Researchers have developed a new technology that allows monitoring of plants' response to disease infection by analyzing optical signals they emit, providing a more accurate means to study their immune activity and the biological changes occurring during infection.
The scientific journal Nature Plants reported on Saturday that a research team from the Medical Sciences Laboratory of the UK Medical Research Council developed the technology using two optical signals of different colors, helping to distinguish between changes associated with gene activity and those resulting from metabolic processes within the plant.
Experiments on living plants demonstrated the ability to monitor immune activity in areas surrounding infection sites and track its development over long periods, without the need to damage the plant or take repeated samples.
The technology relies on using a photolytic enzyme derived from fungi, which emits reddish light, alongside a green optical signal. Comparing the two signals allows for more precise determination of biological changes than methods relying solely on light intensity.
Researchers tested the system using bioluminescent mechanisms derived from fungi and bacteria, indicating its potential adaptability for studying various biological processes.
This technology could contribute to a deeper understanding of plant disease resistance mechanisms and the development of more accurate methods for studying crop infections, while researchers are exploring the possibility of expanding its applications in the future to include certain biological processes related to diseases in animal models and human tissues.
Source: Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA)
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