29 Apr 2024 --- Researchers have developed the first nanosensor to monitor salicylic acid (SA) in real-time during the early stages of stress response. This plant hormone is crucial for plant growth, development and stress responses to pathogens, temperature, drought, salinity, metals, UV light and osmotic stress. The team also pioneered a method to combine (or multiplex) the sensor with others for simultaneous and real-time tracking of multiple plant hormone profiles and chemical signals. These new insights are vital in cultivating crops that are resilient to stressors such as climate change. Traditional stress detection methods rely on time-consuming and labor-intensive lab tests, which are destructive and disruptive to plant growth. Emerging technologies focus on metabolic changes after the initial stress perception and signaling when there are limited options for reparative measures.
