Phytoelectronic soil sensing

该项目的研究目标是利用植物作为现场化学实验室，精确、密集和远程测量土壤状况。这些“植物”的汁液将通过植入的生物电子传感器进行分析，并通过低功率无线电询问进行远程通信。这种方法将避免直接感测土壤的复杂性，而是检测维管液对根部周围土壤的化学和生物变化的化学反应。这些由木质部组织运输的流体处于负压下，因此通常难以接近。因此，该项目将研究一些用于手术植入的小型传感器的再生技术，使这些传感器嫁接到木质部组织中，就像目前嫁接的果树一样。整个小型传感器，包括植入式电子器件和再生涂层，将以非常低的成本进行丝网印刷。丝网印刷配方和其他使能技术将通过开放科学框架与公众分享。通过国际BioMaker和OpenPlant计划向团队分发资助的试剂盒，将进一步促进这些结果的公众使用。

The research objective of this project is to accurately, densely and remotely measure the state of the soil using plants as in situ chemical laboratories. The sap of these "interrogator plants" will be analyzed by implanted bioelectronic sensors and remotely communicated by low-power radio interrogation. This approach will avoid the complexity of sensing the soil directly by instead detecting the chemical response of vascular fluids to chemical and biological changes of the soil around the roots. These fluids, which are transported by the woody xylem tissues, are under negative pressure and thus typically difficult to access. The project will thus investigate a number of regeneration techniques for surgically implanted, small sensors such that these sensors become grafted into the xylem tissue, much like fruit trees are currently grafted. The entire small sensor including implanted electronics and regenerative coating will be screen-printed for very low cost. Screen printing recipes and other enabling techniques will be shared with the public through the Open Science Framework. Public use of these results will be further fostered by funded kits distributed to teams through the international BioMaker and OpenPlant programs.