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Mimicking the surface mechanical properties of rice (Oryzae sativa) leaf using PDMS soft lithography

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Abstract

Rice, Oryzae sativa, is a staple crop produced around the world. Despite the various physical structures that the plant employs to protect itself from pathogens, the fungus Magnaporthe oryzae breaks through these barriers and devastates rice crops. Although ongoing research is being conducted to determine how the fungus interacts with the surface of the rice leaf, more research into the mechanical stimuli present on the rice leaf surface is necessary to better understand appressoria formation. As a comparison material to the rice leaf surface, the copolymer polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) was chosen to mimic the surface mechanical properties of the rice leaf for its biocompatibility and tunable mechanical properties. Selected surface properties of stiffness, surface wettability, and topography were measured for both the rice leaf surface and PDMS replicas. The results of this study determined that PDMS properties can be modified to closely mimic those of the rice leaf surface, but drawbacks were noted in some areas, such as stiffness. These areas would require further modification to PDMS and are topics of future research.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by an Interdisciplinary Research Grant and an Undergraduate Creative Activities and Research Experience Program award from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, USA. SEM imaging and AFM indentation were performed at the NanoEngineering Research Core Facility (part of the Nebraska Nanoscale Facility), which is partially funded from the Nebraska Research Initiative.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological Systems Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, USA

    Nicholas Bohlim

  2. Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, USA

    Donghee Lee & Sangjin Ryu

  3. Nebraska Center for Materials and Nanoscience, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, USA

    Sangjin Ryu

  4. Department of Plant Pathology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, USA

    Richard A. Wilson

  5. Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Anatomy, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA

    Donghee Lee

Authors
  1. Nicholas Bohlim
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  2. Donghee Lee
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  3. Sangjin Ryu
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  4. Richard A. Wilson
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sangjin Ryu.

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On behalf of all authors, the corresponding author states that there is no conflict of interest.

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Bohlim, N., Lee, D., Ryu, S. et al. Mimicking the surface mechanical properties of rice (Oryzae sativa) leaf using PDMS soft lithography. JMST Adv. 3, 11–17 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42791-021-00038-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42791-021-00038-8

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