Plant nanobionics approach to augment photosynthesis and biochemical sensing

Abstract

The interface between plant organelles and non-biological nanostructures has the potential to impart organelles with new and enhanced functions. Here, we show that single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) passively transport and irreversibly localize within the lipid envelope of extracted plant chloroplasts, promote over three times higher photosynthetic activity than that of controls, and enhance maximum electron transport rates. The SWNT-chloroplast assemblies also enable higher rates of leaf electron transport in vivo through a mechanism consistent with augmented photoabsorption. Concentrations of reactive oxygen species inside extracted chloroplasts are significantly suppressed by delivering poly(acrylic acid)-nanoceria or SWNT-nanoceria complexes. Moreover, we show that SWNTs enable near-infrared fluorescence monitoring of nitric oxide both ex vivo and in vivo, thus demonstrating that a plant can be augmented to function as a photonic chemical sensor. Nanobionics engineering of plant function may contribute to the development of biomimetic materials for light-harvesting and biochemical detection with regenerative properties and enhanced e ciency.

Impact of biosynthesized silver nanoparticles on protein and carbohydrate contents in seeds of Pisum sativum L.

“…These materials have properties that can be exploited to protect plants, improve crop growth and yield, detect their diseases, enhance world food production, and improve food quality (Gruère et al 2011, Prasad et al 2014. The unique physiochemical properties of nanoparticles make them potential candidates to boost the plant metabolism (Giraldo et al 2014).…”

Lipid Exchange Envelope Penetration (LEEP) of Nanoparticles for Plant Engineering: A Universal Localization Mechanism

“…8 However, plant systems remain relatively unexplored due to complexities in uptake and localization pathways. In recent work, 9 we observed that nanoceria (NC), single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) and conjugates of the two can traffic and localize within extracted chloroplasts, suggesting a universal mechanism. We have further designed nanoparticles that when infiltrated into the leaves of the plants enable unique and non-native functionalities such as light emission.…”

Activity of Soil Urease, Phosphatase and Dehydrogenase as Influenced by Various Sources of Zinc in Rice (Oryza sativa L.)

“…Hence it is essential to minimize the nutrient losses in fertilizer application, increase the crop yield through the exploitation of new applications with the help of nano technology and nano meterials. Nano fertilizers have unique physicochemical properties and the potential to boost the plant metabolism (Giraldo et al, 2014). The nano fertilizers or nano encapsulated nutrients might have the properties that are effective to crops, release the nutrients on demand, controlled release of chemical fertilizers that regulate the plant growth and enhanced target activity (DeRosa et al, 2010).…”