UDkt. Eduardo Blumwald (kwesokudla) no-Akhilesh Yadav, Ph.D., kanye namanye amalungu eqembu labo e-University of California, e-Davis, baguqule ilayisi ukuze bakhuthaze amagciwane enhlabathini ukuba akhiqize i-nitrogen eningi engasetshenziswa izitshalo. [Trina Kleist/UC Davis]
Abacwaningi basebenzisa i-CRISPR unjiniyela werayisi ukukhuthaza amagciwane enhlabathini ukulungisa i-nitrogen edingekayo ekukhuleni kwawo. Okutholakele kunganciphisa inani lomanyolo we-nitrogen odingekayo ukuze kutshalwe izitshalo, konga abalimi baseMelika izigidigidi zamaRandi unyaka ngamunye futhi kuzuze imvelo ngokunciphisa ukungcoliswa kwe-nitrogen.
“Izitshalo zingamafekthri amakhemikhali amangalisayo,” kusho uDkt. Eduardo Blumwald, uprofesa ovelele wesayensi yezitshalo e-University of California, eDavis, owayehola lolu cwaningo. Ithimba lakhe lasebenzisa i-CRISPR ukuthuthukisa ukuwohloka kwe-apigenin elayisi. Bathole ukuthi i-apigenin nezinye izinhlanganisela zibangela ukuqiniswa kwe-nitrogen kwebhaktheriya.
Umsebenzi wabo washicilelwa kujenali ye-Plant Biotechnology (“Ukuguqulwa kofuzo kwerayisi flavonoid biosynthesis kuthuthukisa ukwakheka kwe-biofilm kanye nokulungiswa kwe-nitrogen yebhayoloji ngamabhaktheriya alungisa i-nitrogen enhlabathini”).
I-nitrogen ibalulekile ekukhuleni kwezitshalo, kodwa izitshalo azikwazi ukuguqula ngokuqondile i-nitrogen emoyeni ibe uhlobo olungayisebenzisa. Esikhundleni salokho, izitshalo zithembele ekumunceni i-nitrogen engaphili, njenge-ammonia, ekhiqizwa amagciwane enhlabathini. Ukukhiqizwa kwezolimo kusekelwe ekusetshenzisweni komanyolo oqukethe i-nitrogen ukwandisa umkhiqizo wezitshalo.
“Uma izitshalo zingakhiqiza amakhemikhali avumela amagciwane enhlabathini ukuba alungise i-nitrogen yasemkhathini, singanjiniyela izitshalo ukuze zikhiqize amanye ala makhemikhali,” esho. “La makhemikhali akhuthaza amagciwane enhlabathini ukuba alungise i-nitrogen futhi izitshalo zisebenzisa i-ammonium etholakalayo, ngaleyo ndlela zinciphise isidingo sikamanyolo wamakhemikhali.”
Ithimba lika-Broomwald lasebenzisa ukuhlaziya amakhemikhali kanye ne-genomics ukuze lihlonze izinhlanganisela ezitshalweni zelayisi - i-apigenin namanye ama-flavonoid - athuthukisa umsebenzi wokulungisa i-nitrogen webhaktheriya.
Babe sebehlonza izindlela zokukhiqiza amakhemikhali futhi basebenzisa ubuchwepheshe bokuhlela izakhi zofuzo be-CRISPR ukukhulisa ukukhiqizwa kwezinhlanganisela ezikhuthaza ukwakheka kwe-biofilm. Lawa ma-biofilms aqukethe amagciwane athuthukisa ukuguqulwa kwe-nitrogen. Ngenxa yalokho, umsebenzi wokulungisa i-nitrogen wamabhaktheriya uyakhula futhi inani le-ammonium elitholakala esitshalweni liyakhula.
"Izitshalo zerayisi ezithuthukisiwe zibonise ukwanda kwesivuno sokusanhlamvu lapho zikhule ngaphansi kwezimo ezilinganiselwe ze-nitrogen," abacwaningi babhala ephepheni. “Imiphumela yethu isekela ukukhohliswa kwendlela ye-flavonoid biosynthesis njengendlela yokufaka ukufakwa kwe-nitrogen yebhayoloji ezinhlamvini kanye nokunciphisa okuqukethwe kwe-nitrogen engaphili. Ukusetshenziswa komanyolo. Amasu Angempela.”
Ezinye izitshalo nazo zingasebenzisa lo mzila. Inyuvesi yaseCalifornia isifake isicelo selungelo lobunikazi kulobu buchwepheshe futhi isalindile. Ucwaningo luxhaswe yi-Will W. Lester Foundation. Ngaphezu kwalokho, i-Bayer CropScience isekela ucwaningo olwengeziwe ngalesi sihloko.
"Umanyolo we-nitrogen uyabiza kakhulu," kusho uBlumwald. “Noma yini engaqeda lezo zindleko ibalulekile. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, indaba yemali, kodwa i-nitrogen nayo inemiphumela elimazayo endaweni ezungezile.”
Umanyolo omningi osetshenzisiwe uyalahleka, ungena emhlabathini namanzi angaphansi komhlaba. Ukutholwa kukaBlumwald kungasiza ukuvikela imvelo ngokunciphisa ukungcoliswa kwe-nitrogen. "Lokhu kunganikeza enye indlela yokulima eqhubekayo ezonciphisa ukusetshenziswa komanyolo we-nitrogen ngokweqile," esho.