Hitachi Rice Imaging System (HI-RIS)


1. Background

  1. In post genome functional analysis, assignment of gene function requires detailed physiological / phenotypic measurements of plants that contain a mutation in a specific gene of interest.
  2. The number of mutants and transgenic plants is dramatically increasing, therefore making it very difficult to collect data for analysis by conventional methods.
  3. For detailed temporal and spatial growth analysis, phenotypic measurements require the recording of continuous growth data (leaf size and root angle, etc.).
  4. To overcome these obstacles we are developing a new research support system, which records growth images and measures the change of growth at individual levels.

2. The conventional phenotype measurement

  1. We have collected measurements of the leaf length, and measurements of the root angle by handmade techniques.
  2. Fig.2-1 and 2-2 show the sample measurements in the analysis relevant to the optical environmental response.
Fig.2-1 Sample of length measurement
Fig.2-2 Sample of angle measurement
Reproduced from Takano et al. (2001) Plant Cell 13: 521-534

3. Concept

  1. We are developing the "Hitachi Rice Imaging System (HI-RIS)" that collects and evaluates image data for multiple rice seedlings and records phenotypic function for analysis.
  2. The system consists of three components including "Image capture", "Image analysis" and "Database".
  3. Our system can provide detailed and accurate measurements of rice plants growing over time.
1. Image capturer:
Acquires growth image data automatically
2. Image analyzer:
Evaluates growth data from images
3. Database:
Construction of a large-scale image database system

4. Image capturer (details)

  1. Type Babe (detailed instructions)
    Collect growth images over the course of one week.
  2. Type Junior (detailed instructions)
    Collect growth images over the course of several months.
  3. Type Full Size

5. Acknowledgment

  1. This work was supported by a grant from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan (Rice Genome Project SY-1108).

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