Science & Technology

Scientists develop see-through soil

By T.K. Randall
September 22, 2012 ·  11 comments

Image Credit: CC 2.0 Derek Harper It took many years of experimentation with soil-like materials to produce a formula that worked, the result is soil comprised of small pellets of a synthetic material called Nafion which is sometimes used in fuel cells. The soil isn't naturally transparent however when combined with a special liquid solution the combination of the two render the resulting mixture see-through.

The achievement is an important step in observing and understanding plant roots, something that researchers hope will lead to new ways to improve crops and avoid outbreaks of food poisoning. "There are so many things to discover in soil, and we don't know yet what they are," said biologist Lionel Dupuy.

Source: Discovery News | Comments (11)

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