Non-invasive flux measurements using microsensors: theory, limitations, and systems

Knowledge of the fluxes of ions and neutral molecules across the outer membrane or boundary of living tissues and cells is an important strand of applied molecular biology. Such fluxes can be measured non-invasively with good resolution in time and space. Two systems (MIFE™ and SIET) have been developed and have become widely used to implement this technique, and they are commercially available. This Chapter is the first comparative description of these two systems. It gives the context, the basic underlying theory, practical limitations inherent in the technique, theoretical developments, guidance on the practicalities of the technique, and the functionality of the two systems. Although the technique is strongly relevant to plant salt tolerance and other plant stresses (drought, temperature, pollutants, waterlogging), it also has rich relevance throughout biomedical studies and the molecular genetics of transport proteins.