See-Through Plants For Research

Researchers Create Reagent to Make Plants See-Through

Ayako Tsukidate | December 31, 2015

Scientists at Nagoya University have developed a reagent that makes plants translucent, allowing them to observe specimens on a cellular level under a microscope without having to slice them open.
This development will help “unravel the mystery behind plant organs,” said Daisuke Kurihara, a designated assistant professor of biology at the university.

The reagent ClearSee makes a thale cress pistil translucent so scientists can study the structure of its pollen tubes. Source: http://www.asahi.com/english/articles/AJ201512310027.html 

<more at http://ajw.asahi.com/article/sci_tech/science/AJ201512310027; related links: http://ignition.co/456 (The Breakthrough of the “See through” Plant. Daring innovations from the Nagoya University Life Sciences Team) and http://www.asahi.com/english/articles/AJ201512310027.html (Researchers create reagent to make plants see-through. December 31, 2015)>