Plant Bioelectronics
- Reference number
- FFL18-0101
- Project leader
- Stavrinidou, Eleni
- Start and end dates
- 200401-260331
- Amount granted
- 12 000 000 SEK
- Administrative organization
- Linköping University
- Research area
- Materials Science and Technology
Summary
Global climate change and population growth calls for plants with increased tolerance of abiotic stress such as drought, heat, cold and salinity as these harsh conditions result in desertification and low yield in agricultural production. In order to ensure food for the growing population a mechanistic understanding on how the plants respond and acclimate to stress is needed. This challenging endeavour requires various methodologies and approaches to be combined in order to significantly improve abiotic stress response of plants in field conditions. A technology based on bioelectronics for monitoring and controlling plant physiology in relation to plant response to stress is proposed. The goal is dynamic regulation and monitoring of plant response to stress with high spatiotemporal resolution. Bioelectronic actuators will allow electronically controlled delivery of phytohormones and signalling peptides directly into plant tissue while bioelectronic sensors will resolve systemic stress signalling by recording electrical signal propagation in high spatio-temporal resolution. Plant bioelectronics define a new mean for decoding and manipulating plant biology from the cellular level to the organism level. This technology will provide a foundation for revolutionising plant interface both for fundamental science and agriculture and forestry.
Popular science description
Global climate change and population growth calls for plants with increased tolerance of abiotic stress such as drought, heat, cold and salinity as these harsh conditions result in desertification and low yield in agricultural production. In order to ensure food for the growing population a mechanistic understanding on how the plants respond and acclimate to stress is needed. This challenging endeavour requires various methodologies and approaches to be combined in order to significantly improve abiotic stress response of plants in field conditions. A technology based on bioelectronics for monitoring and controlling plant physiology in relation to plant response to stress is proposed. Bioelectronic devices are ideal for interfacing with biology as they can translate complex biological input to an electronic readout signal or translate an electronic input signal to a complex biological output. However, the field has mainly focused in mammalian systems driven from the need for development of new diagnostic and therapeutic tools. Within this project we propose the development and use of bioelectronic devices for plant interface. The goal is to achieve dynamic regulation and monitoring of plant response to stress with high spatiotemporal resolution. Plant bioelectronics define a new mean for decoding and manipulating plant biology from the cellular level to the organism level. This technology will provide a foundation for revolutionising plant interface both for fundamental science and agriculture and forestry.