Development of a PETIS/Compton fused device for simultaneous imaging of plural substances in a plant body

• Project/Area Number: 18K14556
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 41040:Agricultural environmental engineering and agricultural information engineering-related
• Research Institution: National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology
• Principal Investigator: Nagao Yuto 国立研究開発法人量子科学技術研究開発機構, 高崎量子応用研究所 放射線高度利用施設部, 技術員(定常) (60622545)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2020)
• Budget Amount: ¥4,160,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,200,000、Indirect Cost: ¥960,000); Fiscal Year 2020: ¥1,170,000 (Direct Cost: ¥900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥270,000); Fiscal Year 2019: ¥2,210,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,700,000、Indirect Cost: ¥510,000); Fiscal Year 2018: ¥780,000 (Direct Cost: ¥600,000、Indirect Cost: ¥180,000)
• Keywords: コンプトンカメラ / ポジトロンイメージング

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We have devised a new gamma-ray imaging device for plant studies named "positron-emitting tracer imaging system (PETIS)/Compton fused device" for simultaneous imaging of plural substances in a plant body by fusing an existent positron imaging technique for plant studies (i.e. PETIS technique) and a Compton imaging technique, which is a next-generation gamma-ray imaging technique. In this study, we have developed a small prototype device to demonstrate the effectiveness of the fusion technique.

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究課題では、PETIS/コンプトン融合機のプロトタイプ装置を試作し、融合技術の有用性を実証した。
この融合技術は、植物研究に新たな研究ツールを提供するものであり、これにより植物体内のあらゆる物質輸送を可視化すれば、複数の元素が拮抗作用し合う植物の栄養吸収・代謝メカニズムの包括的な解明につながり、植物の多様な代謝・生理機能や環境適応のシステム的理解を通じた作物の生産性向上、ひいては我が国の将来にわたる安全な食料の安定供給が期待される。