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IMAGINE a vast expanse of agriculturalfield interspersed with luminouspatches. In the not too distant future,this vision will no longer be left tothe imagination, but could becomea reality.
Scientists at UK's Oxford Universityand the University of Wales have succeeded in developing a unique earlywarning system for tackling agricultural disasters.They have transferredgenes from luminescentjellyfish to tobacco plants.These genes carry proteins- called apoacquarin -which emit light understress (for instance, in anattack by a pest or in anoutbreak of a disease)enabling the plants toglow. In three years' time,the researchers hope toabout thelevel ofluminescence in a plant as is present in aglow-worm.
Fungal infections cause plants toundergo internal stress several weeksbefore the physical appearance of a disease. If they are carrying the appropriatejellyfish genes, the plants light up at theslightest hint of stress.
This early warning system couldhelp the farmer take adequate steps andmeasures to forestall damage to hisfields. The genetically trewould be present in a ratio of I to 1,000in seed bags supplied to farmers. Theluminous patches would be visible atnight, or could be detected with the helpof remote sensing equipment.
At present the light is bluish, but itcould be adapted in futureff the plants arecarry4rig theappropriatejeflyfish genes.theY light UP andglow at theslightest hintof stress same get to green or red.According to the scientists, plants could beengineered to respond tospecific stress conditions.For instance, they couldstart glowing when theyneed to be watered. Otherplants could be engineeredto respond to a slighttouch or a person's breathon them.
In another research,Bill Cockburn and colleagues at Leicester University havesuccessfully transferred genes forantibodies against human diseases toexperimental tobacco and potatoplants. Cockburn reasons that antibody-containing plants could replaceoral treatments. Bacterial toothdecay has been targeted for this form oftreatment.