Fast-Est Instruments: producing custom-made scientific instruments

INTRODUCTION - WHO ARE WE?

Fast-Est Instruments (FEI) is a developer and producer of original scientific instrumentation and solutions. We specialize primarily in gas exchange measurement and light exposure control instruments that are typically used in studying photosynthesis of whole plants or leaves. We believe that only when using intact plants or leaves is it possible to study the mechanisms and regulation of a system as complex as photosynthetic apparatus.

Our instruments are able to fully control environmental properties surrounding the plant or leaf during the experiment and precisely dose them. These properties include temperature, illumination, and gas concentrations (O₂, CO₂, H₂O etc). It is possible to introduce changes in any of these parameters in a fine manner while keeping the other parameters at a constant level. While making these changes, the response of the plant/leaf can be recorded precisely by detecting CO₂, O₂ or H₂O uptake or evolution. Correlation between the environmental parameters and the state of the photosynthesis apparatus can also be established by several optical measurements, such as chlorophyll fluorescence and leaf transmittance at several wavelengths (810, 950, 550, 520 nm) that our instruments perform. The instruments are fully computer-controlled and data analysis is performed automatically by the computer.

Being active scientists ourselves, we are well aware of the needs of a scientist and the requirements imposed upon scientific instrumentation. Our designs are based on decades of successful experience in developing instruments for photosynthesis research. We have been active users of our own instruments for many years. They have led us to a multitude of scientific discoveries (see the list of publications below).

AREAS OF ACTIVITY

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Fast-Est Instruments primarily offers scientific instruments for studying plant photosynthesis. However, our focus is not limited to that. We offer several flexible solutions for other areas of science. Some examples include:

a) Precise determination and stabilization of CO₂, O₂, water vapor, and other gas concentrations in measuring chambers or flowing gas. Examples of use range from detection of the atmospheric composition of industrial sites to the measurement of animal respiration.
b) Powerful light sources based on contemporary Light Emitting Diodes (LED) technology and other modern light emitting devices. These devices find widespread use also in technologies unrelated to photosynthesis or even biological systems at all.
c) Light guides from plastic fibers, sensitive differential spectrophotometry, ultra-fast shutters for light dosing etc.

Years of first-hand research in studying whole plant photosynthesis has put us in a unique position. This allows us to use our expertise to also engage in activities such as helping researchers with experimental design, expert advice, consulting, lecturing, training etc. Please contact us to learn more.

OUR PHILOSOPHY AND BUSINESS MODE

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Plant photosynthesis is the basis for the production of most of the organic matter and renewable energy on Earth. Although the basic structure of the plant photosynthetic machinery is known, the functioning and regulation of the individual parts of this complicated system of processes are not clear. Understanding of these processes where so many components are involved can only be advanced through studies that maximally maintain the integrity of the system. The experiments need to be carried out on intact plants or leaves under conditions as natural as possible while avoiding disintegration of the living system as much as possible. Only the responses of intact, naturally growing plants can reveal the influences of different stress factors. Working with whole plants and still being able to understand mechanisms at molecular level is a hurdle one encounters in the field of photosynthesis. However, it is precisely the area where Fast-Est Instruments offers pioneering solutions.

We take pride in offering flexible custom-made solutions for your scientific needs. This means that a great part of our business is conducted through detailed consultations with potential customers to learn all aspects of their specific needs. Rather than producing inflexible products through precompiled catalogs we offer personalized solutions. Please contact us to learn about specific options.

TECHNOLOGY - PRINCIPLES OF OUR SYSTEMS

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The state of the photosynthetic machinery can be diagnosed on the basis of the gas exchange – CO₂ uptake, O₂ evolution and water evaporation (transpiration) – and optical measurements such as chlorophyll fluorescence and small absorption changes at different spectral wavelengths. For the gas exchange measurements the plant or leaf is enclosed in a measuring chamber, a specific gas mixture is blown through the chamber and concentration differences of the component gases (e.g. CO₂, O₂, H₂O) are measured between the outlet and the inlet.

To activate photosynthesis, the plant (or leaf) must be illuminated with light. For simultaneous optical measurements the leaf (or leaves) must be exposed to measuring beams and must be “visible” to the sensors. Temperature must be stable during the measurements, independent of light intensity and evaporation from the leaves. These technical problems of stabilizing the environmental conditions uniformly for the whole leaf area, and maximally avoiding interference between the environmental parameters and different optical measurements simultaneously with conducting precise measurements of gas concentrations and optical parameters have been solved by Fast-Est Instruments. These technical solutions are now available to all researchers.

PRODUCTS		BACK TO TOP
Our product line includes both complex instrumental systems for whole plant or whole leaf measurements, as well as sub-parts of these systems that could be used individually or as parts of other systems. The following is a list of the customizable products we offer:
1. Four-Chamber System for measuring the gas exchange of the whole plant.
The chambers are made of glass in order to avoid absorption of minor gas components, such as ozone, isoprene etc. Illumination is achieved by incandescent lamps (in the picture) or by LED-based light sources (upon request). The chamber temperature is controlled by room temperature (in the picture) or by thermostat-regulated water jacket between the dual-layer glass cupolae (upon request). Gas concentrations are stabilized either at the atmospheric concentrations or different CO₂ and O₂ concentrations (balanced with N2) are preset by flow controllers separately in the four chambers. Different gases may be measured independently by applied analyzers, e.g. CO₂, H₂O, isoprene, etc. Ozone can be generated by a UV lamp, making it possible to measure the ozone uptake by the plants. Experimental sequences of light intensities and gas concentrations are programmable and data are computer-recorded and analyzed.
2. Eight-Chamber System for Arabidopsis plants.
Chambers are made of stainless steel and glass. Only the leaves of the plants are exposed inside the chambers, the soil is isolated by a glass plate. Illumination by fluorescent tubes (in the picture) or by LED-based light sources individually for each chamber are available (upon request). Chamber temperature is determined by room temperature (in the picture) or by thermost-regulated water jacket (upon request). Gas concentrations are stabilized either at the atmospheric concentrations or different CO₂ and O₂ concentrations (balanced with N₂) are preset by flow controllers separately in the four chambers. Different gases may be measured independently by applied analyzers, e.g. CO₂, H₂O, isoprene, etc. Ozone can be generated by a UV lamp, making it possible to measure the ozone uptake by the plants. Experimental sequences of light intensities and gas concentrations are programmable and data are computer-recorded and analyzed.
3. A universal system for the kinetic investigation of plant leaf photosynthesis.
This is our most advanced as well as most flexible system. It allows to preset most environmental parameters (light intensity and its spectral composition, temperature, CO₂, O₂, and H₂O concentrations), make fast changes in each of them without interfering with the others and measure the CO₂, O₂, and H₂O gas exchange, as well as Chl fluorescence and optical transmittance at simultaneously at two wavelengths (950, 810, 550 and 520 nm available). The system is fully automatic, the complex experimental sequences are programmable, data are computer-recorded and data processing is performed by computer. Parts of this system are also available separately.
4. LED-based powerful light sources for 650 and 720 nm or as requested.
These light sources are ideal for very precisely illuminating plant leaves but are not limited to that. We produce a variety of designs with various properties and customize them for any specific need.
5. Electropneumatic ultra-fast shutter for the incandescent light source KL 1500 to open and close the light beam.
We provide ultra-fast shutters for various light-exposure experiments. Our reliable design allows shutter speeds as fast as 1.3 ms.
6. Customized multi-branch light guide made of individually arranged plastic fibers.
Often scientific experiments require that light is applied not only for a precisely controlled interval of time and with specific spectral properties but also delivered to a very specific location. We solve this by providing multi-branched fiber-optical light guides. These requests are customizable to meet any specific need.

SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS		BACK TO TOP
Monographs:
1.	Laisk A and Oja V (1998) Dynamic gas exchange of leaf photosynthesis. Measurement and interpretation. CSIRO, Canberra.
2.	Laisk A, Nedbal L and Govindjee (2009) Photosynthesis in silico. Undestanding Complexity from Molecules to Ecosystems. Springer, Dordrecht, the Netherlands.
Research Papers:
1.	Laisk A, Eichelmann H, Oja V, Talts E and Scheibe R (2007) Rates and roles of cyclic and alternative electron flow in potato leaves. Plant Cell Physiol. 48: 1575-1588
2.	Laisk A, Oja V and Eichelmann H (2007) Kinetics of leaf oxygen uptake represent in planta activities of respiratory electron transport and terminal oxidases. Physiol. Plantarum 131: 1-9
3.	Laisk A, Oja V, Rasulov B, Rämma H, Eichelmann H, Kasparova I, Pettai H, Padu E and Vapaavuori E (2002) A computer-operated routine of gas exchange and optical measurements to diagnose photosynthetic apparatus in leaves. Plant Cell Env. 25: 923-943
4.	Oja V, Bichele I, Hüve K, Rasulov B and Laisk A (2004) Reductive titration of photosystem I and differential extinction coefficient of P700+ at 810-950 nm in leaves. Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1658: 225-234
5.	Oja V, Eichelmann H and Laisk A (2007) Calibration of simultaneous measurements of photosynthetic carbon dioxide uptake and oxygen evolution in leaves. Plant Cell Physiol. 48: 198-203
6.	Oja V, Eichelmann H, Peterson RB, Rasulov B and Laisk A (2003) Decyphering the 820 nm signal: redox state of donor side and quantum yield of photosystem I in leaves. Photosynth. Res. 78: 1-15
7.	Pettai H, Oja V, Freiberg A and Laisk. A. (2005) Photosynthetic activity of far-red light in green plants. Biochim Biophys Acta 1708: 311-321

CONTACT			BACK TO TOP
Please direct your inquiries to: contact@fast-est-instruments.com agu.laisk@ut.ee	Phone: +(372) 736 6021 Fax: +(372) 742 0286	Mailing address is: Fast-Est Instruments c/o Prof. Agu Laisk Pirni 2 Tartu 50405 Estonia