Executive Summary : | Climate change in India significantly impacts soil conditions and crop yield, particularly the plant root ecosystem. The microenvironment around the root plays a crucial role in uptaking water and nutrients from the soil environment to other parts of the plant. To understand the effects of abiotic and biotic stress factors on the root, conventional lab scale experiments are conducted. However, this study proposes integrating the plant root system with microfluidics, an evident tool to address biological problems through Lab-on-a-Chip devices. Using WT-Arabidopsis thaliana, a tiny model plant with a root diameter of 100µm to 200µm, the Plant Root Microfluidic System (PRMS) will be developed. The PRMS will have a series of microchannels with separate inlet, outlet, and pipette tip ports for germination. After three to four days, the germinated root will be transferred to the PRMS, and liquid growth media (Murashige and Skoog) will be supplied through a syringe pump, and root growth inside the microchannel will be observed under a microscope.
The project will first focus on standardizing the parameter and observation on root growth under different conditions, as previous research has reported reduced root growth by 40% due to the confinement effect. Then, the influence of abiotic stress on root growth dynamics will be investigated by introducing PEG and NaCl in the liquid growth media. To avoid contamination issues, an automated image acquisition system will be integrated into the microscope. The project aims to develop novel analytical platforms for germinating, growing, and detection of plant root growth in a portable fluidic environment. |