Quantitative analysis of moss gametophytes by magnetic resonance imaging: supervision of moss production in photobioreactors

Recultivation of rewetted peat bogs requires large amounts of peat moss seeding material. Large-scale production can be carried out under submerged conditions in photobioreactors. Under these conditions, Sphagnum palustre L. does not grow into adult plants but remains in the gametophyte stage. This stage is characterized by filamentous growth, the formation of small leaves, and so-called innovations, which are small capitula. As a result of agitation, the gametophytes form macroscopic, clew-like structures. These can be subjected to disruption without further damage to the small plant structures. Nevertheless, the overall growth rate depends, to some extent, on the clew size and on the formation of leaves or innovations. For further control and optimization of the process, continuous observation of the current morphology is therefore required. Another aspect is that settling and initial growth in the bog after seeding depend on the state of the moss gametophytes. Sampling and microscopic examination would be extremely laborious. Furthermore, the application scenario envisages running the production reactors at remote sites with only limited expert supervision. ... mehrIn this paper, we present the possibility of using nuclear magnetic resonance imaging for automated process analysis with respect to moss morphology. It is shown that all important morphological details can be visualized and quantitatively evaluated.