PARENT SESSION
Poster Session # 13: Biogeochemistry, Photosynthesis, and Respiration.
Tuesday, August 5 Presentation from 5:00 PM to 6:30 PM. SITCC Exhibit Hall B.
A new, nondestructive window into dynamics of sugar concentrations around plant roots in the field.
Cardon, Zoe1, Tyser, Deborah1, Moussy, Francis2, 1 University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT2 University of South Florida, Tampa, FL
ABSTRACT- Photosynthetic plants and algae provide the energy and molecular building blocks necessary to support most life on Earth. In terrestrial ecosystems, sugars (and other easily utilized organic compounds) "lost" from living plant roots are important for supporting soil microbial activity. This microbial activity in turn influences decomposition of detritus and thus the recycling of nutrients to support plant growth and ecosystem productivity. Currently there is no way to continuously and nondestructively monitor concentrations of simple organic compounds at fine spatial scales around roots in field soils. We have developed miniaturized sensors that detect glucose by relying on the selectivity of immobilized glucose oxidase enzyme to generate a glucose-specific electrical signal at a platinum working electrode. The sensors, which are approximately the size of very small thermocouples, can be used in wetland systems to measure glucose around plant roots in water (or around algae in aquatic or marine systems); we are continuing development of the sensors for use in soil. Ultimately, we envision sensors of this basic design could be used for spatially resolved, continuous monitoring of concentrations of a variety of compounds in soil and/or in water. Such nondestructive, continuous monitoring in situ is essential for advancing our understanding of links between belowground pattern and process in ecosystems.
Key words: field, sensor, rhizosphere, sugar