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Little things. big impact

Dr. Keith Duncan

Bridging scales in plant science: 3D imaging from cells to whole plants

Director of X-ray Imaging in the Advanced Bioimaging Laboratory (ABL) at Donald Danforth Plant Science Center

Seeing what others can’t: Imaging plants form inside out.

Dr. Keith Duncan is a research scientist and Director of X-ray Imaging at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, where he applies more than 25 years of microscopy expertise to advance plant science through cutting-edge imaging. His work focuses on using X-ray microscopy to generate high-resolution, non-destructive 3D views of plant structures—from cells to whole organs—helping researchers better understand how plants grow, interact with their environment, and support global food systems. By bridging traditional microscopy with advanced imaging and computational analysis, Duncan is helping reveal plant biology in ways that were previously not possible

About Dr. Duncan

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    Publications

Breakthroughs by Dr. Duncan

A new view into plant life

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Methods described and referenced in manuscript (Duncan et al, 2022). Courtesy of Dr. Keith Duncan, Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, USA.

Seeing what others can’t.

At the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, Dr. Keith Duncan uses X-ray microscopy to uncover the hidden architecture of plants in ways traditional methods cannot. By generating high-resolution, non-destructive 3D images of intact samples, he is able to visualize structures from the cellular level to entire organs—revealing how plants grow, respond to stress, and ultimately contribute to global food systems.

Dr. Duncan's Discoveries

  • SoyOvule

    Soy ovule

    This is a high-resolution scan using the 4X objective lens at 1.2um voxel resolution of a single developing soybean seed, called an ovule, located in the ovary which becomes the soybean pod as the seeds develop. There are typically 3 to 5 ovules per ovary (seeds per pod). Imaged using ZEISS VersaXRM. All the floral samples were fixed and contrast enhanced in ethanolic phosphotungstic acid (ePTA).

    Sample referenced in manuscript: Duncan et al, 2022

  • Microtubules serve as the tracks by which the protein translation machinery are moved around the heart muscle cell.

    Crimson Clover Nodule

    Bacteroides (in multicolor in one image and cyan in another), nuclei (small red dots in cyan) and Vascular Bundle (red) of Crimson Clover Nodule. Acquired with ZEISS Xradia Versa and imaged analysis done by ZEISS arivis Pro.

    Courtesy of K. Duncan and K. Czymmek, Donald Danforth Research Center, USA.

  • Microtubules navigating the heart muscle cell

    Punch biopsy from a tobacco leaf

    The 3001 2D projection dataset was reconstructed with traditional FDK. Compare with the equivalent DeepRecon image.

    Courtesy of K. Duncan and K. Czymmek, Donald Danforth Research Center, USA.

With the X-ray microscope, we can look at the entire structure at multiple scales and still with a very high resolution.

Keith Duncan Donald Danforth Plant Science Center

Breakthroughs by Dr. Duncan

Interrogating plant-microbe interactions

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SoyFlower imaged with Versa 4x and 20x. Courtesy of Dr. Keith Duncan, Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, USA.

Tackling food insecurity in an unpredictable world.

Dr. Keith Duncan is using X-ray microscopy and AI to better understand how plants support global food systems. His work focuses on revealing how roots interact with fungi—key relationships that help plants absorb water and nutrients more efficiently. By training AI models to isolate these structures in complex 3D datasets, he can measure how much fungal biomass is present and how it contributes to plant growth. To support this analysis, ZEISS imaging and software help reduce noise and improve image quality before processing begins. This allows Duncan to move quickly from raw data to meaningful biological insights. With clearer, more reliable images, he can study how seeds develop and attach to crops, helping bridge the gap between structure and function. These insights have direct implications for agriculture. By improving how crops grow and use resources, Duncan’s research contributes to more resilient, productive systems—supporting efforts to address food security on a global scale.

Dr. Duncan's Discoveries

  • SoyOvule

    Arabidopsis thalania

    Scout & Zoom scan and overlay animation of developing floral structures, using the 4X objective lens at 1.6um voxel res followed by the 20X lens at 0.7um voxel res. This image is from the 20x dataset. The pollen grains are bright dots and the ovary is the long, tall structure with numerous developing ovules (seeds) inside.

    Courtesy of K. Duncan, Donald Danforth Research Center, USA.

  • Microtubules serve as the tracks by which the protein translation machinery are moved around the heart muscle cell.

    Medicago Sativa Root

    Bacteroides (in multicolor in one image and cyan in another), nuclei (small red dots in cyan) and Vascular Bundle (red) of Crimson Clover Nodule. Acquired with ZEISS Xradia Versa and imaged analysis done by ZEISS arivis Pro.

    Courtesy of K. Duncan, Donald Danforth Research Center, USA.

  • Microtubules navigating the heart muscle cell

    Punch biopsy from a tobacco leaf

    The 3001 2D projection dataset was reconstructed with traditional FDK. Compare with the equivalent DeepRecon image.

    Courtesy of K. Duncan and K. Czymmek, Donald Danforth Research Center, USA.