UDkt. Eduardo Blulwald (kwesokudla) no-Akhilesh Yadav, Ph.D., kanye namanye amalungu eqembu labo eNyuvesi yaseCalifornia, eDavis, bashintshe irayisi ukuze bakhuthaze amabhaktheriya enhlabathi ukuthi akhiqize i-nitrogen eningi engasetshenziswa yizitshalo. [Trina Kleist/UC Davis]
Abacwaningi basebenzise i-CRISPR ukuklama irayisi ukukhuthaza amabhaktheriya enhlabathi ukuthi alungise i-nitrogen edingekayo ekukhuleni kwawo. Okutholakele kunganciphisa inani lomanyolo we-nitrogen odingekayo ukuze kutshalwe izitshalo, kusindise abalimi baseMelika izigidigidi zamaRandi minyaka yonke futhi kuzuzise imvelo ngokunciphisa ukungcola kwe-nitrogen.
“Izitshalo ziyizimboni zamakhemikhali ezimangalisayo,” kusho uDkt. Eduardo Blulwald, uprofesa ovelele wesayensi yezitshalo eNyuvesi yaseCalifornia, eDavis, owayehola lolu cwaningo. Ithimba lakhe lisebenzise i-CRISPR ukuthuthukisa ukuwohloka kwe-apigenin elayisini. Bathole ukuthi i-apigenin nezinye izinto ezibangela ukufakwa kwe-nitrogen ebhaktheriya.
Umsebenzi wabo wanyatheliswa kumagazini i-Plant Biotechnology (“Ukuguqulwa kwezakhi zofuzo kwe-biosynthesis yelayisi flavonoid kuthuthukisa ukwakheka kwe-biofilm kanye nokufakwa kwe-nitrogen yezinto eziphilayo ngamagciwane alungisa i-nitrogen enhlabathini”).
I-nitrogen ibalulekile ekukhuleni kwezitshalo, kodwa izitshalo azikwazi ukuguqula i-nitrogen ngqo emoyeni ibe uhlobo ezingalusebenzisa. Esikhundleni salokho, izitshalo zithembele ekumunceni i-nitrogen engaphili, njenge-ammonia, ekhiqizwa amabhaktheriya enhlabathini. Ukukhiqizwa kwezolimo kusekelwe ekusetshenzisweni komanyolo oqukethe i-nitrogen ukwandisa umkhiqizo wezitshalo.
“Uma izitshalo zingakhiqiza amakhemikhali avumela amabhaktheriya enhlabathi ukuthi alungise i-nitrogen esemoyeni, singathuthukisa izitshalo ukuthi zikhiqize amanye ala makhemikhali,” kusho yena. “La makhemikhali akhuthaza amabhaktheriya enhlabathi ukuthi alungise i-nitrogen futhi izitshalo zisebenzisa i-ammonium etholakala, ngaleyo ndlela kuncishiswe isidingo somanyolo wamakhemikhali.”
Ithimba likaBroomwald lisebenzise ukuhlaziywa kwamakhemikhali kanye ne-genomics ukuhlonza amakhemikhali ezitshalweni zerayisi – i-apigenin kanye namanye ama-flavonoid – athuthukisa umsebenzi wamagciwane wokulungisa i-nitrogen.
Base bethola izindlela zokukhiqiza amakhemikhali futhi basebenzisa ubuchwepheshe bokuhlela izakhi zofuzo be-CRISPR ukwandisa ukukhiqizwa kwamakhemikhali akhuthaza ukwakheka kwe-biofilm. Lawa ma-biofilm aqukethe amabhaktheriya athuthukisa ukuguqulwa kwe-nitrogen. Ngenxa yalokho, umsebenzi wokulungisa i-nitrogen wamabhaktheriya uyanda futhi inani le-ammonium elitholakala esitshalweni liyanda.
“Izitshalo zerayisi ezithuthukisiwe zibonise ukwanda kwesivuno sokusanhlamvu lapho zikhuliswe ngaphansi kwezimo ezilinganiselwe yi-nitrogen enhlabathini,” kubhala abacwaningi kuleli phepha. “Imiphumela yethu isekela ukuphathwa kwendlela ye-biosynthesis ye-flavonoid njengendlela yokukhuthaza ukufakwa kwe-nitrogen yezinto eziphilayo ezinhlamvini nokunciphisa okuqukethwe kwe-nitrogen engaphili. Ukusetshenziswa komanyolo. Amasu Angempela.”
Ezinye izitshalo nazo zingasebenzisa lo mzila. I-University of California ifake isicelo selungelo lobunikazi kulobu buchwepheshe futhi okwamanje ilinde lokho. Ucwaningo luxhaswe yi-Will W. Lester Foundation. Ngaphezu kwalokho, i-Bayer CropScience isekela ucwaningo olwengeziwe ngalesi sihloko.
“Umanyolo we-nitrogen ubiza kakhulu,” kusho uBlowald. “Noma yini engasusa lezo zindleko ibalulekile. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, kuyindaba yemali, kodwa i-nitrogen nayo inemiphumela eyingozi emvelweni.”
Iningi lamanyolo asetshenziswayo liyalahleka, lingene emhlabathini nasemanzini angaphansi komhlaba. Ukutholwa kukaBlowald kungasiza ekuvikeleni imvelo ngokunciphisa ukungcoliswa kwe-nitrogen. “Lokhu kungahlinzeka ngomkhuba wokulima oqhubekayo onganciphisa ukusetshenziswa komanyolo we-nitrogen owengeziwe,” kusho yena.