Representation of the plant hormone receptor system that the team engineered to recognize new chemicals. The central yellow molecule is the natural plant hormone ABA. Credit: Sean Cutler/UCR |
Scientists have modified proteins involved in plants’ natural response to stress, making them the basis of innovative tests for multiple chemicals, including banned pesticides and deadly, synthetic cannabinoids.
Diazinon is a banned insecticide that the research team is able to detect with their new plant-hormone-based sensor system.
During drought, plants produce ABA, a hormone that helps them hold on to water. Additional proteins, called receptors, help the plant recognize and respond to ABA. UC Riverside researchers helped demonstrate that these ABA receptors can be easily modified to quickly signal the presence of nearly 20 different chemicals.
The research team’s work in transforming these plant-based molecules is described in a new Nature Biotechnology journal article.
Researchers frequently need to detect all kinds of molecules, including those that harm people or the environment. Though methods to do that exist, they are often costly and require complicated equipment.