Beverly received the 1st place in the poster competition at the MU DuPont Pioneer Symposium

We congratulate Beverly on receiving the 1st place in the poster competition at the First MU DuPont Pioneer Symposium, 2017. Her poster title is “In situ metabolic profiling of symbiotic soybean-rhizobia interactions by laser ablation – electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (LAESI – MS)”.

Poster Abstract

Plants synthesize specific compounds (e.g., metabolites) that are essential for biochemical processes, such as growth, development, and environmental response. Recent advancements in metabolomics have expanded and clarified plant biochemistry, genetics, and physiology under varying conditions. However, the spatiotemporal information about metabolite production, storage, and transport remains largely elusive. In recent years, Laser Ablation Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry (LAESI-MS) has been implemented successfully in metabolite profiling of samples ranging from microalgae to plant tissues. This ambient MS technology allows sampling in native conditions, with minimal sample preparation, while preserving the spatial information of biomolecules. Here, we used LAESI-MS to investigate the metabolites in a well-characterized model plant-rhizobium system, specifically nitrogen-fixing soybean nodules resulting from root infection by Bradyrhizobium japonicum. This study demonstrates the feasibility of using LAESI-MS for the investigation into the plant-microbe symbiosis, as well as other plant processes.

Photo: Beverly in front of her poster during the poster competition session