A live, image-based STmet tracking simple water propagation on a windowsill.
The goal is to observe how structure, color, and growth dynamics change over time and how introducing a second plant alters the system.
This is observational science, not optimization.
Window-facing propagation setup with two cuttings in water (Week 2 state).
- Location: Interior windowsill
- Light: Indirect natural light
- Medium: Standing water
- Containers: Clear glass vessels
- Intervention level: Minimal
- Initial state: Single red/purple cutting only
Red/purple cutting alone in water.
- Sparse, exploratory root network
- Roots thin, unevenly distributed
- Leaves deep purple/red with slight curl
- No visible algae or water clouding
- Early-stage water adaptation
- Root growth appears cautious rather than expansive
- Above-ground biomass stable, not actively expanding
¶ Candidate Processes to Track
- Water stress response
- Root initiation and elongation
- Pigment regulation (anthocyanin dominance)
- Root development: AUX1, PIN1, LAX3
- Water response: PIP aquaporins, ABA signaling components
- Pigmentation / stress: CHS, DFR, MYB transcription factors
These genes are not measured here. They act as conceptual anchors for what the visible structure may reflect.
Second plant (green cutting) introduced alongside red/purple cutting.
- Root mass visibly denser than Week 1
- Roots occupy more of the vessel volume
- Leaf coloration remains purple but appears more stable
- No visible leaf loss
- Root system shows increased branching
- Suggests improved water uptake or stabilization
- Growth pattern shifts from exploratory to consolidating
¶ Candidate Processes to Track
- Root branching regulation
- Reduced stress signaling
- Resource stabilization
- Root branching: ARF7, ARF19, LBD16
- Stress modulation: PP2C, SnRK2
- Cell expansion: EXPANSIN family
- Dense, fibrous root network already established
- Leaves green, flatter, less curled
- Overall structure appears more growth-forward
- Root system suggests prior adaptation to water or rapid adjustment
- Above-ground tissue indicates lower visible stress
¶ Candidate Processes to Track
- Rapid root proliferation
- Nitrogen and carbon balance
- Growth prioritization over defense
- Root mass expansion: WOX5, PLT1/2
- Growth signaling: TOR pathway components
- Chlorophyll maintenance: CAB genes, GLK transcription factors
- Increased total root biomass in shared space
- Altered light reflection and micro-shadowing
- Potential changes in dissolved oxygen dynamics
- Shared microenvironment may reduce stress signaling
- Root presence may alter local chemical gradients
- Visual contrast highlights different survival strategies
- Competition / signaling: CLE peptides
- Root–root interaction: SCR, SHR
- Environmental sensing: HY5, PIF family
- No nutrients added
- No pruning performed
- No repositioning between images
- All interpretations remain provisional and revisable
To show how much structure and biological meaning can be surfaced from:
- simple photos
- consistent framing
- careful, repeated observation
This is STmet as a public, slow, visible process.
This is a live record.
Plants change.
Interpretations evolve.
Nothing here is final and that is the point.