Development of A Modular Plant Imaging PET System and Its Use In Evaluating Corn Plant Root Systems

ORAL

Abstract

A modular high-resolution positron emission tomography (PET) system has been developed at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility to study physiological processes that influence the biodistribution of various substances in plants. This system is used to investigate sugar transport under varying environmental conditions using $^{11}$C-tagged sugars. The positron-emitting radiotracer $^{11}$C is produced in the tandem laboratory at TUNL. Initial evaluation of the PhytoPET system to image differences in the biodistribution of $^{11}$C-tagged sugars in corn plants due to fungal-root interactions is underway at Duke and preliminary results are presented.

*This work was supported in part by USDOE Grant No. DE-FG02-97-ER41033 and DE-SC0005057

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Authors

  • A.S. Crowell

    • Duke University and TUNL

  • Laurie Cumberbatch

    • Duke University and TUNL

  • Brent Fallin

    • Duke University and TUNL

  • Calvin Howell

    • Duke University and TUNL

  • Chantal Reid

    • Duke University Department of Biology

  • Greg Bonito

    • Duke University Department of Biology

  • Chris Topp

    • Duke University Department of Biology

  • Andrew Weisenberger

    • Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility

  • Seung Joon Lee

    • Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility

  • Jack McKisson

    • Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility

  • Carl Zorn

    • Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility

  • Mark Smith

    • University of Maryland at Baltimore