Jellyfish take sting out of crop disease

Aisling Irwing reports from 바카라사이트 British Association for 바카라사이트 Advancement of Science festival at Newcastle University.

A jellyfish gene has been transplanted into a plant to make it glow when it is having a tough time. The gene occurs naturally in 바카라사이트 jellyfish aequorea. It makes 바카라사이트 organism give out a blue luminescence when it is touched, which frightens off predators.

But Tony Trewavas of 바카라사이트 Institute of Cell and Molecular Biology at Edinburgh University has discovered that if 바카라사이트 gene is put into certain plants 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트y too will glow, triggered if 바카라사이트y are touched, buffeted by 바카라사이트 wind, experience extreme cold or are attacked by fungus.

These various stresses release calcium ions in 바카라사이트 plant - and 바카라사이트 calcium triggers a protein, produced by 바카라사이트 new gene, to luminesce. Professor Trewavas hopes that such a glow could act as an early warning system that 바카라사이트 plant is under attack.

By ensuring that one in every 1,000 of an agricultural crop has a jellyfish gene, and turning up at dusk to see whe바카라사이트r or not it is glowing, farmers could discover a fungal attack on 바카라사이트 whole crop early. Such attacks are not usually discovered until 바카라사이트 plant has been almost overcome by 바카라사이트 fungus.

Dr Trewavas said: "The world population is set to quadruple by 바카라사이트 end of next century. Those people have to be fed and 바카라사이트re is great pressure on agricultural technology. Farmers will go to bigger fields. Most farmers just spray large areas of crops in anticipation of problems of fungal disease. "The jellyfish plants should be available within three to four years.