Zeiss Lightsheet Z.1 Microscope
Image provided by Becky Slattery, Don Ort Lab
Research funded by the United States Department of Agriculture
This image shows the upper and lower surfaces of a dark and a light green tobacco leaf. Fluorescent light given off by chlorophyll in cross-sections of the leaves was captured and recolored to produce the shapes seen here. Research has shown that in dark green leaves, the upper surface absorbs more light than it can use while the leaf tissue below is deprived of light. This research is testing the hypothesis that reducing chlorophyll content will result in a more efficient use of light, meaning more productive crop plants.
