Microfluidic devices for monitoring the root morphology of Arabidopsis thaliana in situ.

Plant roots play critical roles in absorbing nutrients for the growth and development of plants as well as adapting different environments. Currently, there is no satisfactory way to track dynamic information when studying roots at the high temporal and spatial resolution. Herein, a simple microfluidic device with crossed microchannels was utilized for a microscopic investigation of Arabidopsis thaliana roots in situ. Our experimental results showed that the microfluidic system combined with a microscope could be conveniently utilized for the quantification of primary roots and root hairs with a change of micrometers within a time of minutes. Using the same approach, the influences of high salinity stress could also be investigated on different parts of roots, including the root cap, meristematic zone, elongation zone, mature zone, and root hairs. More importantly, the growth of roots and root hairs could be quantified and compared in a solution of abscisic acid and indole-3-acetic acid, respectively. Our study suggested that the microfluidic system could become a powerful tool for the quantitative investigation of Arabidopsis thaliana roots.