Methodology development to manipulate and to stimulate single plant cells utilizing femtosecond laser

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project Area: Environmental sensing of plants: Signal perception, processing and cellular responses
• Project/Area Number: 22120010
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas (Research in a proposed research area)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Review Section: Biological Sciences
• Research Institution: Nara Institute of Science and Technology
• Principal Investigator: HOSOKAWA YOICHIROH 奈良先端科学技術大学院大学, 物質創成科学研究科, 准教授 (20448088)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): IINO Takanori 奈良先端科学技術大学院大学, 物質創成科学研究科, 特任助教 (90709601)
• Project Period (FY): 2010-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: フェムト秒レーザー / 植物細胞 / レーザーマイクロダイセクション / レーザー細胞操作 / レーザー衝撃波

Outline of Final Research Achievements

When an intense femtosecond laser is focused on biological materials under microscope, they are dissected at the laser focal point because of the effective multiphoton absorption. Furthermore, when the laser is focused into aqueous medium, an explosion is induced at the laser focal point and shock- and stress- waves propagate and act to the surrounding material as an impulsive force. In this research program, we developed new methodology to investigate plant physiology adapting these phenomena to plants. Physiological function of plant was inhibited by the laser processing of targeted cells inside plant body. Adhesion between intercellular suborganelles were broken by the impulsive force and the adhesion strength was quantified convening with technique of atomic force microscopy. Furthermore, we developed new methods to investigate freezing tolerance of plant body utilizing laser-induced ice formation phenomenon and to introduce exogenous molecules to single plant cells.

Free Research Field

レーザー応用工学