20 years of microfluidic technology for advancing plant sciences

Abstract

Understanding how plants respond to dynamic and spatially variable stimuli is a key goal in plant sciences. Traditional imaging methods often involve a trade-off between environmental control and spatial resolution, limiting their ability to capture real-time responses in high resolution. Microfluidic technology overcomes these limitations by facilitating precise control of environmental conditions and high-resolution live imaging. In the past two decades, microfluidic technology has increasingly been applied in plant sciences research. This review summarises current applications of microfluidic technology in plant sciences, including studies of root–rhizosphere interactions, tip-growing plant cells, plant protoplasts, and plant phenotyping. Emerging trends are explored, and key research gaps are highlighted.