Synchronizing Germination Rates Across Plant Species for Fabricated Ecosystems EcoFAB 2.0

Roots are essential organs for plants, facilitating water and nutrient uptake from the soil to support growth. Traditional methods for studying root systems, such as rhizoboxes and rhizotrons, have provided valuable insights. However, advanced methods such as fabricated ecosystems (EcoFAB) combined with new generation microscopes now enable a more detailed investigation of the rhizosphere, the microenvironment surrounding roots, allowing a deeper understanding of root tissue, exudates, and plant-soil interactions. This microenvironment can be used to investigate the adaptation of plants to environmental stress (salinity, drought, higher temperatures). Our procedure focuses on establishing standardized protocols for plant growth tailored to the EcoFAB system, which offers a controlled environment to study root dynamics. This work also contributes new insights into the early stages of plant germination, an area currently underexplored in the literature. While numerous studies focus on plant growth or genetic aspects, such as gene induction, the germination phase remains underexplored. We have developed optimized germination protocols for multiple plant species, ensuring uniform seedling size and sufficient development for seamless integration into the EcoFAB system. Key features • Optimized the germination protocol for plant rhizosphere studies using the EcoFAB 2.0 system. • Adapted the well-established protocol for Brachypodium distachyon to other species, including Arabidopsis thaliana, Fragaria vesca, and Lactuca sativa. • Preliminary measurements of root and leaf traits were taken to determine the best method.