A new study conducted by the Department of Physics has analysed how the leaves, stem and roots of an adult plant communicate with each other when faced with environmental stress.
MAPPI (MAcro Plant Projection Imaging) is a research project developed by a group of researchers from the Department of Physics, led by Andrea Bassi, associate professor, in collaboration with a team from the University of Milan.
It is an optical imaging system that allows real-time observation of the internal communication of the entire plant in response to stimuli such as wounds, submersion, burns or other environmental stresses. Thanks to a double perpendicular view, the system is able to simultaneously visualise leaves, stems and roots, overcoming the limitations of conventional imaging techniques.
What sets MAPPI apart is its ability to study plants similar in size to those grown in greenhouses, which have been difficult to analyse using traditional approaches. The system is modular, open source and low cost, making it easily replicable in different research contexts. Among the key signals of internal plant communication that the system can monitor are variations in calcium ion concentration and glutamate accumulation, detected using fluorescence techniques. The results show a network of bidirectional signals between leaves and roots that is more complex than previously thought.
MAPPI represents an important advance in the study of adult plant physiology, opening up significant application prospects for the agriculture of the future in a context of climate change.
The full article has been published in Science Advanced.