We work in heavy metal sequestration by plants and are now trying to understand the role of silica on its capture in different organs of the plants in salt marsh plants.

Bernardo: I think it would be good for you to look whether your plants are immobilizing heavy metals inside their silica phytolths. If you read portuguese and want to known some basic things about Si phytoliths I can send you an interview explaining how they form etc

Hi y'all!

I would like to contribute to this one:

Have you guys considered looking at these structures (phytoliths) with synchrotron-based techniques? Please, refer to Tappero et al., 2007 "Hyperaccumulator Alyssum murale relies on a different metal storage mechanism for cobalt than for nickel". Let me know if I can assist you guys on this, please.

- Dalton Abdala

Hy Dalton,

Woud you please e mail me your paper ? Thanks

[email protected]

Dear Dr. Lepsch,

Dr. Tappero and I went to school together and we followed similar paths after we were done at the University of Delaware: he ended up as a researcher at Brookhaven National Laboratory and I became a researcher and Molecular Environmental Sciences program coordinator at the Brazilian Synchrotron Light Laboratory, in Campinas. Dr. Tappero is in charge of the X27A beamline, where microprobe capabilities are available at photon energies ranging from 4 up to ~20 keV. I, however, have been involved with X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy, mainly, XANES and EXAFS at low energies, including Al, Si, P, S and Ca. I would be glad to help you with anything concerning the techniques available at LNLS and at BNL for plant/soil research.

Regards,

- Dalton

Thanks Dalton,

I will read Tappero's et al. paper with attention ( wonder they mention Si-phytoliths).

We wonder the best melthod for elemental analysis of two plant parts we - in the ICA/UFMG ( Montes Claros, MG, Brazil) - are harvesting from experiments: (a) organic tissues and (b) biominerals ( silica phytoliths). The plants ( Poacea) were grown on substrates with and without the addition of heavy metals ( Zn, Cu, Mn, Hg, Ru etc). We have only small amounts of plant dry mass that has only about 0,3 % of silica phytoliths ( which in turn has about 5 to 50 ppm of heavy metals).

Do you belive your lab.- dealing w/ X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy - can help us to verify amonts of heavy metals and Al trapped inside the plant-opal ( Si-Phytoliths) particles we are harvesting from our experiments ?

Dear Dr. Lepsch,

Please, check your inbox at the e-mail you provided me above.

Cheers,

- Dalton