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Assistant Professor, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Nara Institute of Science and Technology *Profile is at the time of the award.
2024Inamori Research GrantsBiology & Life sciences
Parasitic plants, with their remarkable ability to connect their vascular systems to other plants, are fascinating. I am endlessly intrigued by their capabilities and eagerly anticipate conducting the planned experiments.
I developed a monitoring system for leaf surface temperature by combining a single-board computer with a thermographic camera. Leaf surface temperature can be used as an indicator of transpiration rate. Using this system, I discovered that parasitically-connected <i>Phtheirospermum japonicum</i> exhibits higher transpiration rates during the daytime compared to non-parasitic individuals. These results suggest that facultative parasitic plants may possess mechanisms to increase transpiration rates when connected to host plants.
Biology & Life sciences