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.
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