Improvement of multimodal macroscopic imaging technology for phenotyping stress markers (defense proteins)

The plant is regarded as a biofactory whose use for various purposes is of critical importance. It does not carry pathogens commonly associated with human infections and is used to produce proteins for biopharmaceutical applications. Proteins are highly complex and almost infinitely diverse molecules, making them suitable for a wide range of applications.

Plants offer unique advantages, particularly when target proteins are difficult to produce using conventional systems or must be manufactured on a larger scale in response to urgent demand, as in the case of pandemic or seasonal influenza. Protein production can present specific challenges, hence the need to monitor any phenotypic changes—observable traits of an organism—that may affect plant development. Monitoring the expression of bioactive proteins and physiological variations is essential to obtaining a comprehensive understanding of the biological processes occurring within the plant. However, existing plant monitoring and phenotyping methods are either destructive, lengthy, labour-intensive, time-consuming, sometimes subjective or incomplete, and, above all, limited to the microscopic scale.

The objective of this PART project is to further develop a technological synergy combining several non-destructive multimodal imaging approaches to monitor model proteins, benefiting both the biophotonics sector and research aimed at improving yields. More specifically, we are developing new hardware strategies for the non-destructive fluorescence-based multimodal imaging of plants; investigating markers beyond GFP, such as scopoletin, a UVA-stimulated precursor marker of cell death; further automating the technology; and acquiring images during the application of abiotic stresses—light, temperature, and humidity—as well as biotic stresses.