A Flexible, Top-Down Approach To Assays Of Leaf Movement Rhythms

A growing body of literature has illustrated the importance of understanding the circadian clock due to its connection to a wide array of molecular and physiological processes. Numerous methods have been developed in order to monitor the status of the circadian clock in living tissue; however, most methods are either costly or labor intensive, and often require precise conditions that lowers throughput and limits flexibility in the size, age, or type of plant to be assayed. Here, we present an affordable and adaptable methodology for assaying circadian period using the well-characterized circadian output of leaf movement. Employing fully automated time-lapse photography using Raspberry Pi cameras and predominantly automated image post-processing, this methodology minimizes manual input to expedite circadian analysis, thus improving throughput. Additionally, the top-down setup used in this method is appropriate for a wide range of sizes and ages of plants, allowing for an expansion of the scientific questions that can be assayed by this methodology.