UGqr. Eduardo Blumwald (ngasekunene) no-Akhilesh Yadav, Ph.D., kunye namanye amalungu eqela labo kwiYunivesithi yaseCalifornia, eDavis, baguqule irayisi ukuze bakhuthaze iibhaktheriya zomhlaba ukuba zivelise initrogen eninzi enokusetyenziswa zizityalo. [Trina Kleist/UC Davis]
Abaphandi basebenzise i-CRISPR ukwenza irayisi yerayisi ukukhuthaza iibhaktheriya zomhlaba ukulungisa i-nitrogen efunekayo ekukhuleni kwabo. Izinto ezifunyanisiweyo zinokunciphisa isixa senitrogen yesichumiso esifunekayo ukuze kukhule izityalo, kusindise amafama aseMelika iibhiliyoni zeedola ngonyaka kwaye kuxhamle okusingqongileyo ngokunciphisa ungcoliseko lwenitrogen.
"Izityalo ziyimizi mveliso yeekhemikhali engakholelekiyo," utshilo uGqr. Eduardo Blumwald, unjingalwazi obalaseleyo wesayensi yezityalo kwiYunivesithi yaseCalifornia, uDavis, owayekhokela isifundo. Iqela lakhe lasebenzisa i-CRISPR ukuphucula ukuchithwa kwe-apigenin kwilayisi. Bafumanisa ukuba i-apigenin kunye nezinye iikhompawundi zibangela ukulungiswa kwe-nitrogen yebhaktiriya.
Umsebenzi wabo wapapashwa kwijenali ye-Plant Biotechnology ("Ukuguqulwa kwemfuzo yerayisi ye-flavonoid biosynthesis iphucula ukubunjwa kwe-biofilm kunye nokulungiswa kwe-nitrogen yebhayoloji ngebhaktheriya yokulungisa i-nitrogen yomhlaba").
I-nitrogen ibalulekile ekukhuleni kwezityalo, kodwa izityalo azinakukwazi ukuguqula ngokuthe ngqo initrogen esuka emoyeni ibe yindlela ezinokuyisebenzisa. Endaweni yoko, izityalo zixhomekeke ekufunxeni initrogen engaphiliyo, efana neammonia, eveliswa ziintsholongwane emhlabeni. Imveliso yezolimo isekelwe ekusetyenzisweni kwezichumisi ezinenitrogen ukwandisa imveliso yezityalo.
"Ukuba izityalo zinokuvelisa iikhemikhali ezivumela iibhaktheriya zomhlaba ukuba zilungise i-nitrogen esemoyeni, sinokwenza iinjineli zezityalo ukuze zivelise ngakumbi le michiza," watsho. Ezi khemikhali zikhuthaza iintsholongwane zomhlaba ukuba zilungise initrogen kwaye izityalo zisebenzisa i-ammonium evelayo, ngaloo ndlela zinciphisa imfuno yezichumisi zemichiza.
Iqela likaBroomwald lisebenzise uhlalutyo lweekhemikhali kunye ne-genomics ukuchonga iikhompawundi kwizityalo zerayisi - i-apigenin kunye nezinye i-flavonoids - ezonyusa umsebenzi wokulungisa i-nitrogen yebhaktheriya.
Emva koko bachonga iindlela zokuvelisa iikhemikhali kwaye basebenzise iteknoloji ye-CRISPR yokuguqula imfuza ukwandisa ukuveliswa kweemveliso ezikhuthaza ukubunjwa kwe-biofilm. Ezi biofilms ziqulethe ibhaktheriya ephucula ukuguqulwa kwenitrogen. Ngenxa yoko, umsebenzi wokulungisa i-nitrogen weebhaktheriya uyanda kwaye inani le-ammonium ekhoyo kwisityalo landa.
"Izityalo zerayisi eziphuculweyo zibonise ukwanda kwesivuno sengqolowa xa zikhuliswe phantsi kweemeko zomhlaba ezine-nitrogen," abaphandi babhala kwiphepha. "Iziphumo zethu zixhasa ukuguqulwa kwendlela ye-flavonoid biosynthesis njengendlela yokukhuthaza ukulungiswa kwe-nitrogen yebhayoloji kwiinkozo kunye nokunciphisa umxholo we-nitrogen we-inorganic. Ukusetyenziswa kwezichumisi. Ubuchule bokwenyani.”
Ezinye izityalo nazo zingasebenzisa le ndlela. IYunivesithi yaseCalifornia yenze isicelo selungelo elilodwa lomenzi kwitekhnoloji kwaye ngoku ilindile. Uphando lwaxhaswa ngemali nguWill W. Lester Foundation. Ukongeza, iBayer CropScience ixhasa uphando olongezelelweyo kwesi sihloko.
“Izichumisi ze-nitrogen zibiza kakhulu, zibiza kakhulu,” utshilo uBlumwald. “Nantoni na enokuphelisa ezo ndleko ibalulekile. Kwelinye icala, ngumbandela wemali, kodwa initrogen nayo inemiphumo eyingozi kwimekobume.”
Uninzi lwezichumisi ezisetyenzisiweyo ziyalahleka, zingena emhlabeni kunye namanzi aphantsi komhlaba. Ukufunyanwa kukaBlumwald kunokunceda ukukhusela okusingqongileyo ngokunciphisa ungcoliseko lwenitrogen. “Oku kunokubonelela ngenye indlela yokulima ezinzileyo enokunciphisa ukusetyenziswa kwesichumiso senitrogen esingaphezulu,” utshilo.