Abstract
Plant ovules, which are developed into seeds after fertilization, are the key organs for plant reproduction. Thus, the long-term observation of plant ovules is important to investigate embryogenesis and the development occurring inside. To realize long-term live observation, we fabricated PDMS microcage arrays for fixing ovules and performed long-term culture. First, we performed the sieving test to investigate the relationship between ovule size and different microcage widths. Next, we performed ovule culture for a week using microcage arrays developed based on the results of sieving tests. We successfully positioned and fixed ovules inside the microcages and confirmed that the ovules did not move from their original positions even though the culture dish was frequently moved for observation and incubation. Furthermore, we confirmed that ovules were easily spotted and observed owing to the fixation by microcage arrays.
