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Invention Summary:
Stomata, the micro-size pores on the plant leaves, open and close to respond to both external environmental changes and internal growth factors, thereby, are crucial to plants photosynthesis and transpiration processes. While stomata conductance has long been measured, how stomata dynamically respond to multitude environmental changes across a field have not yet been well characterized.
Rutgers researchers have developed a cutting-edge sensing device designed for large-scale distributive deployment in a field to measure dynamic behaviors of stomata, focusing on simultaneous stomatal conductance and aperture measurement in their real-time responses to multiple environmental factors including light, temperature, CO2, and air (and soil) humidity levels. It features a transparent tube chamber with two MEMS sensors to create an environment for millimeter measurements of transpiration rate and stomatal conductance, and a miniaturized optical microscope for simultaneous aperture measurement. Additionally, carefully crafted algorithms based on a diffusion model are in place to minimize adverse effects of environmental disturbances for in-field stomatal measurement, such as wind. The design also includes image processing and pattern recognition algorithms to identify and quantify the stomatal aperture size. The sub-centimeter footprint of the device makes it ideal for distributive in-field deployment at large scale.
Market Applications:
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Plant biology research and environmental science.
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Agricultural science and engineering for crop management, precision irrigation, and smart agriculture
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Agriculture science in crop breeding.
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Genetic research to enhance crop resilience and productivity.
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Educational tools for universities and research institutions.
Advantages:
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In-field, distributive measurement of dynamic stomatal conductance.
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Simultaneous stomatal conductance and aperture dynamics quantification.
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Supports advanced data analysis through image processing and pattern recognition.
Publications: • https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5197165
Intellectual Property & Development Status: Provisional application filed. Patent pending. Available for licensing and/or research collaboration. For any business development and other collaborative partnerships, contact: marketingbd@research.rutgers.edu
