A
dose of carbon nanotubes more than doubles the growth rate of plant
cell cultures—workhorses in the production of everything from lifesaving
medications to sweeteners to dyes and perfumes—researchers are
reporting. Their study, the first to show that carbon nanotubes boost
plant cell division and growth, appears in the journal ACS Nano.

Mariya
V. Khodakovskaya and colleagues explain that their previous research
demonstrated that so-called multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) can
penetrate through the thick coatings on seeds, stimulate germination of
the seeds and stimulate the growth of certain plants. MWCNTs are wisps
of pure carbon so small that thousands would fit on the period at the
end of this sentence. Those discoveries “have the potential to transform
agricultural practices in the near future and to provide solutions to
some of the most serious problems related to plant growth and
development,” the scientists said.

Their
new research focused on how MWCNTs affect the growth of model tobacco
plant cell cultures. Plant cells of many plant species, grown in large
industrial vats, find extensive use in producing medical and commercial
products and plants for agriculture. The scientists found that tiny
amounts of MWCNTs ramped up the activity of genes involved in cell
growth. MWCNTs also seem to work by activation of channels that
transport water into cells, helping cells divide and grow faster.

The
authors acknowledge funding from the EPSCoR Center for Plant-Powered
Production and the Arkansas Science & Technology Authority.

Carbon Nanotubes Induce Growth Enhancement of Tobacco Cells

Source:  American Chemical Society