Doctoral Dissertations

Abstract

"Molecular oxygen and humidity are some of the major environmental quantities being measured for various industrial and commercial applications. This dissertation focuses on the design, fabrication and characterization of optofluidic biosensor systems for oxygen and humidity quantification using color charge-coupled device (CCD) camera as a photodetector and LED panel as an excitation source. Meso-scale fluidic devices with integrated oxygen and humidity sensors for potential applications to hydrotropic and oxytropic studies of small plant roots have been investigated in this study. Meso-scale sensor platform was fabricated using porphyrine complex as the sensitive dye embedded within Ethyl Cellulose (EC) polymer matrix. Green LED light displayed from the light panel helped in exciting the oxygen complex by emitting varied fluorescence emission corresponding to oxygen. This method of optical oxygen imaging helps in wide area distribution over the sensor platform.

The root tip response to environmental stimuli by directed growth plays a major role in plant development. With these tropic responses of roots, plants can help themselves during environmental risks such as drought conditions. Different fluidic devices were fabricated with embedded humidity sensors within the device to study the effect of tropic responses. Hydrotropic behavior of corn roots was analyzed along with humidity gradient quantification using color charge-coupled device (CCD) camera for both imaging of the plant root and profiling of humidity distribution. Successfully created and analyzed the humidity gradient which resulted in root orientation because of hydrotropic response indicating the effectiveness of this device for further biological applications"--Abstract, page iv.

Advisor(s)

Westenberg, David J.

Committee Member(s)

Shannon, Katie
Ludlow, Douglas K.
Kim, Chang-Soo
Frank, Ronald L.
Henthorn, David

Department(s)

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering

Degree Name

Ph. D. in Chemical Engineering

Sponsor(s)

National Science Foundation (U.S.)

Publisher

Missouri University of Science and Technology

Publication Date

Fall 2012

Journal article titles appearing in thesis/dissertation

  • Wet oxygen quantification using display screen with RGB backlights and CCD camera
  • Colorimetric humidity analysis using display screen and color camera
  • Rhizobox with two-dimensional hydrostimulant and embedded sensors to induce root hydrotropic response
  • Fluidic device to study hydrotropism of small plant roots

Pagination

xiii, 120 pages

Note about bibliography

Includes bibliographical references.

Rights

© 2012 Satya Achanta, All rights reserved.

Document Type

Dissertation - Open Access

File Type

text

Language

English

Subject Headings

Biological systems -- ResearchChemical detectorsFluidic devicesHydrotropismPlant-water relationships -- Research

Thesis Number

T 10133

Print OCLC #

841809192

Electronic OCLC #

808500423

Download

Share

 
COinS