Measurement of nitrogen fixation and incorporation
Inventors
Wood, Kent • Brown, Russell • Gage, Jeremy • Rasmussen, Rikke • Raine, Paul • BLOCH, Sarah • Tamsir, Alvin • Temme, Karsten • Ozaydin Eskiyenenturk, Bilge
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-12281980-B2
Publication Date
2025-04-22
Expiration Date
Abstract
Systems for plant culture include a chamber featuring one or more walls enclosing a spatial volume internal to the chamber, where the one or more walls include a surface for supporting a plant within the enclosed spatial volume, a gas delivery apparatus with at least one gas source, a nutrient delivery apparatus with a reservoir, a sampling apparatus connected to a port formed in the one or more walls, and a controller configured so that during operation of the system, the controller activates the nutrient delivery apparatus to deliver an aqueous growth medium to the plant, and activates the gas delivery apparatus to deliver into the enclosed spatial volume a mixture of isotopically-substituted gases. Also provided are methods of use of the system for measuring nitrogen in a plant and for identifying microbes capable of providing fixed nitrogen to a plant.
Core Innovation
The invention provides a plant culture system with a chamber enclosing a spatial volume in which a plant is supported on a surface. A nutrient delivery apparatus delivers an aqueous growth medium to the plant, and a gas delivery apparatus introduces a mixture of isotopically-substituted gases into the enclosed spatial volume under controller control. A sampling apparatus connected to a port in the chamber wall enables access to the chamber contents during operation.
The invention supports detection of nitrogen incorporation in a plant by growing a test plant in the enclosed chamber while adjusting a nitrogen gas mixture so that a ratio of at least two nitrogen isotopes differs from a naturally occurring atmospheric ratio. After a growth period, isotope analysis of test plant tissue determines relative amounts of the at least two nitrogen isotopes, and the relative amounts are compared to reference information to detect nitrogen incorporation.
The described approach uses isotopic nitrogen handling within a controlled chamber environment, including adjusting isotope ratios of nitrogen gas and performing isotope analysis on plant tissue. The method optionally incorporates nitrogen-fixing bacteria in the test plant and/or support medium, and reference information may be derived from tissue of a reference plant grown in the enclosed chamber.
Claims Coverage
The document contains two independent claims, covering a controller-controlled plant culture system with delivery of an aqueous growth medium and isotopically substituted gases, and a method for detecting nitrogen incorporation by altered nitrogen isotope ratios, tissue isotope analysis, and comparison to reference information.
Controller-controlled plant culture chamber with aqueous growth medium and isotopically substituted gases
A system for plant culture comprising a chamber with a surface for supporting a plant, a gas delivery apparatus with at least one gas source, a nutrient delivery apparatus with a reservoir, a sampling apparatus connected to a port in the chamber wall, and a controller connected to the gas and nutrient delivery apparatuses, wherein the controller activates the nutrient delivery to deliver an aqueous growth medium and activates the gas delivery to deliver into the enclosed spatial volume a mixture of isotopically-substituted gases with the plant entirely positioned within the enclosed spatial volume.
Detecting nitrogen incorporation by altering nitrogen isotope ratios and comparing tissue isotope analysis to reference information
A method of detecting nitrogen incorporation in a plant by positioning a test plant in a support medium within an enclosed chamber; adjusting a composition of a nitrogen gas mixture within the chamber so that a ratio of at least two nitrogen isotopes is different from a naturally occurring atmospheric ratio; delivering an aqueous growth medium to cause growth over a growth period; performing isotope analysis of test plant tissue to determine relative amounts of the at least two nitrogen isotopes; and comparing the relative amounts to reference information to detect nitrogen incorporation.
Overall claim coverage centers on a controlled plant culture environment via a chamber, nutrient delivery of an aqueous growth medium, and controlled delivery of isotopically substituted gases, together with detecting nitrogen incorporation by using a nitrogen isotope mixture with a non-atmospheric isotope ratio and performing isotope analysis of plant tissue followed by comparison to reference information.
Stated Advantages
Documented Applications
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