Monitoring the Rizosphere with Optics
Light is a key factor for the growth of plant life. Most are familiar with the need for plants to be exposed to light for photosynthesis, but recent findings have found that light is not only important for the parts of the plant that are above ground, but that the underground root structure also senses the above ground conditions by channeling light through the stem of the plant. The goal of this project will be to start a new investigation of the commonly-used Arabidopsis plant model by growing plants from seedlings and analyzing the root structures and their ability to conduct light.
As a member of the HMC Biophotonics Lab you will join a passionate group of budding researchers exploring the field of biophotonics and connecting your existing knowledge to generate new ideas. This project will help to create low-cost, compact, and reconfigurable optical microscopes which can be used for a variety of applications including laboratory imaging for diagnostics and for education.