February 21, 2025, 11:30 Sala Videoconferenze DIMA
Plant cells can sustain very elevated posiEve or negaEve pressures. It is difficult
to measure pressure in a liquid at a distance, contrary to the velocity field where
following parEcles gives a measure of the velocity. The tradiEonal method to
measure the pressure in plant cells is the pressure probe method. It consist in
piercing the cell with a fine needle, to connect the cell interior to a sensor via a
liquid that convey the pressure up to a sensor. Unfortunately this method is very
delicate, since leaks or cell rupture occur frequently. Here we show a new
method, which consist in nucleaEng a bubble by focusing a laser pulse inside the
cell. The size and its evoluEon then give clues of the liquid pressure. An
applicaEon is presented to measure the pressure in guard cells, cells responsible
for closing and opening the stomata of leaves that regulate evaporaEon.