The development of plant tissue is strongly controlled by mechanical signals, which can originate from either the growing tissue itself or its environment. While biochemical factors involved in plant development have been extensively studied, techniques for investigating geometric effects on single cell level have been limited. This project aims to mechanically control plant tissue development by establishing a new method focusing on the encapsulation of plant cells in a defined geometry at the micrometer scale. Therefore, a plant-compatible hydrogel ink was developed with tuneable stiffness suitable for high-resolution laser printing. This material will be used to encapsulate protoplasts from Arabidopsis thaliana in defined geometrical scaffolds in vitro, creating distinct geometries that mimic native plant shapes (e.g. shoot). For the encapsulation, a high-resolution laser lithography system is used (Nanoscribe GT2). The growth of the plant cells will be monitored over time using confocal imaging. Within this project, we show a novel plant-compatible hydrogel in combination with high-resolution laser lithography. Furthermore, we provide preliminary results of plant cells growing inside the hydrogel, the viability of the cells in this artificial environment and their development.

The method can be used to investigate the influence of shape and force on plant cell fate and plant tissue organization. This project seeks to shed light on how the physical environment influences multicellular plant tissue, with potential implications for advancements in agricultural and biomaterial sciences.