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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 451 records · Page 25
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Update on Planetary, Lunar, & Asteroid Natural Environment Testbed (PLANET)

At ISMSE15, the Planetary, Lunar, & Asteroid Natural Environment Testbed (PLANET) was introduced as an upcoming high-fidelity, combined-effects planetary surface environment laboratory. This year, we will present an update on the facility status, describing the procurement, installation, commissioning of the chamber in Huntsville, Alabama (USA). With NASA’s push to return to the Moon through the Artemis program, there is a clear need for more high-fidelity test chambers that can replicate multiple aspects of the lunar surface, especially the fine, dusty lunar soil known as regolith. The PLANET chamber is designed to fill this gap, enabling research & development, qualification, and verification testing in a combined lunar surface environment, at an affordable price, for government, commercial/industry, and academic partners. Features include a large regolith simulant bed, low energy electron and ion sources to replicate the solar wind, full-spectrum UV and Solar simulation, and a liquid nitrogen cryogenic shroud, all in a high-vacuum environment (as low as 10^-7 mbar). PLANET’s initial focus will be on the lunar environment, but other surface environments (Martian, asteroid, etc.) are also possible to simulate. Besides the environmental instrumentation, PLANET will be equipped with specialized test systems that the Space Environmental Effects Team has developed over the past two years, including an in-situ tribometer and uniform dust distribution system. The chamber is currently being manufactured, with plans to install in May 2024. This will be followed by outfitting and commissioning. The challenges and accomplishments seen during this process will be detailed, and data from the first tests performed in PLANET will be shared with the community.

environmental testing↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Open Science Approach to Analyze Climate-Crop Relationships in the US Leveraging GES DISC and Galaxy Workflows

Understanding the intricate relationship between climate variability and agricultural production is crucial for ensuring food security. This study investigates the impact of climate parameters, such as temperature, precipitation, and soil moisture, on major US crop yields. Adopting an open science approach, the study analyzes the impact of climate on agricultural production in the United States. The Galaxy workflow engine serves as the primary tool for integrating climate data from the Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center (GES DISC), retrieved via the Giovanni system, with yield statistics from the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (USDA NASS). Extensions for reading, preprocessing, and analyzing external data have been developed, enabling the creation of workflows within the Galaxy platform. The development of a reproducible workflow allows for the calculation of seasonal climate averages, which are then assessed for their correlation with crop yields. This methodology ensures the replicability of the research, promoting transparency and collaboration in the scientific community. Correlational and regression analyses have been applied to different sub-zones and crops. The findings from this research offer valuable insights into the relationship between climate parameters and crop yields. These insights contribute to a deeper understanding of climate-crop relationships, providing a solid foundation for informed decision-making in the agricultural sector. The high correlation values indicate a significant relationship between climate parameters and crop yields, underscoring the importance of considering climate factors in agricultural planning and policymaking. This research also exemplifies the power of open science in advancing our understanding of complex environmental and agricultural phenomena. By leveraging open data and services, it provides a robust and replicable framework for future studies in this critical field.

Open science↗
DOE OSTI2025

A split luciferase system for studying coronavirus Mpro dimerization in vitro and in living cells

The main protease enzyme (Mpro) of coronaviruses cleaves the viral polyprotein into functional units essential for virus replication. Prior work has demonstrated that Mpro functions as a homodimer. However, studies on the mechanism of dimerization have been challenging because the purified protease is mostly dimeric, dimerization-defective mutants lack proteolytic activity, and robust cell-based assays have yet to be reported. To enable work on Mpro dimerization, we have developed a quantitative luciferase-based SARS-CoV-2 (SARS2) Mpro biosensor that accurately reports protein dimerization in living cells and, upon purification, also in vitro. Co-transfection of cells with a construct expressing Mpro fused to the 18 kDa LargeBiT of luciferase (LgBiT) and a second construct with Mpro fused to the 1 kDa SmallBiT of luciferase (SmBiT) results in a reconstitution of luciferase activity in a dose-dependent manner that requires conserved residues within the dimerization interface. Proteolytic activity is dispensable for dimerization and, uniquely, a C145A catalytically inactive mutant exhibits enhanced dimerization signal likely due to lower cytotoxicity. Mpro enzymes from multiple different coronaviruses also dimerize in this system, indicating mechanistic conservation. Interestingly, this dimerization biosensor also provides a quantitative read-out of inhibitor-facilitated dimerization. Covalent SARS2 Mpro inhibitors such as nirmatrelvir cause a 3- to 5-fold increase in luciferase activity. Together with corroborating structural, biophysical, and molecular dynamics experiments, our studies support a model in which covalent Mpro inhibitors such as nirmatrelvir simultaneously block catalytic activity and induce allosteric stabilization of the dimeric complex.

SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro/3CLpro)↗
NASA NTRS1992

Crystal structure of an Okazaki fragment at 2-A resolution

In DNA replication, Okazaki fragments are formed as double-stranded intermediates during synthesis of the lagging strand. They are composed of the growing DNA strand primed by RNA and the template strand. The DNA oligonucleotide d(GGGTATACGC) and the chimeric RNA-DNA oligonucleotide r(GCG)d(TATACCC) were combined to form a synthetic Okazaki fragment and its three-dimensional structure was determined by x-ray crystallography. The fragment adopts an overall A-type conformation with 11 residues per turn. Although the base-pair geometry, particularly in the central TATA part, is distorted, there is no evidence for a transition from the A- to the B-type conformation at the junction between RNA.DNA hybrid and DNA duplex. The RNA trimer may, therefore, lock the complete fragment in an A-type conformation.

Non-NASA Center↗
NASA NTRS2016

Multilayer Active Shell Mirrors for Space Telescopes

A novel active mirror technology based on carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) substrates and replication techniques has been developed. Multiple additional layers are implemented into the design serving various functions. Nanolaminate metal films are used to provide a high quality reflective front surface. A backing layer of thin active material is implemented to provide the surface-parallel actuation scheme. Printed electronics are used to create a custom electrode pattern and flexible routing layer. Mirrors of this design are thin (< 1.0 mm), lightweight (2.7 kg/m2 ), and have large actuation capabilities. These capabilities, along with the associated manufacturing processes, represent a significant change in design compared to traditional optics. Such mirrors could be used as lightweight primaries for small CubeSat-based telescopes or as meter-class segments for future large aperture observatories. Multiple mirrors can be produced under identical conditions enabling a substantial reduction in manufacturing cost and complexity. An overview of the mirror design and manufacturing processes is presented. Predictions on the actuation performance have been made through finite element simulations demonstrating correct abilities on the order of 250−300× for astigmatic modes with only 41 independent actuators. A description of the custom metrology system used to characterize the active mirrors is also presented. The system is based on a Reverse Hartmann test and can accommodate extremely large deviations in mirror figure (> 100 µm PV) down to sub-micron precision. The system has been validated against several traditional techniques including photogrammetry and interferometry. The mirror performance has been characterized using this system, as well as closed-loop figure correction experiments on 150 mm dia. prototypes. The mirrors have demonstrated post-correction figure accuracies of 200 nm RMS (two dead actuators limiting performance).

Reverse Hartmann↗
DOE OSTI2025

Broadband THz Modulation via Solid–State Organic Electrochemical Devices

The sub-Terahertz and Terahertz bands play a critical role in next-generation wireless communication and sensing technologies, thanks to the large amount of available bandwidth in this spectral regime. While long-wavelength (microwave to mm-Wave) and short-wavelength (near-infrared to ultraviolet) devices are well-established and studied, the sub-THz to THz regime remains relatively underexplored and underutilized. Traditional approaches used in the aforementioned spectral regions are more difficult to replicate in the THz band, leading to the need for the development of novel devices and structures that can manipulate THz radiation effectively. Herein a novel organic, solid-state electrochemical device is presented, capable of achieving modulation depths of over 90% from ≈500 nm of a conducting polymer that switches conductivity over a large dynamic range upon application of an electronically controllable external bias. The stability of such devices under long-term, repeated voltage switching, as well as continuous biasing at a single voltage, is also explored. Switching stabilities and long-term bias stabilities are achieved over two days for both use cases. Additionally, both depletion mode (always “ON”) and accumulation mode (always “OFF”) operation are demonstrated. These results suggest applications of organic electrochemical THz modulators in large area and flexible implementations.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Manipulating the Assembly and Architecture of Fibrillar Silk

Silk is a unique and exceptionally strong biological material. However, no synthetic method has yet come close to replicating the properties of natural silk. This shortfall is attributed to an insufficient understanding of both silk nanofibril structure and the mechanism of formation. Here in situ atomic force microscopy (AFM) and photo-induced force microscopy (PiFM) is utilized to investigate the formation process and define the basic structural paradigm of individual silk nanofibrils. By visualizing the multistage process of silk nanofibril formation, the importance of conformational transformations along the assembly pathway is revealed. Unfolded silk structures initially accumulate into amorphous clusters, which then evolve into crystal nuclei via conformational transformation into β-crystallites. Nanofibril elongation then occurs through the attachment of silk molecules at a single end of the nanofibril tip; this is facilitated through the formation of a new amorphous cluster that then repeats the aforementioned conformational transformation. However, enzymatic digestion of the amorphous regions leads to direct, rapid elongation of β-crystalline fibers. These findings imply that the energy landscape is characterized by shallow minima associated with intermediate states, which can be eliminated by introducing β-crystallites, and motivate research into the directed modification of the silk assembly pathway to select for features beneficial to specific applications.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Subvoxel Control of Fiber Orientation via Multidirectional Shearing in 3D Printing

Anisotropy, the characteristic of materials exhibiting different properties based on their direction, is widespread in nature. Conventional manufacturing techniques often fall short in recreating such complex anisotropy. While 3D printing allows for precise fiber deposition in anisotropic composites, previous studies have only achieved bulk reorientation of fibers at the voxel level in two dimensions. This limits the replication of localized 3D anisotropies found in natural materials. To address this, a novel 3D printing technique is presented that enables subvoxel control of fiber orientation in all three directions using multidirectional shearing via nozzle rotation and inclination. The fiber orientation control in these experimental tests is driven by a numerical model, enabling a fully digital approach to program microstructures within a strand. This programmability is demonstrated through mechanical and thermal tests, illustrating a localized and controllable response to external stimuli. Achieving such complex anisotropy holds potential across several fields, including wearables and biomedical implants, lightweight composite structures, and energy storage technologies such as batteries and supercapacitors.

3D printing↗
DOE OSTI2025

Approximately 15% of Miscanthus yield is lost at current commercial cutting heights in Iowa

Various works have quantitatively characterized the effects of environmental and management factors on Miscanthus x giganteus Greef et Deu (mxg) yield and, therefore, anticipated land requirement per unit production. However, little work has addressed the effects of cutting height, which may significantly contribute to the difference between the standing aboveground biomass at harvest (i.e., biological yield) and harvested yield. This study quantitatively characterized the effect of cutting height using a replicated nitrogen trial of a 5-year-old mxg stand in southeast Iowa and related this information to observations of cutting height in nearby commercial fields. Nitrogen fertilizer did not significantly change the relationship of the stem segment mass to length, and overall, a 1-cm stem segment contributes 0.5% of the total stem biomass within the bottom 44 cm of the stem. This results in an average harvest loss of 15% of the aboveground standing biomass when cutting at 30 cm, typically seen in commercial mxg fields in eastern Iowa. Cutting height should be considered when accurately predicting commercial mxg harvest yields and changes in soil organic carbon in a commercial mxg agroecosystem.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

Extrusion‐Based Printing of Nanostructured Fatty Acid Gels Incorporated in Hydrogels

Soft materials with unique nanostructures such as lamellar, hexagonal, and cubic morphologies can replicate complex structures that have potential in various fields, including biomedical and industrial applications. However, a key challenge in advancing the broader applications of 3D printing for these nanostructured soft materials is insufficient mechanical properties that hinder their printability and compromise structural stability in the final product. In this study, the suitability of a fatty acid‐based lamellar gel is evaluated for direct extrusion‐based 3D printing. Here, the lamellar gel with varying water content is integrated with a photocurable hydrogel to preserve the shape and stability of the final prints. Complex 2D and 3D design patterns are used to assess extrusion behavior, structural stability, and print precision under varying pressures. Small‐angle X‐ray Scattering (SAXS) measurements reveal the formation of lamellar nanostructures and confirm their retention after photocuring in various gels. Rheological analysis confirms that these gels exhibit key properties suitable for extrusion‐based 3D printing, such as shear‐thinning behavior. Additionally, tensile testing is conducted to evaluate the mechanical properties across cured print samples. This study underscores the potential of nanostructured gels as a robust and versatile platform, facilitating the development of materials engineered for various applications.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

SEC ‐ SAXS / MC Ensemble Structural Studies of the Microtubule Binding Protein Cdt1 Show Monomeric, Folded‐Over Conformations

ABSTRACT Cdt1 is a mixed folded protein critical for DNA replication licensing and it also has a “moonlighting” role at the kinetochore via direct binding to microtubules and the Ndc80 complex. However, it is unknown how the structure and conformations of Cdt1 could allow it to participate in these multiple, unique sets of protein complexes. While robust methods exist to study entirely folded or unfolded proteins, structure–function studies of combined, mixed folded/disordered proteins remain challenging. In this work, we employ orthogonal biophysical and computational techniques to provide structural characterization of mitosis‐competent human Cdt1. Thermal stability analyses shows that both folded winged helix domains1 are unstable. CD and NMR show that the N‐terminal and linker regions are intrinsically disordered. DLS shows that Cdt1 is monomeric and polydisperse, while SEC‐MALS confirms that it is monomeric at high concentrations, but without any apparent inter‐molecular self‐association. SEC‐SAXS enabled computational modeling of the protein structures. Using the program SASSIE, we performed rigid body Monte Carlo simulations to generate a conformational ensemble of structures. We observe that neither fully extended nor extremely compact Cdt1 conformations are consistent with SAXS. The best‐fit models have the N‐terminal and linker disordered regions extended into the solution and the two folded domains close to each other in apparent “folded over” conformations. We hypothesize the best‐fit Cdt1 conformations could be consistent with a function as a scaffold protein that may be sterically blocked without binding partners. Our study also provides a template for combining experimental and computational techniques to study mixed‐folded proteins.

Cell Biology↗
DOE OSTI2025

Habitat specialization and edge effects of soil microbial communities in a fragmented landscape

Abstract Soil microorganisms play outsized roles in nutrient cycling, plant health, and climate regulation. Despite their importance, we have a limited understanding of how soil microbes are affected by habitat fragmentation, including their responses to conditions at fragment edges, or “edge effects.” To understand the responses of soil communities to edge effects, we analyzed the distributions of soil bacteria, archaea, and fungi in an experimentally fragmented system of open patches embedded within a forest matrix. In addition, we identified taxa that consistently differed among patch, edge, or matrix habitats (“specialists”) and taxa that showed no habitat preference (“nonspecialists”). We hypothesized that microbial community turnover would be most pronounced at the edge between habitats. We also hypothesized that specialist fungi would be more likely to be mycorrhizal than nonspecialist fungi because mycorrhizae should be affected more by different plant hosts among habitats, whereas specialist prokaryotes would have smaller genomes (indicating reduced metabolic versatility) and be less likely to be able to sporulate than nonspecialist prokaryotes. Across all replicate sites, the matrix and patch soils harbored distinct microbial communities. However, sites where the contrasts in vegetation and pH between the patch and matrix were most pronounced exhibited larger differences between patch and matrix communities and tended to have edge communities that differed from those in the patch and forest. There were similar numbers of patch and matrix specialists, but very few edge specialist taxa. Acidobacteria and ectomycorrhizae were more likely to be forest specialists, while Chloroflexi, Ascomycota, and Glomeromycota (i.e., arbuscular mycorrhizae) were more likely to be patch specialists. Contrary to our hypotheses, nonspecialist bacteria were not more likely than specialist bacteria to have larger genomes or to be spore‐formers. We found partial support for our mycorrhizal hypothesis: arbuscular mycorrhizae, but not ectomycorrhizae, were more likely to be specialists. Overall, our results indicate that soil microbial communities are sensitive to edges, but not all taxa are equally affected, with arbuscular mycorrhizae in particular showing a strong response to habitat edges. In the context of increasing habitat fragmentation worldwide, our results can help inform efforts to maintain the structure and functioning of the soil microbiome.

Winfrey, Claire C. [Department of Ecology and Evol↗
DOE OSTI2025

Phosphorus budgets of intensively managed row crops at a long–term agroecosystem research site in the upper US Midwest

Phosphorus (P) budgets for cropping systems provide insights for keeping soil P at optimal levels for crops while avoiding excess inputs. We quantified 12 years of P inputs (fertilizer and atmospheric deposition) and outputs (harvest and leaching losses) for replicated maize (Zea mays L.)—soybean (Glycine max L.)—wheat (Triticum aestivum) crop rotations under conventional, no-till, reduced input, and biologically based (organic without compost or manure) management systems at the Kellogg Biological Station LTAR site in southwest Michigan. Conventional, no-till, and reduced input systems were fertilized between 13 and 50 kg P ha –1 depending on year. Soil test phosphorus (STP) was measured at 0- to 25-cm depth every autumn. Leached P was measured as dissolved P in the soil solution sampled beneath the rooting depth and combined with modeled percolation. Fertilization and harvest were the predominant P fluxes in the fertilized systems, whereas only harvest dominated P flux in the unfertilized organic system. Leaching losses were minor terms in the budgets, but leachate concentrations were nevertheless close to the range of concern for downstream eutrophication. Over the 12-year study period, the organic system exhibited a negative P balance (–82.0 kg P ha –1 ), coinciding with suboptimal STP levels, suggesting a need for P supplementation. In contrast, the fertilized systems showed positive P balances (mean: 70.1 kg P ha –1 ) with STP levels well above agronomic optima. Results underscore the importance of tailored P management strategies to sustain crop productivity while mitigating environmental impacts.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2026

Data‐Driven Engineering of Thermostable Collagen‐Mimetic Peptoid Triple Helices

Collagen-mimetic peptides (CMPs) are engineered molecules designed to replicate the triple-helical structure of natural collagen. A repeating x–y-Gly sequence is the defining motif of CMPs and is critical to their triple-helical structure and stability. Substitutions to the residues occupying the x and y positions present a means to modulate the CMP structure and properties. Peptoid residues—N-substituted glycine derivatives—present an attractive potential substitution due to their thermal stability, proteolytic resistance, biocompatibility, and diverse palette of non-natural side chains, but also tend to introduce a high degree of backbone flexibility that can diminish the stability of the triple helix. In this work, we report a computational active learning cycle comprising molecular dynamics simulation, Gaussian process regression, and Bayesian optimization to computationally identify a number of promising peptoid substitutions predicted to stabilize the desired quaternary structure through side chain interactions and produce stable peptoid-based collagen-like triple helices. To experimentally test the computational predictions, a top candidate identified by the screen was synthesized and imaged using scanning electron microscopy to resolve fibril-like bundles consistent with collagen-like triple helices. This work predicts a number of CMP peptoid substitutions capable of forming stable triple-helical structures, presents a generalizable design strategy for engineering desired peptoid structures, and opens new avenues for the design of peptoid-based biomimetic materials.

active learning↗
DOE OSTI2024

Expression of a mammalian RNA demethylase increases flower number and floral stem branching in Arabidopsis thaliana

Abstract RNA methylation plays a central regulatory role in plant biology and is a relatively new target for plant improvement efforts. In nearly all cases, perturbation of the RNA methylation machinery results in deleterious phenotypes. However, a recent landmark paper reported that transcriptome‐wide use of the human RNA demethylase FTO substantially increased the yield of rice and potatoes. Here, we have performed the first independent replication of those results and demonstrated broader transferability of the trait, finding increased flower and fruit count in the model species Arabidopsis thaliana . We also performed RNA‐seq of our FTO‐transgenic plants, which we analyzed in conjunction with previously published datasets to detect several previously unrecognized patterns in the functional and structural classification of the upregulated and downregulated genes. From these, we present mechanistic hypotheses to explain these surprising results with the goal of spurring more widespread interest in this promising new approach to plant engineering.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

An Algal Nutrient‐Replete, Optimized Medium for Fast Growth and High Triacylglycerol Accumulation

Microalgae are promising sources to sustainably meet the global needs for energy and products. Algae grow under different trophic conditions, where nutritional status regulates biosynthetic pathways, energy production, and growth. The green alga Chromochloris zofingiensis has strong economic potential because it co-produces biofuel precursors and the high-value antioxidant astaxanthin while accumulating biomass when grown mixotrophically. As an emerging reference alga for photosynthesis, metabolism, and bioproduction, C. zofingiensis needs a defined, optimized medium to standardize experiments during fast growth for batch cultivation. Because the interplay of glucose treatment (+Glc) and mineral deficiency influences photosynthesis, growth, and the production of lipids and astaxanthin, we designed a replete nutrient medium tailored to the C. zofingiensis cellular ionome. We combined inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and +Glc growth curves to determine a medium that is nutrient replete for at least 5 days of +Glc logarithmic growth. We found that there are high nutritional needs for phosphorus and sulfur during mixotrophy. Iron was the only element measured for which the cellular concentration correlated with exogenous concentration and was iteratively adjusted until the cellular ionome was consistent through the logarithmic growth phase. This Chromochloris-Optimized Ratio of Elements (CORE) medium supports fast growth and high biomass and lipid accumulation without causing excess nutrient toxicity. This defined, nutrient-replete standard is important for future C. zofingiensis investigations and can be adapted for other species to support high biomass for batch cultivation. The method used to develop CORE medium shows how ionomics informs replicable media design and may be applied in industrial settings to inform cost-effective biofuel production.

Jeffers, Tim L. [University of California, Berkele↗
DOE OSTI2024

A fast and sensitive size-exclusion chromatography method for plasma extracellular vesicle proteomic analysis

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) carry diverse biomolecules derived from their parental cells, making their components excellent biomarker candidates. However, purifying EVs is a major hurdle in biomarker discovery since current methods require large amounts of samples, are time-consuming and typically have poor reproducibility. Here we describe a simple, fast, and sensitive EV fractionation method using size exclusion chromatography (SEC) on a fast protein liquid chromatography (FPLC) system. Our method uses a Superose 6 Increase 5/150, which has a bed volume of 2.9 mL. The FPLC system and small column size enable reproducible separation of only 50 µL of human plasma in 15 min. To demonstrate the utility of our method, we used longitudinal samples from a group of individuals who underwent intense exercise. A total of 838 proteins were identified, of which, 261 were previously characterized as EV proteins, including classical markers, such as cluster of differentiation (CD)9 and CD81. Quantitative analysis showed low technical variability with correlation coefficients greater than 0.9 between replicates. The analysis captured differences in relevant EV proteins involved in response to physical activity. Our method enables fast and sensitive fractionation of plasma EVs with low variability, which will facilitate biomarker studies in large clinical cohorts.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

Data driven discovery and quantification of hyperspectral leaf reflectance phenotypes across a maize diversity panel

Abstract Estimates of plant traits derived from hyperspectral reflectance data have the potential to efficiently substitute for traits, which are time or labor intensive to manually score. Typical workflows for estimating plant traits from hyperspectral reflectance data employ supervised classification models that can require substantial ground truth datasets for training. We explore the potential of an unsupervised approach, autoencoders, to extract meaningful traits from plant hyperspectral reflectance data using measurements of the reflectance of 2151 individual wavelengths of light from the leaves of maize ( Zea mays ) plants harvested from 1658 field plots in a replicated field trial. A subset of autoencoder‐derived variables exhibited significant repeatability, indicating that a substantial proportion of the total variance in these variables was explained by difference between maize genotypes, while other autoencoder variables appear to capture variation resulting from changes in leaf reflectance between different batches of data collection. Several of the repeatable latent variables were significantly correlated with other traits scored from the same maize field experiment, including one autoencoder‐derived latent variable (LV8) that predicted plant chlorophyll content modestly better than a supervised model trained on the same data. In at least one case, genome‐wide association study hits for variation in autoencoder‐derived variables were proximal to genes with known or plausible links to leaf phenotypes expected to alter hyperspectral reflectance. In aggregate, these results suggest that an unsupervised, autoencoder‐based approach can identify meaningful and genetically controlled variation in high‐dimensional, high‐throughput phenotyping data and link identified variables back to known plant traits of interest.

Tross, Michael C.↗