Remote sensors for measurement of CO2 and modelling photosynthesis
Keywords - photosynthesis / gas exchange / nanosensor technology / fluorescence imaging
Project Summary - Plants use CO2 that diffuses from the air into spaces within the leaf for carbon fixation by photosynthesis. Remarkably, we still have no method of measuring the CO2 within the leaf directly, even though it is one of the most important parameters determining the rates of photosynthesis. This project will develop new sensors and non-invasive spectrophotometric methods with magnetic nanoparticles to measure CO2 directly in the leaf. We expect the technology to revolutionise approaches to photosynthesis research; it will and open new avenues for nanoengineering design; and it will have broad applications from precision agriculture and environmental monitoring to medicine and human health.
Project Team -
Lead supervisor – Prof. Mike Blatt (Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology) ; http://psrg.org.uk/
Second supervisors – Dr. Serena Corr (Chemistry) and Prof. Andy Harvey (Physics)
Prof. Blatt is known worldwide for his work on guard cell physiology and stomatal gas exchange. Dr. Corr is an expert in nanoparticle design and solid-state materials for applications in energy and the environment. Prof. Harvey leads the Imaging Concepts Group and is an expert in advanced imaging techniques for remote sensing.
The scholar will be based in Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology and will work across all three institutes to gain a wide range of skills that combine biology, physico-chemical engineering, computational data analysis and modelling. The scholar will engage at national and international levels, including in scientific conferences to build a wide-ranging network across the relevant the fields.