TUM method images living mycorrhizal networks in soil with synchrotron micro-CT

TUM researchers developed a way to image underground mycorrhizal fungal networks in three dimensions without cleaning roots or destroying fine hyphae, phys.org reported. Most plants rely on mycorrhizae that extend water and nutrient uptake while receiving plant carbohydrates. Prior imaging often required washing soil from roots, which destroyed fine structures and spatial connections. The new method grows plants in a basket that lifts the root system with surrounding soil intact, then uses synchrotron-based micro-computed tomography to reconstruct roots, hyphae, and spores. Mutez Ahmed, professor of root-soil interaction at TUM, said the approach opens a black box of plant research. Lead author Henri Braunmiller said clearer views of which networks supply water and nutrients could eventually help make crops more resilient to drought. The work is published in New Phytologist with DOI: 10.1111/nph.71379.