Positron emitters for in vivo plant research

Adopting a systems approach in analysis of the behavior of a biological system is a prime importance because all factors are considered simultaneously. Feedback is an important phenomenon occurring in dynamic biological systems, enabling appropriate regulatory and control functions to be maintained. In plants, the question whether photosynthesis or translocation controls carbon partitioning and hence productivity is of great agronomic importance, because many efforts are directed at selecting plant varieties with high rates of photosynthesis via genetic engineering and/or selective breeding. By use of short-lived positron emitting isotopes, such as C-11 and N-13, coupled with time-dependent and steady-state compartmental kinetic models, such dynamic biophysical plant problems are being unravelled. Questions such as: (i) source-sink complexities, (ii) experimental tests of the Munich-Horwitz theory of phloem transport (iii) uptake, transport and kinetics of nitrate and ammonium ions, and (iv) effects of ecological factors on growth rates were answered