Abstract text: Mechanical properties of the plant cell wall play a central role in growth, morphogenesis, and environmental adaptation. However, spatially resolved measurements of cell wall mechanics in intact, living tissues remain technically challenging. Brillouin microscopy is an optical, label-free technique that enables non-contact, three-dimensional mapping of high-frequency viscoelastic properties in biological samples.
Here, we present results obtained with a recently developed Brillouin microscope that integrates mechanical imaging with conventional optical microscopy. The system enables quantitative mechanical mapping in living plant tissues with micrometer-scale resolution and full 3D capability.
We will show preliminary data from Arabidopsis thaliana roots, focusing on distinct tissues including root hairs, root cap, and epidermis. These measurements reveal spatial variations in Brillouin frequency shifts corresponding to differences in mechanical properties between cell types and developmental zones. The approach allows analysis of intact tissues without mechanical perturbation, providing access to mechanical heterogeneity in vivo.