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In Vivo 1H-NMR Microimaging During Seed Imbibition, Germination, and Early Growth

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Seed Dormancy

Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology ((MIMB,volume 773))

Abstract

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a superior noninvasive diagnostic tool widely used in clinical medicine, with more than 60 million MRI tests performed each year worldwide. More specialized high-resolution MRI systems capable of a resolution that is 100–1,000 times higher than standard MRI instruments are used primarily in materials science, but are used with increasing frequency in plant physiology. We have shown that high-resolution 1H-nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) microimaging can provide a wealth of information about the internal anatomy of plant seeds as small as 1 mm or even smaller. This chapter covers the methods associated with these imaging techniques in detail. We also discuss the application of 1H-NMR microimaging to study in vivo seed imbibition, germination, and early seedling growth.

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Acknowledgments

This work is funded by a “Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft” (DFG LE720/6) grant awarded to G. Leubner-Metzger and a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Strategic grant to A. Kermode and others. We are grateful for the use of NMR Facilities at the Fraunhofer Institute of Biomedical Engineering (IBMT), St. Ingbert, Germany and at the Plant Biotechnology Institute NRC, Saskatoon, SK, Canada.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Steacie Institute for Molecular Sciences, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada

    Victor Terskikh

  2. Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada

    Kerstin Müller & Allison R. Kermode

  3. Faculty of Biology, Institute for Biology II, Botany/Plant Physiology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany

    Gerhard Leubner-Metzger

Authors
  1. Victor Terskikh
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  2. Kerstin Müller
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  3. Allison R. Kermode
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  4. Gerhard Leubner-Metzger
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Gerhard Leubner-Metzger .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser Unviersity, University Drive 8888, Burnaby, V5A 1S6, British Columbia, Canada

    Allison R. Kermode

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Terskikh, V., Müller, K., Kermode, A.R., Leubner-Metzger, G. (2011). In Vivo 1H-NMR Microimaging During Seed Imbibition, Germination, and Early Growth. In: Kermode, A. (eds) Seed Dormancy. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 773. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-61779-231-1_18

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-61779-231-1_18

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  • Publisher Name: Humana Press

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-61779-230-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-61779-231-1

  • eBook Packages: Springer Protocols

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