MRI: Acquisition of a portable photosynthesis system for plant ecophysiology research

奥格斯堡学院被授予购买Li-Cor Li-6400XTR便携式光合作用系统，以研究受真菌感染的重要经济植物的生理，并研究生态生理过程的数学模型。便携式光合作用系统将支持植物生物科学、数学和环境科学的跨学科研究，以及文理学院和大型研究机构之间的合作。LI-6400XTR将用于广泛的研究活动，包括：1)被不会引起疾病症状的病原体定居的重要经济植物的生理和生产力；2)植物内生菌的功能作用；3)土壤传播的根部病原体亚致死感染对植物生产力的影响；以及4)叶水平生理过程的测量，以对碳循环的生态系统模型进行参数化。这项研究将主要集中在大豆作为模式植物，因为它在经济上具有重要意义，并在美国各地种植。便携式光合作用系统将用于植物生物学、环境科学和数学方面的学院研究和本科生研究。奥格斯堡学院是一所主要的本科院校，致力于为本科生提供培训和研究机会。本科生在课程的早期就被介绍进行研究，许多学生参与了教师领导的研究。便携式光合作用系统将产生庞大而复杂的数据集，导致研究学生参与到生物学和数学的广泛定量数据分析中。该仪器还将改善与明尼苏达大学教职员工的合作和跨学科研究项目。这些合作的结果将提高我们对植物-真菌相互作用的理解，并将应用于提高大豆产量和生产力。新的研究成果将发表在同行评议的期刊上，并在国家科学会议上发表。

An award is made to Augsburg College to purchase a Li-Cor LI-6400XTR portable photosynthesis system to investigate the physiology of economically important plants infected by fungi and also to study mathematical modeling of ecophysiological processes. The portable photosynthesis system will support interdisciplinary research in the plant biological sciences, mathematics, and environmental sciences, and collaboration between a liberal arts college and a large research institution. The LI-6400XTR will be used for a wide range of research activities including: 1) The physiology and productivity of economically important plants colonized by pathogens that do not cause symptoms of disease; 2) The functional role of endophytes in plants; 3) The impact of sublethal infections by soilborne pathogens of roots on plant productivity; and 4) The measurement of leaf-level physiological processes to parameterize ecosystem models of carbon cycling. This research will largely focus on soybeans as a model plant because it is economically important and grown throughout the U.S.The portable photosynthesis system will be used for faculty research and undergraduate research in plant biology, environmental science, and mathematics. Augsburg College is a primary undergraduate institution and dedicated to providing training and research opportunities for undergraduate students. Undergraduate students are introduced to research early in the curriculum, and many students participate in faculty led research. The portable photosynthesis system will generate data sets that are large and complex, resulting in research students to be involved in extensive quantitative data analysis in biology and mathematics. The instrument will also improve collaborative and interdisciplinary research projects with faculty at the University of Minnesota. Results from these collaborations will improve our understanding of plant-fungal interactions, and will be applied to improving soybean yield and productivity. New research findings will be published in peer reviewed journals and presented at national scientific meetings