American Chemical Society's Weekly PressPac -- March 26, 2008

Researchers have known for years that plants can produce a diverse array of substances as part of their natural response to environmental factors such as microbial infection, sunlight, and chemical exposure. To boost levels of plant chemicals for commercial purposes, scientists have often turned to synthetic chemical additives as well as genetic engineering, which can be expensive and potentially harmful. A better method is needed, scientists say.

In the new study, Hans VanEtten and colleagues studied the effects of electricity on the ability of the pea plant to produce pisatin, an antifungal substance. They found that exposing pea plants to certain sub-lethal doses of electric current produced 13 times higher amounts of pisatin than plants that were not exposed to electricity. The researchers observed similar increases in plant chemicals produced by a variety of other plants when exposed to electricity. There were no adverse effects on the plants. — MTS

ARTICLE #2 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE "Sub-lethal Levels of Electric Current Elicit the Biosynthesis of Plant Secondary Metabolites"

DOWNLOAD FULL TEXT ARTICLE http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/bp0703329

CONTACT:
Hans VanEtten, Ph.D.
University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona 85721
Phone: 520-621-9355
Fax: 520-621-7186
Email:

Scientists report that chemical signaling between microcapsules can initiate the capsules' movement, a finding that could assist nanomachines in drug delivery as well as a host of other applications. Click here for more information.

ARTICLE #3 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Chemical signaling may power nanomachines
ACS Nano

In a finding that could provide controlled motion in futuristic nanomachines used for drug delivery, fuel cells, and other applications, researchers in Pennsylvania report that chemical signaling between synthetic microcapsules can trigger and direct movement of these capsules. Their study is scheduled for the currrent isssue of ACS Nano, a monthly journal.

Researchers theorize that synthetic capsules can communicate with each other by physically shuffling chemical signals from capsule to capsule, much like passing water through a fireman’s bucket brigade. Scientists recently suggested that this same signaling process also appears capable of sending cues to direct cell movement.

In the new study, Anna C. Balazs and colleagues used computer models to simulate the chemical signaling. They modeled a porous polymer microcapsule filled with nanonparticles to imitate a biological cell. When placed next to an empty capsule, nanoparticles from the filled capsule initiated the motion of the empty capsule, which in turn caused the movement of the filled “signaling” capsule. The same locomotion process could be engineered into futuristic nanomachines to help direct their movement through the body or through fuel cells, the researchers suggest. — MTS