天美传媒

The Topp laboratory deploys X-ray-based imaging and analysis of corn and other root systems to develop more robust and sustainable crops. While at the University of Georgia pursuing a genetics degree, Chris began studying plant pathogens. Interested in cutting-edge and emerging technologies, he worked as a research tech in an NSF-funded plant science lab to develop artificial chromosomes, an example of early synthetic biology. In grad school, he focused on maize, realizing that this crop could have the biggest impact: “In the U.S., there are about 90 million acres of corn planted each year. At an average density of 30,000 plants per acre, that’s 2.7 trillion corn plants. It’s been said there are more corn seeds are planted each year than stars in the Milky Way.” After launching his professional career at Duke University, Chris is today a principal investigator at the Danforth Center working to unlock the secrets of the hidden half of plants. When Chris learned about specialized 3D X-ray computed tomography (X-ray CT) systems for very large objects used in the aerospace industry, he saw a new potential application. In 2016, a partnership with Valent BioSciences, along with funding from the National Science Foundation, brought one of these 8-ton machines to the Danforth Center. The success of this instrument soon led to a smaller, but more powerful X-ray microscope to look at root-microbial interactions. Now the Topp lab can see the 3D subterranean world of roots nondestructively, at least for plants growing in large containers. The Topp lab’s X-ray CT and microscope facility for plant science at the Danforth Center is unique in the world.

Dr. Chris Anderton leads a team of researchers in the Biogeochemical Transformations team. He has an extensive background in elucidating chemical interactions occurring across all kingdoms of life, including those within soils and the rhizosphere. 
Through his graduate endeavors to his recent position, he focuses on the power of multimodal imaging methods to expand the type of information gained from samples. For his graduate work and postdoc at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, he used atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and secondary ion mass spectrometry to understand the physicochemical properties of biological samples.
While at EMSL and PNNL, his focus has been, in part, on expanding the mass spectrometry imaging capability—making these valuable tools for analyzing bacteria communities, rhizosphere-related systems, and even human health-related processes. He also focuses on visualizing the key mechanisms that drive interkingdom interactions within soil to understand the key drivers that lead to resiliency in the face of a changing environment.