Focal plane array infrared imaging: a new way to analyse leaf tissue.
* Here, a new approach to macromolecular imaging of leaf tissue using a multichannel focal plane array (FPA) infrared detector was compared with the proven method of infrared mapping with a synchrotron source, using transverse sections of leaves from a species of Eucalyptus. * A new histological method was developed, ideally suited to infrared spectroscopic analysis of leaf tissue. Spatial resolution and the signal-to-noise ratio of the FPA imaging and synchrotron mapping methods were compared. * An area of tissue 350 microm(2) required approx. 8 h to map using the synchrotron technique and approx. 2 min to image using the FPA. The two methods produced similar infrared images, which differentiated all tissue types in the leaves according to their macromolecular chemistry. * The synchrotron and FPA methods produced similar results, with the synchrotron method having superior signal-to-noise ratio and potentially better spatial resolution, whereas the FPA method had the advantage in terms of data acquisition time, expense and ease of use. FPA imaging offers a convenient, laboratory-based approach to microscopic chemical imaging of leaves.
Heraud
Philip
P
Centre for Biospectroscopy, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia. phil.heraud@sci.monash.edu.au
Caine
Sally
S
Sanson
Gordon
G
Gleadow
Ros
R
Wood
Bayden R
BR
McNaughton
Don
D
D005052:Eucalyptus / Q000166:cytology; D007259:Infrared Rays; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000166:cytology; D013055:Spectrophotometry, Infrared / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D017356:Synchrotrons