RESEARCH: PARASITIC WEED
FOLDING PROJECT #18900 PROFILE

Parasitic weeds like Striga cause billions in crop damage each year. They use a special signal from host plants to sprout, and their sensors are super sensitive! This project wants to understand how this works so we can make chemicals to stop these weeds.

Note: This TLDR is a simplication and may not be 100% accurate.

Hormone signaling in parasitic weeds Parasitic weeds such as Striga destroy ~$10 billion worth of food crops worldwide every year.

Their seeds can lie dormant in the soil for years and germinate when it detects a chemical signal from host plants called strigolactone.

Additionally, the receptor proteins that perceive strigolactone are several orders of magnitude more sensitive than the ones found in host plants, meaning they can induce signaling at much lower levels of strigolactone.

This series of project aims to provide molecular insight into the strigolactone signaling process to facilitate the design of agrochemicals that can be used to combat parasitic weeds.

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Hormone

A chemical messenger produced by glands.

Hormones are chemicals that plants produce to regulate growth, development, and responses to the environment. They act like messengers, traveling through the plant to trigger specific actions in different tissues.

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Signaling

The transmission of information within or between cells.

Signaling is the process by which plants receive and respond to signals from their environment. This can involve chemical messengers, electrical impulses, or mechanical forces.

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Parasitic weeds

Plants that obtain nutrients from other plants.

Parasitic weeds are plants that grow on or in other plants (host plants) to steal their water and nutrients. This can cause significant damage to crops and natural ecosystems.

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Striga

A genus of parasitic weeds.

Striga is a group of parasitic weeds that are particularly damaging to cereal crops in Africa. They can cause severe yield losses and threaten food security.

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Strigolactone

A class of plant hormones that signal to parasitic weeds.

Strigolactones are chemical signals produced by plants that attract and stimulate the germination of parasitic weed seeds. They play a crucial role in the interaction between host plants and their parasitic invaders.

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Receptor proteins

Proteins that bind to specific molecules and trigger a cellular response.

Receptor proteins are essential for cells to sense and respond to their environment. They act like antennae, receiving signals from outside the cell and relaying them to the appropriate internal machinery.

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Agrochemicals

Chemicals used in agriculture to control pests.

Agrochemicals are substances used to protect crops from pests, diseases, and weeds. This can include insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, and other specialized compounds.