Arsenic Detection And Distribution In Rice Plants Using High Resolution X-Ray Imaging

PI - Manoj Menon  (University Of Sheffield)
​Food Side Co-Investigators - Christian Reynolds  (University Of Sheffield), Maria Romero Gonzalez (University Of Sheffield), Binoy Sarkar (University Of Sheffield), Edward Rhodes (University Of Sheffield), Natasha Falconer  (University Of Aberdeen)
​STFC Side Co-Investigators - Sarah Rogers (STFC Isis Neutron And Muon Source), Fred Mosselmans (Diamond Light Source), Claire Pizzey (Diamond Light Source)

---

Rice is one of the widely consumed cereal crops in the world. However, likely presence of Arsenic (As) in rice poses a significant health risk when it is grown in an As-rich environment. Rice cultivars vary in their uptake and accumulation of As in grains. Less understood, however, is its spatial distribution and accumulation patterns in different plant parts in cultivars. Arsenic accumulation in other aerial plant parts is a significant concern as both husk and rice straw are widely used for feeding ruminants, extending the risks through consumption of meat and dairy products. The project aims to study the spatial distribution of As in rice plants using x-ray imaging (fluorescence and tomography) facilities at Diamond. This cross-disciplinary project will perform preliminary investigations using a selected number of samples at a very high resolution (2μm). The team aims to produce much-needed research evidence towards future grant applications and publications. Find out more here and read more about the project in this blog.

2018 AWARDED SCOPING PROJECT - More scoping projects