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The Second Aquaphotomics European Conference
The Second Aquaphotomics European Conference

is scheduled to take place on December 2-3, 2019 at the Lurdy International Conference Center in Budapest, Hungary.
About the Conference Welcome Program Registration & Abstracts Important Dates Accommodations Tour About the Conference
The Second Aquaphotomics European Conference

Venue: Lurdy International Conference Center (Budapest, Könyves Kálmán krt. 12-14., 1097)

City: Budapest, Hungary

Date: 2nd – 3rd December, 2019 (4th Biosystems Joint Conference)

Conference website: https://aquaphotomics.com/european-chapter/

Contact email: aquaphotomics.eu@gmail.com

Scientific Committee
Honorable Chair: Roumiana TSENKOVA (Kobe University, Japan) Albert KRASTANOV (University of Food Technologies, Bulgaria) Aleksandar SLAVCHEV (University of Food Technologies, Bulgaria) Christian HUCK (Leopold-Franzens University, Austria) Cristina MALEGORI (University of Genova) Dusan KOJIC (Keio University, Japan) Everine Van DE KRAATS (Water Research Lab, Germany) Federico MARINI (University of Rome La Sapienza, Italy) George BÁZÁR (Kaposvár University, Hungary) Jelena MUNCAN (Belgrade University, Serbia) Tiziana CATTANEO (CRA-IT, Italy) Zoltan KOVACS (Szent István University, Hungary)
Organizing Committee
Chair: Zoltan KOVACS (Szent István University, Hungary) Bernhard POLNER (Innsbruck University, Austria) Everine Van DE KRAATS (Water Research Lab, Germany) Cristina MALEGORI (University of Genova) George BÁZÁR (Kaposvár University, Hungary)
Local Organizing Committee
Viktoria Zsom-Muha Laszló Baranyai Zoltan Gillay Zsanett Bodor John-Lewis Zinia Zaukuu Welcome
Dear colleagues,
On behalf of the Organizers, we cordially invite you to the 2nd European Aquaphotomics Conference scheduled to take place on the 2nd – 3rd December, 2019 in Budapest, Hungary.
The 2nd European Aquaphotomics Conference is organized in cooperation with the Faculty of Food Science, Szent Istvan University and the International Aquaphotomics Society.
Aquaphotomics is an interdisciplinary scientific field that has increasingly become relevant in Europe, especially with the dynamic changing era of science and its value to life. The goal of this conference is to build upon evolving ideas from the First Aquaphotomics meeting in Lugano, Switzerland by bringing together scientists, scholars, students and industrial key players to brainstorm on challenges of mutual interest. This conference provides opportunities for delegates and participants from all over the World to exchange new ideas and experiences, to establish business or research relations and to find new partners for future collaboration.
The program will cover major fields of science, particularly spectroscopy and water functionality. The official language will be English and will commence with a semi-irregular but exciting session of direct conversations and interactions among participants. This is to help familiarize with each other’s expertise and get amicable even before the workshop starts so that ideas can be freely shared with more confidence to make greater impacts. Presentations will include invited plenary and keynote lectures, scientific presentations, flash presentations and poster sessions.
We are looking to forward to welcoming you to our amiable city for the 2nd European Aquaphotomics Conference, and we hope that you will find it a stimulating scientific event and an impactful personal experience.
Chairperson
Zoltan Kovacs
Program

Program 2nd European Aquaphotomics Conference (Click here to download)

2-3 December 2019, Budapest, Hungary

Monday

08:30-09:30 Registration (and software installation support if required)

09:30-12:30 WORKSHOPS

09:30-10:00 George Bazar – Evaluating the spectral quality to improve the results of data analysis

10:00-10:30 Zoltan Kovacs – A short introduction to aquaphotomics

10:30-11:00 COFFEE BREAK

11:00-12:30 Bernhard Pollner – Problem-oriented introduction to aquap2, a free multivariate data analysis tool with aquaphotomics methods

12:30-22:00 CONFERENCE TOUR**

12:30-13:30 lunch

13:30-18:30 TOUR

18:30-20:30 dinner

21:30-22:00 drive to the hotels

**For those that signed up for the tour. Please be prepared with warm clothes!

Tuesday

08:30-08:55 Registration

08:55-09:00 Arrival yoga/meditation exercise*

09:00-09:10 Opening by Zoltan Kovacs

09:10-10:30 Scientific section 1

Section chair: Roumiana Tsenkova

09:10-09:30 Zoltan Kovacs – Aquaphotomics and its recent applications in the field of food science

09:30-09:45 Tiziana Cattaneo – Aquaphotomics holistic approach to identify differences in soil profiles

09:45-10:00 Stefka Atanassova – Near-infrared spectroscopy and aquaphotomics for early detection of fungal diseases on cucumber and durum wheat

10:00-10:15 John-Lewis Zinia Zaukuu – Authentication of tomato paste concentrate with near-infrared spectroscopy

10:15-10:30 Bodor Zsanett – Detection of adulteration of linden honey with beet and rice syrup using aquaphotomics

10:30-11:00 COFFEE BREAK (last 10 minutes yoga/meditation exercise*)

11:00-12:30 Scientific section 2

Section chair: Christian Huck

11:00-11:30 Antonella De Ninno (invited speaker) – On the quantum nature of the two fluids in liquid water

11:30-11:45 Paolo Renati – Temperature dependence analysis of the NIR spectra of liquid water confirms the existence of two phases, one of which is in a coherent state

11:45-12:00 Nikolaj Sorgenfrei Blom – DireWaves: Disarming resistant microbes with weak ELF magnetic fields

12:00-12:15 Everine van de Kraats – Water functionality and lessons learnt from NIR spectroscopy

12:15-12:30 Zoltan Gillay – Evaluation of modified handheld spectrometer to transmission mode using NaCl and saccharose

12:30-13:30 LUNCH BREAK (last 10 minutes yoga/meditation exercise*)

13:30-14:45 Scientific section 3

Section chair: Antonella De Ninno

13:30-14:00 Christian Huck (invited speaker) – Future directions of near-infrared spectroscopy in food, phyto and bioanalysis

14:00-14:15 Nirrin Technologies sponsor presentation with Bryan Hassel on Skype

14:15-14:45 Poster flash presentations (starting with 5 min yoga/meditation exercise*)

14:45-15:15 POSTER SESSION

15:15-15:30 COFFEE BREAK

15:30-17:30 Round table discussion

Moderator: Everine van de Kraats

17:30-18:10 Plenary & Closing

Section chair: Zoltan Kovacs

17:30-18:00 Roumiana Tsenkova (invited plenary presentation) – Aquaphotomics as emerging technology denominator

18:00-18:10 Closing remarks

18:30-22:00 DINNER

* All yoga/meditation exercises are led by Esther Sorgenfrei Blom.
Registration & Abstracts
Downloads

2nd Circular: Click to download

Registration Form: Click to download

Abstract Template: Click to download
Important Dates
Important dates and deadlines
Abstract submission: 15th October, 2019
Notification: 3rd November, 2019
Payment: (early bird) 31st October, 2019
Registration fees:
- early bird (by 31st October)
  - Student: 100 Euro
  - Regular: 120 Euro
- normal and on-site payments
  - Student: 120 Euro
  - Regular: 150 Euro
Includes: conference participation and conference materials food and drink during the conference (including dinner on 3rd November, 2019).
Accommodations

Accommodations

We made pre-reservation for the participants of the conference with three hotels at various rates, please find our offers below.

The offers are valid for the days between 1^st and 4^th December, 2019.

Hotel Leonardo ****

Offers of the hotel

The hotel is serving double rooms with two beds for one or two persons.
- For one person: 69 EUR/room/night including breakfast
- For two persons 79 EUR/room/night including breakfast
Rooms can be upgraded for extra cost:
- Superior room is for extra 10 EUR /room/night
- Suite room is for extra 30 EUR/room/night
The prices include taxes and access to the hotel’s Fitness Room and Wi-fi.

Reservation instructions

The reservations can be done by filling the form (Click to download: HotelLeonardoBookingForm) and sending it to reservations.budapest@leonardo-hotels.com, please refer to “Scientific Meeting Physics Department” in the e-mail.

Payment and cancellation policy

Payment can be done in the hotel directly, in cash or by card. Please state your preferred payment method (cash/credit card) in the booking form.

Cancellation of the reservation: free by 16^thNovember, 18:00 (local, Hungary time). After this 100% of the fee has to be paid.

Website: https://www.leonardo-hotels.com/leonardo-hotel-budapest

Location: The conference venue can be reached in about ten minutes with Tram 51.

Hotel Actor ****

Offers of the hotel
- Standard category
  - Single room (one bed): 64 EUR/room/night including breakfast
  - Double room (two beds) 70 EUR/room/night including breakfast
- Superior Category
  - Single room (one bed): 75 EUR/room/night including breakfast
  - Double room (two beds) 80 EUR/room/night including breakfast
The prices include taxes and access to Wi-fi.

Reservation instructions

Reservation can be made until 31^st October at this price referring to the conference.

The reservations can be done by filling the form (Click to download: HotelActorBookingForm) and sending it to actorhotel@actorhotel.hu, please refer to “SZIECONF” in the e-mail.

Payment and cancellation policy

The payments can be done in cash/by card/ or transferring the money to the hotel account* and it has to be done by 15^th November, 16:00 (local, Hungary time).
Please do not proceed with the payment until your reservation is confirmed by the hotel!

Bank details
```
Name of the bank: Magnet Magyar Közösségi Bank Zrt.
Address of the bank: 1062, Budapest Andrássy út 98.
Firm code: 01-10-04611
Bank account for EUR payment: HU 12 1620 0106 11633271 00000000 IBAN
SWIFT: HBWE HUHB
```
Free cancellations can be done until 15^thNovember, 16:00 (local, Hungary time), after this the 100% of the price has to be paid.

Website: http://actorhotel.hu/en/

Location: The conference venue can be reached in about ten minutes with Tram 51.

Hotel Rila ** – hostel style

Offers of the hotel
- Single room (one bed) – 9000 HUF (27 EUR)/room/ night including breakfast
- Double room – 12000 HUF (36 EUR)/room/night including breakfast
The prices include taxes and access to Wi-fi.

Reservation instructions

You can make your reservations via website of the hotel. If you choose this hotel, please in the notes write the SZIECONF code.
If you would like to stay with someone else, then when you apply please write also in the notes.

Payment and cancellation policy

Payment can be done at the hotel at arrival in cash/by card.

You can cancel and modify your booking by 23^rdNovember, 16:00 (local, Hungary time).

Website: (where you can make your reservation) http://www.hotelrila.com/

Location: The conference venue can be reached in about five minutes on foot.

Tour
Tour fee covers lunch and dinner and visits to some Budapest tourist sites.
2019-09-21
Aquaphotomics approach for monitoring different steps of purification process in water treatment systems
We are very pleased to announce that a new article on Aquaphotomics has been accepted and will be published in “Talanta” (Volume 206, 1 January 2020).

“Aquaphotomics approach for monitoring different steps of purification process in water treatment systems” by Jelena Muncan, Valentina Matovic, Strahinja Nikolic, Jelena Askovic and Roumiana Tsenkova
Currently, the water quality assessment is based on determination of a range of physico-chemical, and microbiological parameters, which is costly, time-consuming and requires multiple tests. Aquaphotomics strategy for water monitoring is based on the principle that the spectra of water are sensitive to all the chemical and physical perturbations, and as such reflect the state of water.
In this study, aquaphotomics approach was applied on the near infrared spectra of water samples which underwent different filtration treatments performed by a commercially available water treatment system intended for the household use. The applicability of this approach was demonstrated using difference spectra, multivariate classification analysis and by visualizing the water spectral pattern in aquagrams. The results consistently showed that water samples produced by different filtration treatments have distinctive spectral patterns which characterize the state of water molecular network, and can be used for identification of the respective treatment, tracking efficiency of the treatment and monitoring the performance of water treatment systems.

The article can be viewed and downloaded at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.talanta.2019.120253.

Recent News
2019-08-30
Temperature dependence analysis of the NIR spectra of liquid water confirms the existence of two phases, one of which is in a coherent state
We are very pleased to announce that a new article on Aquaphotomics has been accepted and will be published in “Journal of Molecular Liquids” (Volume 206, 15 October 2019).

“Temperature dependence analysis of the NIR spectra of liquid water confirms the existence of two phases, one of which is in a coherent state” by Paolo Renati, Zoltan Kovacs, Antonella De Ninno and Roumiana Tsenkova
Highlights
• Milli-Q Water 1300–1600 nm NIR spectra show an isosbestic point on changing T.
• It divides the spectral area pointing towards the existence of two populations.
• Their ratio follows a van’t Hoff behavior supporting energy gap independent of T.
• The energy difference obtained by the van’t Hoff plot fits the theoretical value.
• The log-log plot of the abundance of one population vs T cues its coherent behavior.

The article can be viewed and downloaded at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molliq.2019.111449.

Recent News
2019-08-29
SpectroscopyLab

Group Leader: Dr. Ahmad Fairuz Omar

Affiliation: School of Physics, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Malaysia

Research Topics: Environment, Food Quality, Plant Disease, Cancer Detection, Dermatology

Website or contact email: http://www.fizik.usm.my/index.php/about-us/our-people/academic/senior-lecturer/27-staff/senior-lecturers/63-ahmad-fairuz-bin-omar

Description

Dr. Ahmad Fairuz Omar currently leading an optical spectroscopy research group in the School of Physics, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM). He completed his master’s degree in 2009 with research on the development of an optical fiber sensor in the measurement of water turbidity. He then completed his Ph.D. in 2012 with a research topic on the application of visible and near-infrared spectroscopy in measuring intrinsic qualities of B10 Averrhoa carambola. For the last 10 years, he has been working to fully utilize the application of optical spectroscopy, especially for environmental monitoring, food quality analysis, and medical diagnosis. He is actively reaching out for collaboration with various research faculties in Malaysia and neighboring countries, in enhancing the establishment of spectroscopy network and contribution within this region. In addition, Dr. Omar regularly organized outreach programs to high school and general public in promoting awareness on issues related to sustainability and quality of life, and the potential role that optical spectroscopy carries in handling quality issues from instrumentation and measurement point of view.

Aquaphotomics work

Dr. Omar has previously published several articles on the application of near-infrared spectroscopy in the measurement of aqueous sugars and acids concentration and also in food quality analysis. His current research focus is on implementing near-infrared spectroscopy and aquaphotomics in cancer diagnosis and in skin quality measurement, especially those related to moisture measurement of stratum corneum layer on human skin. This research is in collaboration with the Malaysian Institute of Pharmaceuticals and Nutraceuticals (IPharm) and Advanced Medical and Dental Institute (AMDI), USM.

Dr. Omar can be contacted at fairuz_omar@usm.my and his full academic and research background can be assessed at:
http://www.fizik.usm.my/index.php/about-us/our-people/academic/senior-lecturer/27-staff/senior-lecturers/63-ahmad-fairuz-bin-omar

2019-08-25
The First Chinese Conference on Aquaphotomics
From the 21^st to 23^rd of July, 2019, the “First Chinese Conference on Aquaphotomics” was held in Jinan, China. This event was organized by Professor Hengchang Zang (Shandong University) and Professor Xueguang Shao (Nankai University). The event was hosted by China Council of Near Infrared Spectroscopy (CCNIRS), jointly organized by School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, and sponsored by Bloomage Biotechnology Corporation Limited.

The Conference brought together water researchers, students and users of the technology from a wide variety of backgrounds, applications and industries to present, see and discuss current developments in aquaphotomics. There were more than 110 participants from a wide range of research fields, including pharmacy, food and chemical analysis, photobiology, petrochemistry, equipment and software suppliers.

The theme of this conference was “Application of Spectroscopy in Aquaphotomics”. During the conference, researchers communicated and discussed various topics, such as the origin of aquaphotomics, methods of aquaphotomics, various applications in medicine and different industrial branches, specifics of instruments and probes for water research and so on. Experts discussed in depth and called for more researchers to join the study of water which may seem to be a simple substance, but it is a huge world to explore.

The conference invited Professor Dr Roumiana Tsenkova (Chairperson of the International Council for Aquaphotomics and a founder of aquaphotomics) and Hoeil Chung (Secretary-General of Asian NIR Consortium) to give cutting-edge research presentations. Prof. Hengchang Zang (Shandong University), Prof. Xueguang Shao (Naikai University), Prof. Jingyan Han (Peking University), Prof. Xinghua Xia (Nanjing University), Prof. Kexin Xu (Tianjin University), Dr. Xiu’e Jiang (Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences) and Dr. Xueping Guo (Bloomage Biotechnology Corporation Limited) shared the research results of their laboratories. Most of the reported achievements were focused on applications in basic research with a fresh approach to studying using water as a source of information, but many works in the areas of medicine, life sciences etc. were also presented.

After the meeting, the experts called for the establishment of the “Chinese Council of Aquaphotomics” and regular discussions of the topics to promote the development of this scientific discipline. The hope of the organizers is that regular, successful conference meetings will attract more people to join this research field, establish wider network of scientists interested in the research of water molecular matrix and application of the research findings in industry and everyday-life applications, thus helping the progress of human society.

For more information, please contact aqua2019@163.com.

Recent Events
- 4th European Conference on Aquaphotomics2026-09-17
- 4th European Aquaphotomics Conference 20262026-07-28
- International Symposium “Aquaphotomics – Health and Beauty”2026-05-31
- “Aquaphotomics Day” at EXPO2025 Bulgaria Pavilion2025-10-17
- Aquaphotomics Day & Symposium at EXPO 20252025-09-25
2019-08-01
Aquaphotomics—From Innovative Knowledge to Integrative Platform in Science and Technology
We are very pleased to announce that a new review article on Aquaphotomics has been published in “Molecules” as part of the “Special Issue Advances in Near Infrared Spectroscopy and Related Computational Methods.”

“Aquaphotomics—From Innovative Knowledge to Integrative Platform in Science and Technology” by Jelena Muncan and Roumiana Tsenkova (Published: 28 July 2019)
Aquaphotomics is a young scientific discipline based on innovative knowledge of water molecular network, which as an intrinsic part of every aqueous system is being shaped by all of its components and the properties of the environment. With a high capacity for hydrogen bonding, water molecules are extremely sensitive to any changes the system undergoes. In highly aqueous systems—especially biological—water is the most abundant molecule. Minute changes in system elements or surroundings affect multitude of water molecules, causing rearrangements of water molecular network. Using light of various frequencies as a probe, the specifics of water structure can be extracted from the water spectrum, indirectly providing information about all the internal and external elements influencing the system. The water spectral pattern hence becomes an integrative descriptor of the system state. Aquaphotomics and the new knowledge of water originated from the field of near infrared spectroscopy. This technique resulted in significant findings about water structure-function relationships in various systems contributing to a better understanding of basic life phenomena. From this foundation, aquaphotomics started integration with other disciplines into systematized science from which a variety of applications ensued. This review will present the basics of this emerging science and its technological potential.

The open-access article can be viewed and downloaded at https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/24/15/2742.

Recent News
2019-07-30
Karl Norris passed away on July 17, 2019
We are sad to announce that Karl Norris, the founder of NIR spectroscopy, passed away on July 17, 2019. Rightly known as the “father of NIR”, he was also a great friend and support to many of us in the aquaphotomics community.

Adding spectra of water to the spectra of protein will never give us the spectra of the same protein in water
– Karl Norris

“His words inspired me very much in my work on aquaphotomics. He was the first to tell me ‘well done’, after presenting our work on the difference of the water spectral pattern of healthy and mastitis cows milk in Korea, in 2001,” said Prof. Tsenkova.

Our deepest sympathies to his family and all of you who are saddened by this loss.

Recent News
2019-07-23
Precision Horticulture
Group Leader: Prof. Manuela Zude

Affiliation: Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering and Bioeconomy (ATB), Germany

Research Topics: fruit quality; irrigation; oxygen shortage; spatially resolved spectroscopy, frequency based spectroscopy

Description

The group Prec_Hort works on research questions related to precise production measures in fruit growing. The group is active in the development of optical sensors and turning the signals into plant information. The plant information obtained is used in the agronomic processes. The Prec_Hort work group is located in the Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering and Biotechnology (ATB), Potsdam, Germany. Here we have an optical laboratory and an experimental station providing some two thousand apple trees with two cultivars in random design and sweet cherry trees capturing >70 varieties to run experiments. We are a group of five researchers in various steps of our careers supported by excellent engineers.

Aquaphotomics work

Our research questions target the following three steps to integrate sensors in the precise fruit production:
- Characterisation of physical properties of fresh fruit
- The in-situ assessment of fruit by means of spectral-optical (multi- and hyper-spectral methods in the visible and near infrared wavelength range, time-resolved laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy, spatially resolved spectroscopy [backscattering imaging]) and whole trees by means of light detection and ranging laser scanners.
- Applications of Precision Horticulture such as zone-specific harvest management and more precise irrigation management considering soil zones, plant growth (leaf area) and fruit developmental stage
Any exchange within Aquaphotomics on the optical sensing and its application would be very interesting to us.

Contact: https://twitter.com/prec_hort?lang=en
2019-07-02
The First Chinese Conference on Aquaphotomics
The First Chinese Conference on Aquaphotomics will be held on 21 to 23 July, 2019 in Jinan, Shandong, China. The theme of this conference is “Application of Spectroscopy in Aquaphotomics”. The conference is organized by China Council of Near Infrared Spectroscopy, CCNIRS, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University and Nankai University. And it is sponsored by Bloomage Biotechnolgy Corporation Limited.

The Conference Organization:

The Conference Chair:

Hengchang Zang, Shandong University and Xueguang Shao, Nankai University

The Organizing Committee Chair:

Yiping Du, East China University of Science and Technology and Xueping Guo, Bloomage Biotechnolgy Corporation Limited

The keynote speakers:

Prof. Roumiana Tsenkova (Kobe University)

Prof. Hoeil Chung (Hanyang University)

Prof. Jingyan Han (Peking University)

Prof. Xinghua Xia (Nanjing University)

Prof. Kexin Xu (Tianjin University)

Prof. Xiue Jiang (The Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry)

Prof. Xueguang Shao (Nankai Univerisity)

Prof. Hengchang Zang (Shandong University)

Dr. Xueping Guo (Bloomage Biotechnolgy Corporation Limited)

Program:

July 21, Registration

July 22, 8:30 – 18:00 Open lectures & Forum for young researcher

July 23, A visit to Bloomage Biotechnolgy Corporation Limited

Welcome all researchers from the world to join the conference.

For more information, please contact aqua2019@163.com.

Recent Events
- 4th European Conference on Aquaphotomics2026-09-17
- 4th European Aquaphotomics Conference 20262026-07-28
- International Symposium “Aquaphotomics – Health and Beauty”2026-05-31
- “Aquaphotomics Day” at EXPO2025 Bulgaria Pavilion2025-10-17
- Aquaphotomics Day & Symposium at EXPO 20252025-09-25
2019-07-02
Drying without dying: how resurrection plants survive without water
Aquaphotomics sheds light on how plants control their water structure to survive

A small group of plants known as “resurrection plants” can survive months or even years without water. The research team of Kobe University’s Graduate School of Agricultural Science, led by Professor Dr Roumiana Tsenkova, in collaboration with a research group from Agrobioinstitute in Sofia, Bulgaria led by Professor Dr Dimitar Djilianov, made a significant step forward in understanding how they do it.

Using a pioneering aquaphotomics approach and completely non-destructive way of monitoring, the entire processes of drying and subsequent rehydration of one such plant – Haberlea rhodopensis – were compared to the same processes for its non-resurrection relative. The results showed that during drying, the resurrection plant performs fine restructuring of water in its leaves, preparing itself for the dry period by accumulating water molecular dimers and water molecules with 4 hydrogen bonds, while drastically diminishing free water molecules. This regulation of water structure is thought to be the mechanism of how the plant preserves its tissues against dehydration-induced damages, and allows it to survive in the dry state. The discovery that water structure is important for preservation of the plants during drought stress opens up a new direction for bioengineering and improving the drought tolerance ability of plants.

The research article was published in the online edition of Scientific Reports on February 28 at 10AM (UK time). It can be accessed from the following link: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-39443-4 .

Life and water are intrinsically tied together. And yet, among living creatures there are some organisms able to survive long periods without water. They are called anhydrobiotic organisms. Among these, a small group of plants known as “resurrection plants” can survive long periods with almost completely desiccated vegetative tissues and recover fast and fully when water is available again. Enormous progress has been made recently at various levels to shed light on the mechanisms behind desiccation tolerance of resurrection plants. Understanding this phenomenon may help us use targeted genetic modifications to produce crop plants able to tolerate dehydration and adapt better to climate changes, in addition to better understanding of the role of water in life.

It is well established that resurrection plants have an array of adaptions and mechanisms which help them cope with the effects of dehydration – all the efforts of these adaptations are directed toward protecting the integrity of cellular structures and protection against oxidative stress. Little or no attention was paid so far to the role of water, as a partner during desiccation and recovery after severe stress. And yet all these organisms, despite producing different protective compounds, have one thing in common – water. Water in living organisms is a complex molecular matrix made of a defined number of different water molecular structures which are constantly being shaped by other components (biomolecules) and environmental influences.

In this research, Professor Dr Roumiana Tsenkova and Professor Dr Djilianov teams studied one of the resurrection plants – called Haberlea rhodopensis. This plant, together with around only 350 hundred plant species on Earth, has an ability to survive very long periods of extreme dehydration, and then quickly, just hours after rewatering, it miraculously recovers to its fully functional, normal, living state.

Figure 1. Haberlea rhodopensis, a resurrection plant species, was used as a model system to study the underlying mechanisms of extreme desiccation tolerance

Using near infrared light, in a completely non-destructive way, they monitored the processes of desiccation and rehydration of Haberlea rhodopensis plant and its relative non-resurrection plant species Deinostigma eberhardtii.

Near infrared spectroscopy and the novel “Aquaphotomics” approach developed by Prof. Tsenkova provided insight into the structural changes of water molecules in leaves of the plants and how they change during dehydration and rehydration. And for the first time it was observed that the water structure in the two plants, which are botanically very similar, in fact is drastically different.

The simple measurements of water content of the leaves revealed that Haberlea rhodopensis readily and very quickly reduces the water content to only 13%, as if it knows that it can survive without it (Figure 2). Deinostigma eberhardtii, on the other hand, tried hard throughout the dehydration to keep the water up until the point when it finally lost the battle (which is around 35% of water content, after which it cannot recover). However, when the structure of water molecules was examined during dehydration, it showed marked differences between the plants.

Figure 2. Changes in the relative water content (RWC %) during desiccation and subsequent rehydration in Haberlea rhodopensis (♦) and Deinostigma eberhardtii (◊) respectively (Kuroki, S. et al. Water molecular structure underpins extreme desiccation tolerance of the resurrection plant Haberlea rhodopensis. Sci. Rep. (2019). doi:10.1038/s41598-019-39443-4)

When Haberlea rhodopensis was losing water, it kept the number of certain water molecular species – free water molecules, water dimers, trimers and more hydrogen bonded water molecules – in the same ratios (Figure 3). While the numbers of these molecules diminished, their relationship was kept constant, suggesting orchestrated efforts by the plant to keep the water in a certain state. Such ability was not observed in Deinostigma eberhardtii, and the ratios of water species in the leaves randomly fluctuated. Drastic differences of the water structure in the leaves were observed when both plants were in the completely dried state. In this final phase, Haberlea rhodopensis radically diminished free water molecules which are very important for all metabolic processes, and accumulated water dimers and water molecules with 4 hydrogen bonds. Deinostigma eberhardtii, in contrast never showed any such radical transformation of water structure. Up to the very last moment, even in the completely dried state it still had a lot of free water molecules, but now involved in spoliation and decay processes

Figure 3. Dynamics of different water species during dehydration and rehydration of Haberlea rhodopensis and Deinostigma eberhardtii. Relative absorbance of water species in Haberlea rhodopensis (A) and Deinostigma eberhardtii (B), during desiccation and subsequent rehydration (Sr – protonated water clusters, S0 – free water molecules, S1 – water dimers, S2, S3 and S4 – water molecules with 2, 3 and 4 hydrogen bonds, respectively) (Kuroki, S. et al. Water molecular structure underpins extreme desiccation tolerance of the resurrection plant Haberlea rhodopensis. Sci. Rep. (2019). doi:10.1038/s41598-019-39443-4)

During rehydration, Haberlea rhodopensis showed the same orchestrated dynamics of reorganization of water structure, by performing orderly incremental changes of mostly all water species.

This research showed for the first time that the structure of water, not its content, is what matters to the survival of the organism. When people think about life, we often associate dynamic features with the processes in living systems. And yet, in this peculiar plant, in the absence of visible signs of ongoing metabolism, achieving a specific water structure was its survival tool.

As a result, the study performed by Prof. Tsenkova sheds some light on what may be the most fundamental feature of a living system – it is the structural organization, rather than the dynamics, that is at its core. And the structure of water is shaped by the numerous substances produced in the cells. These may be sugars, amino acids, or other biomolecules, but their final goal is achievement of a certain state of water molecular structure which allows the preservation of tissues and prevention of damage.

This pioneering research adds to our growing understanding of the mechanisms by which some organisms achieve their remarkable tolerance to extreme dehydration. It discovered a novel target for modification in order to achieve better tolerance to drought in plants, which obviously can be achieved using different strategies (sugars, amino acids, proteins etc.) as long as they exert such influence on water molecular structure that would lead to decrease of free water molecules and increase of hydrogen bonded water. The aquaphotomics near infrared spectroscopy method allows direct, non-destructive insight into the living processes and water structure and dynamics in real time and is as a valuable new tool for studying not only the abiotic and biotic stress in plants, but many other phenomena in living systems.

Source: Kobe University

Link to the article: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-39443-4

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2019-04-10