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Intra-annual fluctuation in morphology and microfibril angle of tracheids revealed by novel microscopy-based imaging. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0277616. [PMID: 36378676 PMCID: PMC9665381 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0277616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Woody cells, such as tracheids, fibers, vessels, rays etc., have unique structural characteristics such as nano-scale ultrastructure represented by multilayers, microfibril angle (MFA), micro-scale anatomical properties and spatial arrangement. Simultaneous evaluation of the above indices is very important for their adequate quantification and extracting the effects of external stimuli from them. However, it is difficult in general to achieve the above only by traditional methodologies. To overcome the above point, a new methodological framework combining polarization optical microscopy, fluorescence microscopy, and image segmentation is proposed. The framework was tested to a model softwood species, Chamaecyparis obtusa for characterizing intra-annual transition of MFA and tracheid morphology in a radial file unit. According our result, this framework successfully traced the both characteristics tracheid by tracheid and revealed the high correlation (|r| > 0.5) between S2 microfibril angles and tracheidal morphology (lumen radial diameter, tangential wall thickness and cell wall occupancy). In addition, radial file based evaluation firstly revealed their complex transitional behavior in transition and latewood. The proposed framework has great potential as one of the unique tools to provide detailed insights into heterogeneity of intra and inter-cells in the wide field of view through the simultaneous evaluation of cells' ultrastructure and morphological properties.
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X-ray computed tomography, electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy of severed Zelkova serrata roots (Japanese elm tree). Micron 2022; 156:103231. [DOI: 10.1016/j.micron.2022.103231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2021] [Revised: 02/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Duncan KE, Czymmek KJ, Jiang N, Thies AC, Topp CN. X-ray microscopy enables multiscale high-resolution 3D imaging of plant cells, tissues, and organs. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2022; 188:831-845. [PMID: 34618094 PMCID: PMC8825331 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiab405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2021] [Accepted: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Capturing complete internal anatomies of plant organs and tissues within their relevant morphological context remains a key challenge in plant science. While plant growth and development are inherently multiscale, conventional light, fluorescence, and electron microscopy platforms are typically limited to imaging of plant microstructure from small flat samples that lack a direct spatial context to, and represent only a small portion of, the relevant plant macrostructures. We demonstrate technical advances with a lab-based X-ray microscope (XRM) that bridge the imaging gap by providing multiscale high-resolution three-dimensional (3D) volumes of intact plant samples from the cell to the whole plant level. Serial imaging of a single sample is shown to provide sub-micron 3D volumes co-registered with lower magnification scans for explicit contextual reference. High-quality 3D volume data from our enhanced methods facilitate sophisticated and effective computational segmentation. Advances in sample preparation make multimodal correlative imaging workflows possible, where a single resin-embedded plant sample is scanned via XRM to generate a 3D cell-level map, and then used to identify and zoom in on sub-cellular regions of interest for high-resolution scanning electron microscopy. In total, we present the methodologies for use of XRM in the multiscale and multimodal analysis of 3D plant features using numerous economically and scientifically important plant systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keith E Duncan
- Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St Louis, Missouri 63132, USA
| | - Kirk J Czymmek
- Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St Louis, Missouri 63132, USA
| | - Ni Jiang
- Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St Louis, Missouri 63132, USA
| | | | - Christopher N Topp
- Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St Louis, Missouri 63132, USA
- Author for communication:
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Toumpanaki E, Shah DU, Eichhorn SJ. Beyond What Meets the Eye: Imaging and Imagining Wood Mechanical-Structural Properties. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2021; 33:e2001613. [PMID: 32830395 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202001613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2020] [Revised: 05/12/2020] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Wood presents a hierarchical structure, containing features at all length scales: from the tracheids or vessels that make up its cellular structure, through to the microfibrils within the cell walls, down to the molecular architecture of the cellulose, lignin, and hemicelluloses that comprise its chemical makeup. This structure renders it with high mechanical (e.g., modulus and strength) and interesting physical (e.g., optical) properties. A better understanding of this structure, and how it plays a role in governing mechanical and other physical parameters, will help to better exploit this sustainable resource. Here, recent developments on the use of advanced imaging techniques for studying the structural properties of wood in relation to its mechanical properties are explored. The focus is on synchrotron nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray tomographical imaging, Raman and infrared spectroscopies, confocal microscopy, electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy. Critical discussion on the role of imaging techniques and how fields are developing rapidly to incorporate both spatial and temporal ranges of analysis is presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleni Toumpanaki
- Bristol Composites Institute, CAME School of Engineering, University of Bristol, University Walk, Bristol, BS8 1TR, UK
| | - Darshil U Shah
- Department of Architecture, Centre for Natural Materials Innovation, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1PX, UK
| | - Stephen J Eichhorn
- Bristol Composites Institute, CAME School of Engineering, University of Bristol, University Walk, Bristol, BS8 1TR, UK
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Burridge HC, Pini R, Shah SMK, Reynolds TPS, Wu G, Shah DU, Scherman OA, Ramage MH, Linden PF. Identifying Efficient Transport Pathways in Early-Wood Timber: Insights from 3D X-ray CT Imaging of Softwood in the Presence of Flow. Transp Porous Media 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s11242-020-01540-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
AbstractWider use of timber has the potential to greatly reduce the embodied carbon of construction. Improved chemical treatment could help overcome some of the barriers to wider application of timber, by furthering the durability and/or mechanical properties of this natural material. Improving timber treatment by treating the whole volume of a piece of timber, or tailored sections thereof, requires sound understanding and validated modelling of the natural paths for fluid flow through wood. In this study we carry out a robust analysis of three-dimensional X-ray CT measurements on kiln-dried softwood in the presence of flow and identify small portions of early-wood which are uniquely capable of transporting fluids—herein ‘efficient transport pathways’. We successfully model the effects of these pathways on the liquid uptake by timber by introducing a spatial variability in the amount of aspiration of the bordered pits following kiln drying. The model demonstrates that fluid advances along these efficient transport paths between 10 and 30 times faster than in the remainder of the timber. Identifying these efficient transport pathways offers scope to improve and extend the degree to which timber properties are enhanced at an industrial scale through processes to impregnate timber.
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Sanabria SJ, Baensch F, Zauner M, Niemz P. In-situ quantification of microscopic contributions of individual cells to macroscopic wood deformation with synchrotron computed tomography. Sci Rep 2020; 10:21615. [PMID: 33303882 PMCID: PMC7730398 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-78028-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2020] [Accepted: 09/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Wood-based composites hold the promise of sustainable construction. Understanding the influence on wood cellular microstructure in the macroscopic mechanical behavior is key for engineering high-performance composites. In this work, we report a novel Individual Cell Tracking (ICT) approach for in-situ quantification of nanometer-scale deformations of individual wood cells during mechanical loading of macroscopic millimeter-scale wood samples. Softwood samples containing > 104 cells were subjected to controlled radial tensile and longitudinal compressive load in a synchrotron radiation micro-computed tomography (SRµCT) setup. Tracheid and wood ray cells were automatically segmented, and their geometric variations were tracked during load. Finally, interactions between microstructure deformations (lumen geometry, cell wall thickness), cellular arrangement (annual growth rings, anisotropy, wood ray presence) with the macroscopic deformation response were investigated. The results provide cellular insight into macroscopic relations, such as anisotropic Poisson effects, and allow direct observation of previously suspected wood ray reinforcing effects. The method is also appropriate for investigation of non-linear deformation effects, such as buckling and deformation recovery after failure, and gives insight into less studied aspects, such as changes in lumen diameter and cell wall thickness during uniaxial load. ICT provides an experimental tool for direct validation of hierarchical mechanical models on real biological composites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergio J Sanabria
- Zurich Ultrasound Research and Translation (ZURT), Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Zurich, Raemistrasse 100, 8091, Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Franziska Baensch
- Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM), Unter den Eichen 87, 12205, Berlin, Germany
| | - Michaela Zauner
- Institute for Building Materials, ETH Zurich, Stefano-Franscini-Platz 6, 8093, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Peter Niemz
- Institute for Building Materials, ETH Zurich, Stefano-Franscini-Platz 6, 8093, Zurich, Switzerland
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Burridge HC, Wu G, Reynolds T, Shah DU, Johnston R, Scherman OA, Ramage MH, Linden PF. The transport of liquids in softwood: timber as a model porous medium. Sci Rep 2019; 9:20282. [PMID: 31889063 PMCID: PMC6937322 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-55811-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2019] [Accepted: 11/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Timber is the only widely used construction material we can grow. The wood from which it comes has evolved to provide structural support for the tree and to act as a conduit for fluid flow. These flow paths are crucial for engineers to exploit the full potential of timber, by allowing impregnation with liquids that modify the properties or resilience of this natural material. Accurately predicting the transport of these liquids enables more efficient industrial timber treatment processes to be developed, thereby extending the scope to use this sustainable construction material; moreover, it is of fundamental scientific value - as a fluid flow within a natural porous medium. Both structural and transport properties of wood depend on its micro-structure but, while a substantial body of research relates the structural performance of wood to its detailed architecture, no such knowledge exists for the transport properties. We present a model, based on increasingly refined geometric parameters, that accurately predicts the time-dependent ingress of liquids within softwood timber, thereby addressing this long-standing scientific challenge. Moreover, we show that for the minimalistic parameterisation the model predicts ingress with a square-root-of-time behaviour. However, experimental data show a potentially significant departure from this [Formula: see text] behaviour - a departure which is successfully predicted by our more advanced parametrisation. Our parameterisation of the timber microstructure was informed by computed tomographic measurements; model predictions were validated by comparison with experimental data. We show that accurate predictions require statistical representation of the variability in the timber pore space. The collapse of our dimensionless experimental data demonstrates clear potential for our results to be up-scaled to industrial treatment processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- H C Burridge
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Skempton Building, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK.
| | - G Wu
- Melville Laboratory for Polymer Synthesis, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK
| | - T Reynolds
- Institute for Infrastructure and Environment, School of Engineering, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3FG, UK
| | - D U Shah
- Department of Architecture, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1PX, UK
| | - R Johnston
- Materials Research Centre, College of Engineering, Swansea University, Swansea, SA1 8EN, UK
| | - O A Scherman
- Melville Laboratory for Polymer Synthesis, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK
| | - M H Ramage
- Department of Architecture, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1PX, UK
| | - P F Linden
- Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, University of Cambridge, Centre for Mathematical Sciences, Wilberforce Road, Cambridge, CB3 0WA, UK
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Duncan KE, Bray AL, Dowd TG, Topp CN. Using 3D X-ray Microscopy to Study Crown Root Development and Primary Root Tip Growth in Diverse Maize ( Zea mays L.) Lines. MICROSCOPY AND MICROANALYSIS 2019; 25:1032-1033. [PMID: 0 DOI: 10.1017/s1431927619005890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
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