Researchers Discover the Secret of Zinc-Rich Plants
April 20, 2016| |
A team of scientists, led by Professor Michael Broberg Palmgren from the University of Copenhagen, have identified a system of transport in plant cells responsible for delivering zinc into the seeds. This knowledge clears the path to breeding plants with more zinc rich seeds.
This unnoticed mechanism can improve the nutritional value of a large part of the human diet, since biologists have yet to discover any type of crop that does not have a variant of these zinc pumps. The researchers plan to dig deeper into the function of the zinc pumps in thale cress with the final goal of applying the principles to conventional crops.
However, zinc pumps also transport cadmium, a toxic heavy metal, into the seed. They are now trying to find a way to separate the two functions, enabling them to enhance the transport of zinc without the cadmium.
For more on the story, read the article on the University of Copenhagen website.
| |
Biotech Updates is a weekly newsletter of ISAAA, a not-for-profit organization. It is distributed for free to over 22,000 subscribers worldwide to inform them about the key developments in biosciences, especially in biotechnology. Your support will help us in our mission to feed the world with knowledge. You can help by donating as little as $10.
-
See more articles:
-
News from Around the World
- ISAAA Annual Report on Biotech Crops for 2015 Launched in Beijing, China
- Egypt Hosts BioVision 2016
- African Farmers Planted 3.5M Ha of Biotech Crops in 2015
- Biologists Identify Areas in the Genome Altered by Exposure to Nitrogen Fertilizer
- Scientists Present New Tree of Life
- GM Food Acceptance Rises with Education Level and Income
- Scientists Discover AMOR, a Love Potion for Plant Fertilization
- NZBIO Tells Government to Look Again at GMO Rules
- China Considers Planting of Pest Resistant Corn
- EFSA Releases Scientific Opinion on Dow AgroSciences GM Cotton Application
- Researchers Discover the Secret of Zinc-Rich Plants
-
Research Highlights
- Development of Mirafiori Lettuce big-Vein Virus-Resistant Lettuce
-
Beyond Crop Biotech
- USDA Declares Gene-edited Mushrooms as Unregulated
-
Announcements
- Emerging Technologies for Global Food Security
-
Resources
- New OECD Publications on Safety Assessment of Transgenic Organisms in the Environment
-
Read the latest: - Biotech Updates (April 24, 2024)
- Gene Editing Supplement (April 24, 2024)
- Gene Drive Supplement (February 22, 2023)
-
Subscribe to BU: - Share
- Tweet