Talking Plants? Not Yet, But Close

 

Other researchers are also working on molecular signaling of the luminescent sensitive protein aequorin, which is activated by environmental changes such as temperature, and mechanical forces such as wind.

People talk to pets and other people and themselves. They often get answers back. However, when people talk to their plants, the plants never say anything at all. Now, students at Singapore Polytechnic say they have created a plant that can communicate with people ?EUR??,,????'??+ by glowing when it needs water. The students said that they have genetically modified a plant using a green fluorescent marker gene from jellyfish, so that it “lights up” when it is stressed as a result of dehydration. The light is hard to detect with the naked eye but can be seen using an optical sensor developed in collaboration with students at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University. Admittedly, this doesn?EUR??,,????'???t make plants superior conversationalists, but the development of such plants could help farmers to develop more efficient irrigation of crops. That may be the only things plants want to talk about right now, but at least it?EUR??,,????'???s a beginning.

Source: Reuters