confocal laser-scanning-microscope

• Subject Area: Plant Sciences
• Term: Funded in 2020
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 457241641

The Greb lab uses the process of radial plant growth as a model for growth and stem cell regulation in multi-cellular organisms. Radial plant growth is established post-embryonically in a highly differentiated cellular environment inducing a fundamental reorganization of existing tissue anatomies and cell identities. This reorganization allows addressing the developmental, physiological and physical constraints implied by existing structures and developmental states. The stem cell niche mostly driving radial expansion of shoots and roots is the vascular cambium. The vascular cambium forms a cylindrical stem cell domain close to the periphery of organs producing two highly differentiated tissues in opposite directions: the xylem, specialized for the long-distance transport of water and nutrients, toward the organ centre and the phloem, specialized for the transport of sugars and a multitude of organic molecules, toward the organ periphery. Transport cells located in these tissues experience an extreme degree of differentiation with xylem vessels going through programmed cell death and sieve elements eliminating most of their organelles including the nucleus. Thus, cambium-derived cells fundamentally change their properties within a short time frame and there are bidirectional and steep gradients of cell differentiation along the radial sequence of tissues in the cambium area. These features render the cambium as a powerful model for addressing central questions of multicellular growth indicated above. Beyond obtaining insight into the internal wiring of complex biological systems, the fact that a large part of the terrestrial biomass serving as a long-term storage of atmospheric CO2 is produced by the cambium substantially contributes to the significance of this work. In addition, wood (xylem) and fibres (phloem) represent essential bioproducts for a sustainable economy and detailed knowledge about their formation will contribute to more targeted breeding programs and translational approaches. The Greb lab aims for understanding the process of radial plant growth by revealing differences in cell type signatures and the molecular interactions between those signatures. We particularly focus on the establishment and remodelling of distinct cell fates by physiological and hormonal signals. For this, analyses by high-end microscopes for determining spatio-temporal dynamics of fluorescently labelled biomolecules are key and performed on a daily basis. Therefore, highly sensitive microscope systems holding a high degree of spectral flexibility, sensitivity and specificity are the basis of this research.

• DFG Programme: Major Research Instrumentation
• Major Instrumentation: Konfokales Laser-Scanning-Mikroskop
• Instrumentation Group: 5090 Spezialmikroskope
• Applicant Institution: Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg
• Leader: Professor Dr. Thomas Greb