OnGuard3e: A predictive, ecophysiology-ready tool for gas exchange and photosynthesis research

Gas exchange across the stomatal pores of leaves is a focal point in studies of plant-environmental relations. Stomata regulate atmospheric exchange with the inner air spaces of the leaf. They open to allow CO₂ entry for photosynthesis and close to minimize water loss. Models that focus on the phenomenology of stomatal conductance generally omit the mechanics of the guard cells that regulate the pore aperture. The OnGuard platform fills this gap and offers a truly mechanistic approach with which to analyse stomatal gas exchange, whole-plant carbon assimilation and water-use efficiency. Previously, OnGuard required specialist knowledge of membrane transport, signalling and metabolism. Here we introduce OnGuard3e, a software package accessible to ecophysiologists and membrane biologists alike. We provide a brief guide to its use and illustrate how the package can be applied to explore and analyse stomatal conductance, assimilation and water use efficiencies, addressing a range of experimental questions with truly predictive outputs.