Chlorophyll fluorescence systems for real-time monitoring of plant performance

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This grant will support the purchase of a chlorophyll fluorescence (ChlF) system for real-time monitoring of plant performance to support multiple PIs and to equip the new state-of-the art greenhouse at the UTM campus with modern plant phenotyping equipment. The fluorometers will support a team of researchers from early career to established PIs in the UTM community with vibrant research labs, overlapping research interests and divergent but complementing expertise, and the vision to establish a hub for plant phenotyping at the new research greenhouse at UTM. One of the central challenges faced by today's scientists in our post-genomic era is the “phenotyping bottleneck”: information on plant performance is critically needed to complement existing resources (genomics, remote sensing), gain mechanistic insights into stress resistance, exploit this information for breeding, and to predict ecosystem responses under current and future climate challenges. With the requested equipment, plant research ranging from molecular biology and (epi)genomics to plant physiology, remote sensing and ecosystem modeling will be supported. Here, we propose to purchase newly developed powerful fluorometers that, based on ChlF und photosystem II activity, are able to detect differences between individuals and, critically, detect stress responses in a non-destructive fashion. Especially important is the unprecedented and critically needed temporal (Micro PAM) and spatial (Imaging PAM) resolution that allows for long-term, fine-scale, and time-resolved studies of plant responses. No equipment for time-resolved phenotyping at plant level currently exists on campus. Nevertheless, such equipment will be a critical investment into the scientists, their HQP and in a campus phenotyping hub to ensure current and future cutting-edge collaborative research at UTM. Support for this vision is also reflected in the financial contributions for this proposal by both the Office of the Vice Principal, Research and the Dep. of Biology, amounting to a total of $30,000 in support.