Loss of ancestral function in duckweed roots is accompanied by progressive anatomical reduction and a re-distribution of nutrient transporters (2023)
Journal Article
Ware, A., Jones, D. H., Flis, P., Chrysanthou, E., Smith, K. E., Kümpers, B. M., …Bishopp, A. (2023). Loss of ancestral function in duckweed roots is accompanied by progressive anatomical reduction and a re-distribution of nutrient transporters. Current Biology, 33(9), 1795-1802. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2023.03.025

Organ loss occurs frequently during plant and animal evolution. Sometimes, non-functional organs are retained through evolution. Vestigial organs are defined as genetically determined structures that have lost their ancestral (or salient) function. D... Read More about Loss of ancestral function in duckweed roots is accompanied by progressive anatomical reduction and a re-distribution of nutrient transporters.

Root architecture and leaf photosynthesis traits and associations with nitrogen-use efficiency in landrace-derived lines in wheat (2022)
Journal Article
Kareem, S. H., Hawkesford, M. J., DeSilva, J., Weerasinghe, M., Wells, D. M., Pound, M. P., …Foulkes, M. J. (2022). Root architecture and leaf photosynthesis traits and associations with nitrogen-use efficiency in landrace-derived lines in wheat. European Journal of Agronomy, 140, Article 126603. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eja.2022.126603

Root system architecture (RSA) is important in optimizing the use of nitrogen. High-throughput phenotyping techniques may be used to study root system architecture traits under controlled environments. A root phenotyping platform, consisting of germi... Read More about Root architecture and leaf photosynthesis traits and associations with nitrogen-use efficiency in landrace-derived lines in wheat.

Systems approaches reveal that ABCB and PIN proteins mediate co-dependent auxin efflux (2022)
Journal Article
Mellor, N. L., Voß, U., Ware, A., Janes, G., Barrack, D., Bishopp, A., …Band, L. R. (2022). Systems approaches reveal that ABCB and PIN proteins mediate co-dependent auxin efflux. Plant Cell, 34(6), 2309–2327. https://doi.org/10.1093/plcell/koac086

Members of the B family of membrane-bound ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters represent key components of the auxin-efflux machinery in plants. Over the last two decades experimental studies have shown that modifying ABCB expression affects auxin... Read More about Systems approaches reveal that ABCB and PIN proteins mediate co-dependent auxin efflux.

Identification of QTL and underlying genes for root system architecture associated with nitrate nutrition in hexaploid wheat (2022)
Journal Article
GRIFFITHS, M., ATKINSON, J. A., Gardiner, L. J., SWARUP, R., POUND, M. P., WILSON, M. H., …WELLS, D. M. (2022). Identification of QTL and underlying genes for root system architecture associated with nitrate nutrition in hexaploid wheat. Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 21(4), 917-932. https://doi.org/10.1016/s2095-3119%2821%2963700-0

The root system architecture (RSA) of a crop has a profound effect on the uptake of nutrients and consequently the potential yield. However, little is known about the genetic basis of RSA and resource adaptive responses in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.... Read More about Identification of QTL and underlying genes for root system architecture associated with nitrate nutrition in hexaploid wheat.

X-ray CT reveals 4D root system development and lateral root responses to nitrate in soil (2022)
Journal Article
Griffiths, M., Mellor, N., Sturrock, C. J., Atkinson, B. S., Johnson, J., Mairhofer, S., …Wells, D. M. (2022). X-ray CT reveals 4D root system development and lateral root responses to nitrate in soil. Plant Phenome Journal, 5(1), Article e20036. https://doi.org/10.1002/ppj2.20036

The spatial arrangement of the root system, termed root system architecture, is important for resource acquisition as it directly affects the soil zone explored. Methods for phenotyping roots are mostly destructive, which prevents analysis of roots o... Read More about X-ray CT reveals 4D root system development and lateral root responses to nitrate in soil.

Dual expression and anatomy lines allow simultaneous visualization of gene expression and anatomy (2021)
Journal Article
Kümpers, B. M. C., Han, J., Vaughan-Hirsch, J., Redman, N., Ware, A., Atkinson, J. A., …Bishopp, A. (2022). Dual expression and anatomy lines allow simultaneous visualization of gene expression and anatomy. Plant Physiology, 188(1), 56-69. https://doi.org/10.1093/plphys/kiab503

Studying the developmental genetics of plant organs, requires following gene expression in specific tissues. To facilitate this, we have developed the Dual Expression Anatomy Lines (DEAL), which incorporate a red plasma membrane marker alongside a fl... Read More about Dual expression and anatomy lines allow simultaneous visualization of gene expression and anatomy.

Non-invasive hydrodynamic imaging in plant roots at cellular resolution (2021)
Journal Article
Pascut, F. C., Couvreur, V., Dietrich, D., Leftley, N., Reyt, G., Boursiac, Y., …Webb, K. F. (2021). Non-invasive hydrodynamic imaging in plant roots at cellular resolution. Nature Communications, 12(1), 1-7. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-24913-z

A key impediment to studying water-related mechanisms in plants is the inability to non-invasively image water fluxes in cells at high temporal and spatial resolution. Here, we report that Raman microspectroscopy, complemented by hydrodynamic modelli... Read More about Non-invasive hydrodynamic imaging in plant roots at cellular resolution.

Preparation, Scanning and Analysis of Duckweed Using X-Ray Computed Microtomography (2021)
Journal Article
Jones, D. H., Atkinson, B., Ware, A., Sturrock, C. J., Bishopp, A., & Wells, D. M. (2021). Preparation, Scanning and Analysis of Duckweed Using X-Ray Computed Microtomography. Frontiers in Plant Science, 11, Article 617830. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2020.617830

© Copyright © 2021 Jones, Atkinson, Ware, Sturrock, Bishopp and Wells. Quantification of anatomical and compositional features underpins both fundamental and applied studies of plant structure and function. Relatively few non-invasive techniques are... Read More about Preparation, Scanning and Analysis of Duckweed Using X-Ray Computed Microtomography.

Positioning the Root Elongation Zone Is Saltatory and Receives Input from the Shoot (2020)
Journal Article
Baskin, T. I., Preston, S., Zelinsky, E., Yang, X., Elmali, M., Bellos, D., …Bennett, M. J. (2020). Positioning the Root Elongation Zone Is Saltatory and Receives Input from the Shoot. iScience, 23(7), Article 101309. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2020.101309

In the root, meristem and elongation zone lengths remain stable, despite growth and division of cells. To gain insight into zone stability, we imaged individual Arabidopsis thaliana roots through a horizontal microscope, and used image analysis to ob... Read More about Positioning the Root Elongation Zone Is Saltatory and Receives Input from the Shoot.

Low-cost automated vectors and modular environmental sensors for plant phenotyping (2020)
Journal Article
Bagley, S. A., Atkinson, J. A., Hunt, H., Wilson, M. H., Pridmore, T. P., & Wells, D. M. (2020). Low-cost automated vectors and modular environmental sensors for plant phenotyping. Sensors, 20(11), https://doi.org/10.3390/s20113319

© 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. High-throughput plant phenotyping in controlled environments (growth chambers and glasshouses) is often delivered via large, expensive installations, leading to limited access and the increase... Read More about Low-cost automated vectors and modular environmental sensors for plant phenotyping.