TIPorNOT: The tip growth of root hairs might be a myth!

Plant roots increase their surface by forming root hairs, which are crucial for absorbing water and nutrients as well as interacting with soil organisms. Root hairs reach several millimetres in length but retain a rod-like shape during their rapid growth. Therefore, for several decades, they served as a model for the study of plant cell shape formation. The current theory states that root hairs grow exclusively at the tip. However, we recently obtained some very surprising data suggesting that during their elongation cell wall material might be also deposited at the root hair shaft and base. By developing new microscopy-based imaging techniques, this Villum Experiment critically re-investigates the tip-growth theory. If successful, obtained data can completely change our understanding of cell growth in plants.