title: Synchrotron Radiation Sheds Fresh Light on Plant Research: The Use of Powerful Techniques to Probe Structure and Composition of Plants.
abstract: While synchrotron radiation is a powerful tool in material and biomedical sciences, it is still underutilized in plant research. This mini review attempts to introduce the potential of synchrotron-based spectroscopic and imaging methods and their applications to plant sciences. Synchrotron-based Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray absorption and fluorescence techniques, and two- and three-dimensional imaging techniques are examined. We also discuss the limitations of synchrotron-based research in plant sciences, specifically the types of plant samples that can be used. Despite limitations, the unique features of synchrotron radiation such as high brightness, polarization and pulse properties offer great advantages over conventional spectroscopic and imaging tools and enable the correlation of the structure and chemical composition of plants with biochemical function. Modern detector technologies and experimental methodologies are thus enabling plant scientists to investigate aspects of plant sciences such as ultrafast kinetics of biochemical reactions, mineral uptake, transport and accumulation, and dynamics of cell wall structure and composition during environmental stress in unprecedented ways using synchrotron beamlines. The potential for the automation of some of these synchrotron technologies and their application to plant phenotyping is also discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Sciences, College of Agriculture and Bioresources, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, S7N 5A8, Canada Canadian Light Source, 44 Innovation Boulevard, Saskatoon, S7N 2V3, Canada.
authors.forename: Permual
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vijayan
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Sciences, College of Agriculture and Bioresources, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, S7N 5A8, Canada.
authors.forename: Ian R
authors.initials: IR
authors.lastname: Willick
authors.affiliation: Canadian Light Source, 44 Innovation Boulevard, Saskatoon, S7N 2V3, Canada.
authors.forename: Rachid
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lahlali
authors.affiliation: Canadian Light Source, 44 Innovation Boulevard, Saskatoon, S7N 2V3, Canada.
authors.forename: Chithra
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Karunakaran
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Sciences, College of Agriculture and Bioresources, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, S7N 5A8, Canada karen.tanino@usask.ca.
authors.forename: Karen K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Tanino
mesh_terms: D001901:Botany / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends; D010944:Plants / Q000737:chemistry*; D012106:Research; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared / Q000379:methods; D017356:Synchrotrons; D013672:Technology / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods; D056928:X-Ray Absorption Spectroscopy / Q000379:methods
keywords: FTIR spectroscopy; Microspectroscopy; Plant cell wall; Plant imaging; Synchrotron radiation; X-ray imaging