{"63516":{"#nid":"63516","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Software Quantifies Leaf Vein Networks, Enables Plant Biology Advances","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EPlant biologists are facing pressure to quantify the response of plants to changing environments and to breed plants that can respond to such changes. One method of monitoring the response of plants to different environments is by studying their vein network patterns. These networks impact whole plant photosynthesis and the mechanical properties of leaves, and vary between species that have evolved or have been bred under different environmental conditions.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETo help address the challenge of how to quickly examine a large quantity of leaves, researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have developed a user-assisted software tool that extracts information about macroscopic vein structures directly from leaf images. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The software can be used to help identify genes responsible for key leaf venation network traits and to test ecological and evolutionary hypotheses regarding the structure and function of leaf venation networks,\u0022 said Joshua Weitz, an assistant professor in the Georgia Tech School of Biology.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe program, called Leaf Extraction and Analysis Framework Graphical User Interface (LEAF GUI), enables scientists and breeders to measure the properties of thousands of veins much more quickly than manual image analysis tools. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDetails of the LEAF GUI software program were published in the \u0022Breakthrough Technologies\u0022 section of the January issue of the journal \u003Cem\u003EPlant Physiology\u003C\/em\u003E. Development of the software, which is available for download at \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.leafgui.org\u0022 title=\u0022www.leafgui.org\u0022\u003Ewww.leafgui.org\u003C\/a\u003E, was supported by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the Burroughs Welcome Fund.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELEAF GUI is a user-assisted software tool that takes an image of a leaf and, following a series of interactive steps to clean up the image, returns information on the structure of that leaf\u0027s vein networks. Structural measurements include the dimensions, position and connectivity of all network veins, and the dimensions, shape and position of all non-vein areas, called areoles. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The network extraction algorithms in LEAF GUI enable users with no technical expertise in image analysis to quantify the geometry of entire leaf networks -- overcoming what was previously a difficult task due to the size and complexity of leaf venation patterns,\u0022 said the paper\u0027s lead author Charles Price, who worked on the project as a postdoctoral fellow at Georgia Tech. Price is now an assistant professor of plant biology at the University of Western Australia.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhile the Georgia Tech research team is currently using the software to extract network and areole information from leaves imaged under a wide range of conditions, LEAF GUI could also be used for other purposes, such as leaf classification and description.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Because the software and the underlying code are freely available, other investigators have the option of modifying methods as necessary to answer specific questions or improve upon current approaches,\u0022 said Price.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELEAF GUI is not the only software program Weitz\u0027s group has developed to investigate the network characteristics of plants. In March 2010, Weitz\u0027s group co-authored another \u0022Breakthrough Technologies\u0022 paper in \u003Cem\u003EPlant Physiology\u003C\/em\u003E detailing a way to analyze the complex root network structure of crop plants, with a focus on rice. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis work was performed in collaboration with Anjali Iyer-Pascuzzi, John Harer and Philip Benfey at Duke University and was supported by DARPA, the National Science Foundation and the Burroughs Welcome Fund.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Both of these software programs are enabling tools in the growing field of \u0027plant phenomics,\u0027 which aims to correlate gene function, plant performance and response to the environment,\u0022 noted Weitz. \u0022By identifying leaf vein characteristics and root structures that differ between plants, we are enabling advances in basic plant science and, in the case of crop plants, assisting researchers in identifying and potentially altering genes to improve plant health, yield and survival.\u0022 \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to those already mentioned, Olga Symonova, Yuriy Mileyko and Troy Hilley also contributed to this work at Georgia Tech.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThese projects were supported by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) (Award No. HR0011-05-1-0057), National Science Foundation (NSF Plant Genome Research Program Award Nos. 0606873 and 0820624) and Burroughs Wellcome Fund (BWF). The content is solely the responsibility of the principal investigator and does not necessarily represent the official views of DARPA, NSF or BWF.\u003C\/em\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 314\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAtlanta, Georgia  30308  USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts:\u003C\/strong\u003E Abby Robinson (abby@innovate.gatech.edu; 404-385-3364) or John Toon (jtoon@gatech.edu; 404-894-6986)\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter:\u003C\/strong\u003E Abby Robinson\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"By studying a plant\u0027s vein network pattern, biologists can investigate the plant\u0027s response to changing environments. To quickly examine leaves, researchers developed software that extracts information about macroscopic vein structures directly from leaf images.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Software tool extracts macroscopic vein structures from leaf images."}],"uid":"27206","created_gmt":"2011-01-13 01:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:08:02","author":"Abby Vogel Robinson","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2011-01-13T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2011-01-13T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"63517":{"id":"63517","type":"image","title":"LEAF GUI screenshot","body":null,"created":"1449176690","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:04:50","changed":"1475894557","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:42:37","alt":"LEAF GUI screenshot","file":{"fid":"191824","name":"tuj35840.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tuj35840_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tuj35840_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":397831,"path_740":"http:\/\/tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tuj35840_0.jpg?itok=3wakKMFv"}},"63518":{"id":"63518","type":"image","title":"LEAF GUI example","body":null,"created":"1449176690","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:04:50","changed":"1475894557","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:42:37","alt":"LEAF GUI example","file":{"fid":"191825","name":"tof36206.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tof36206_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tof36206_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1838633,"path_740":"http:\/\/tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tof36206_0.jpg?itok=8exs3WzM"}},"63519":{"id":"63519","type":"image","title":"rice root system architecture","body":null,"created":"1449176690","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:04:50","changed":"1475894557","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:42:37","alt":"rice root system architecture","file":{"fid":"191826","name":"tco35840.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tco35840_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tco35840_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":412030,"path_740":"http:\/\/tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tco35840_0.jpg?itok=JWPci3gr"}}},"media_ids":["63517","63518","63519"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1104\/pp.110.162834","title":"Plant Physiology leaf paper"},{"url":"http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1104\/pp.109.150748","title":"Plant Physiology rice paper"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.biology.gatech.edu\/people\/joshua-weitz","title":"Joshua Weitz"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.biology.gatech.edu\/","title":"School of Biology"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.leafgui.biology.gatech.edu\/","title":"LEAF GUI"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"11603","name":"breeding"},{"id":"11599","name":"Joshua Weitz"},{"id":"11601","name":"leaf"},{"id":"11600","name":"LEAF GUI"},{"id":"11604","name":"leaf vein"},{"id":"11602","name":"plant biology"},{"id":"11606","name":"rice"},{"id":"11607","name":"root system architecture"},{"id":"11605","name":"venation network pattern"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cstrong\u003EAbby Robinson\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResearch News and Publications\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=avogel6\u0022\u003EContact Abby Robinson\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-385-3364\u003C\/strong\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["abby@innovate.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}