Researchers have a new way to learn more about the rhizosphere -- the system of plant roots that is constantly at work beneath our feet,
anchoring, feeding and nurturing the planet's plant life. Though roots are practically everywhere beneath us, science still has a lot of questions about how they work, as their underground placement and slow development can make root systems difficult to study accurately. That may be changing, though, as a new transparent soil substitute
offers researchers a chance to watch root systems take shape in their
(sort of) natural element for the first time ever.