Persistent drought monitoring using a microfluidic-printed electro-mechanical sensor of stomata in planta

Persistent drought monitoring using a microfluidic-printed electro-mechanical sensor of stomata in planta

The study of stomatal dynamics is crucial for understanding photosynthetic gas exchange and plant hydraulics, but there are currently no methods for measuring the conductance of individual stomata in real-time and in planta.  As such, Koman et al. developed a system where a nanoparticle conducting-ink was used to print a conductive circuit across a stomatal pore with micrometre precision.  When stomata were closed the circuit was complete, while opening led to a measureable increase in electrical resistance.  The authors used this stomatal electro-mechanical pore size sensor (SEMPSS) to assess the dynamics of stomatal closing and opening in response to light-dark cycles, light quality and drought. (Summary by Mike Page) Lab On a Chip 10.1039/C7LC00930E