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Art of Science Gallery 03

aos03_14
Take a deep breathe

Multiphoton Confocal Microscope Zeiss 710 with Mai Tai eHP Ti:sapphire laser

Image provided by Rebecca Slattery, Donald Ort Lab



Research funded by the United States Department of Agriculture



This image shows an Arabidopsis leaf at different depths into the tissue. Surface views show pores that allow the leaf to “breathe.” Deeper views show a red fluorescence produced by chlorophyll. Chloroplasts closer to the surface of the leaf reach the limit of light absorption earlier than those below. By genetically reducing chlorophyll content, researchers hypothesize they may be able to create a more even distribution of light in the leaf and therefore increase photosynthetic efficiency.