Plants have evolved a water transport system that relies on water sustaining a tensile force. Counter intuitively, this means water moves through the plant as a liquid under negative absolute pressures. This mechanism is made possible by the intricate plumbing system that constitutes the xylem tissue of plants. However, water under tension is prone to cavitation, which results in the formation...
Micro-Computed Tomography (MCT) has been announced as one of the first new beamlines to be constructed at the Australian Synchrotron as part of the BRIGHT program. MCT will complement the existing X-ray imaging/tomography capability provided by the Imaging and Medical Beamline (IMBL), and will target applications requiring higher (sub-micron) spatial resolution and involving smaller samples. ...
Building and protecting soil carbon is critical to agricultural productivity, soil health and climate change mitigation. This study aims to answer new questions of the molecular scale mechanisms at the organo-mineral interfaces for building soil carbon in the past:Terra Preta Australis (ancient indigenous dark earth, dated back to 1600 years BP); present: the longest, continuous biochar...
The Infrared Microspectroscopy (IRM) beamline has been in operation for user experiments since 2007 and continues to provide access to cutting edge Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) microscope instrumentation with a bright, diffraction limited infrared beam for the analysis of diverse materials form single cells to cultural artefacts, and composite materials to food products. This...
With increasing global populations and rising temperatures associated with climate change it is important to monitor and mitigate the effects of environmental stress on both native flora and agricultural crops. Epicuticular waxes on the surface of plant leaves play essential roles in sustaining plant health. Such roles include; minimising water loss, protection against UV and diseases, as well...