various cultivars of cultural crop plants.
authors.affiliation: University of Leipzig, Institute of Botany, Plant Physiology, Johannisallee 21-23, D-04103 Leipzig, Germany. mgilbert@rz.uni-leipzig.de
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gilbert
authors.forename: Heiko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wagner
authors.forename: Ilka
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Weingart
authors.forename: Jiri
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Skotnica
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nieber
authors.forename: Gert
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tauer
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bergmann
authors.forename: Heinz
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wilhelm
mesh_terms: D004867:Equipment Design; D008027:Light; D008163:Luminescent Measurements; D010788:Photosynthesis / Q000502:physiology*; D010827:Physiology / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D018521:Plant Physiological Phenomena; D013816:Thermodynamics