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The Hidden World of Plant Roots

Uncovering the hidden, dynamic world of plant roots with Stanford biologist José R. Dinneny
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The Hidden World of Plant Roots

Uncovering the hidden, dynamic world of plant roots with Stanford biologist José R. Dinneny

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About the Film

For millennia, humans have had an intimate relationship with plants — harvesting, breeding, and celebrating a wide variety of species for purposes ranging from food and shelter to aesthetic beauty. Yet for all our study of what happens above the surface, what lies below ground has remained largely a mystery.

Stanford biologist José R. Dinneny is literally shining a light on the hidden world of roots — structures often just as substantial in volume, and just as vital to a plant’s survival, as what we see above the soil. What he’s finding is that roots are active explorers of a fascinating and dynamic environment that, thanks to his groundbreaking research, is finally coming into view.

Short Films Plants

Produced and Directed by: Elliot Kirschner and Regina Sobel

Cinematographer: Brandon Yadegari Moreno

Editor: Josh Melrod

Sound Mixer: Andrew Oedel

Associate Producer: Lee Rossoff

Senior Producers: Shannon Behrman, Regina Sobel

Consulting Producer: Cidney Hue

Executive Producers: Sarah Goodwin, Elliot Kirschner

Additional Materials:

Luminescent root system, Rubén Rellán Álvarez

Roots growing under well-watered and drought conditions, Rubén Rellán Álvarez

Magenta root tip with flashing calcium signatures, Wei Feng

Baccillus thuringiensis bacteria colonizing plant roots, Kevin Shih

Gray-scale Setaria stem with crown root primordia, Willian Viana and Kieth Duncan

This video was made with support from the National Science Foundation (MCB-2122350.) Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

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This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute of General Medical Sciences under Grant No. 2122350 and 1 R25 GM139147. Any opinion, finding, conclusion, or recommendation expressed in these videos are solely those of the speakers and do not necessarily represent the views of the Science Communication Lab/iBiology, the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, or other Science Communication Lab funders.

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