Gaining a holistic view of plant carbon regulation by combining advanced molecular biology research with ecophysiological probing.
About My Research
My scientific journey has positioned me to gain a holistic view of plant carbon regulation by combining advanced molecular biology research on model plants with ecophysiological probing of plants in their native environment. In the early stages of my career, I focused on the regulation of photosynthesis and adaptation mechanisms that evolved during terrestrial plant evolution (Rog et al.,2022). I discovered a novel layer of light-dependent regulation controlling plant activity during day-to-night shifts. By following plant assimilation, I also revealed a new starch synthesis regulation pathway which shed a light in the way plants store carbon under different environmental circumstances (Eliyahu, Rog et al.,2015). Later I developed a method that combined stable-isotope labeling and carbon mass balance, allowing me to follow carbon allocation quantitatively in real-time. I uncovered fundamental differences in carbon allocation between different phylogenetic groups of trees. I used a compartmental model to calculate the effects of environmental parameters on tree carbon allocation – specifically those linked with anthropomorphic climate change (Rog et al.,2021). With this ‘tool box’ in hand, I asked whether environmental factors affect carbon allocation belowground in mature trees in the forest. Surprisingly, I found enhanced root exudation of mature trees during the dry season, probably as a mechanism to sustain the microbial community during stress periods (Jacoby, Rog et al.,2020). Using long-term ecophysiological measurements, I provided evidence for interspecific soil water partitioning and higher productivity of mixed versus monoculture forests (Rog et al.,2021).
I explored the symbiosis between plants roots and fungi (mycorrhiza) which has shaped our aboveground and belowground world. Mycorrhizal fungi form extensive mycelial networks that can link roots of different trees, but the functional implications of these networks are just now being uncovered. I took advantage of a Free-Air CO2 Enrichment project in the Swiss forest, which provided a unique opportunity to study the extent of carbon movement in mature trees. I discovered that phylogenetically-related plant species host more similar mycorrhizal communities and exchange more carbon, likely via mycorrhizal networks (Rog et al.,2020).
I strongly believe that part of a scientist’s duty is to share their knowledge with society. Therefore, throughout my scientific pathway, I took part in various outreach projects, specifically ones designated to extend scientific knowledge and passion to underprivileged communities. I participated in a volunteering program working with local communities in Nepal on development of sustainable agriculture practices. As part of my ecophysiology lab work, I mentored people with mental disabilities into routine lab work. I found that bringing neuro-diverse individuals into academic life produces synergistic interaction and a stable environment for productive scientific work. In collaboration with schools, I introduced youth, specifically from the disadvantaged communities, to critical ecological aspects of nature. Lastly, in an effort to make my discoveries accessible to the public, I have collaborated with various media outlets to convert my scientific publications into multiple newspaper articles, podcasts, and TV series.
How Picarro Analyzers Helped
During my Ph.D. at Israel (WIS), I used the Picarro analyzers in diverse setups in the lab and in the field. I used two modules provided by Picarro: First, the ‘combustion module’ for detecting the stable isotope ratio in the biomass fraction of plants and other solid parts such as soil and fungi. The second module is the 'total organic carbon analyzer' for measuring the carbon isotope ratio in liquid phase, specifically in the soluble carbon molecules the plant exudate from the root to the soil. In addition to the two provided modules, I used the analyzer to measure the isotopic carbon ratio in the gas phase in several chambers and continuous flux measurements. These different applications have provided me a holistic observation of carbon in different resolutions – from the single-plant level to the forest ecosystem.
In addition to the methods provided by Picarro, I developed an entire setup to measure plant carbon allocation using 13CO2 pulse labeling with a flux-coupled, three-phase detection (Rog et al., 2021). This setup combined labeling chamber, portable photosynthesis gas exchange system, and soluble carbon collection method. This novel setup allowed me to follow carbon quantitatively in the tree carbon fluxes in saplings and mature trees in the forest.
Using the Picarro analyzers, I quantified the amount of carbon forest trees can exchange between them via the mycorrhizal network. In several projects in Switzerland and Mediterranean forest, we showed that trees with greater mycorrhizal species overlap share more carbon (Rog et al.,2020). In the dry Mediterranean forest, we identified several guilds of trees and mycorrhiza, which share carbon among certain groups. Understanding the mycorrhizal networks structure and function can potentially provide new insights for forest in the future dry and hot climate.
In addition to using the Picarro analyzers with labeled 13CO2, I also measured the natural abundance of the two stable carbon isotopes and the plant's natural discrimination, specifically, under extreme conditions such as the dry and hot deserts of Israel and Uzbekistan. Surprisingly, we found low δ13C in leaves, branches, stems, and roots of three acacia species growing in hyper-arid environments, suggesting no hydraulic stress (Uni et al., 2022). Furthermore, in Lagochilus species in central Asia, we were able to present a high risk for six endemic and endangered plants under a drying climate (Akhmedov et al., 2021). Finally, by calculating the water use efficiency of plants growing in different communities, we could show the highest productivity of the mixed community versus the monospecific scenario (Rog et al., 2021).
During my postdoc in Switzerland, I’m planning to use the analyzer in a more agricultural context. Using several isotopic label methods, I’m trying to identify the crop verities that allocate more carbon belowground to reduce the CO2 amount in the atmosphere. Exploring the varieties allocating more carbon belowground and quantifying other greenhouse gases in the field I hope to contribute to a better understanding of the interactions between agricultural systems and global climate change, as a pathway for climate change mitigation.