Abstract
Shape is foundational to biology. Observing and documenting shape has
fueled biological understanding as the shape of biomolecules, cells,
tissues, and organisms arise from the effects of genetics, development,
and the environment. The vision of Topological Data Analysis (TDA), that
data is shape and shape is data, will be relevant as biology transitions
into a data-driven era where meaningful interpretation of large datasets
is a limiting factor. We focus on quantifying the morphology of X-ray CT
scans of a diverse panel of citrus and their tissues. In total, we have
access to 146 different citrus samples comprising 58 different species,
including samples of all fundamental citrus species. First, using the
power of X-rays and image processing, we are able to compare and
contrast size ratios between different tissues, such as the size of
exocarp compared to the mesocarp or the endocarp. Second, using
Persistent Homology we focus on characterizing the size and distribution
of oil glands across different citrus species, and the relation of such
distribution to other phenotypes such as exocarp surface area. This
shape characterization will allow us later to link genotype with
phenotype, furthering our understanding on how the physical shape is
genetically coded in DNA.