UGqr. Eduardo Blumald (ekunene) kunye no-Akhilesh Yadav, Ph.D., kunye namanye amalungu eqela labo kwiYunivesithi yaseCalifornia, eDavis, batshintshe irayisi ukuze bakhuthaze iintsholongwane zomhlaba ukuba zivelise i-nitrogen engaphezulu enokusetyenziswa zizityalo. [Trina Kleist/UC Davis]
Abaphandi basebenzise i-CRISPR ukucwangcisa irayisi ukukhuthaza iintsholongwane zomhlaba ukuba zilungise i-nitrogen efunekayo ekukhuleni kwazo. Ezi ziphumo zinokunciphisa ubungakanani besichumisi se-nitrogen esifunekayo ukukhulisa izityalo, zisindise abalimi baseMelika iibhiliyoni zeerandi minyaka le kwaye zincede okusingqongileyo ngokunciphisa ungcoliseko lwe-nitrogen.
“Izityalo ziifektri zeekhemikhali ezimangalisayo,” utshilo uGqr. Eduardo Blwald, uprofesa odumileyo wesayensi yezityalo kwiYunivesithi yaseCalifornia, eDavis, owayekhokela olu phando. Iqela lakhe lisebenzise iCRISPR ukuphucula ukuqhekeka kwe-apigenin kwirayisi. Bafumanise ukuba i-apigenin kunye nezinye izinto ezibangela ukufakwa kwe-nitrogen kwiibhaktheriya.
Umsebenzi wabo upapashwe kwijenali iPlant Biotechnology (“Ukuguqulwa kwemfuza yerayisi i-flavonoid biosynthesis kuphucula ukwakheka kwe-biofilm kunye nokulungiswa kwe-nitrogen yibhaktheriya elungisa i-nitrogen emhlabeni”).
I-nitrogen ibalulekile ekukhuleni kwezityalo, kodwa izityalo azinakuguqula ngqo i-nitrogen emoyeni zibe yimo ezinokuyisebenzisa. Endaweni yoko, izityalo zixhomekeke ekufunxeni i-nitrogen engaphiliyo, efana ne-ammonia, eveliswa ziibhaktheriya emhlabeni. Imveliso yezolimo isekelwe ekusetyenzisweni kwezichumisi ezine-nitrogen ukwandisa imveliso yezityalo.
“Ukuba izityalo zinokuvelisa iikhemikhali ezivumela iintsholongwane zomhlaba ukuba zilungise i-nitrogen esemoyeni, singayila izityalo ukuvelisa ezinye zezi khemikhali,” utshilo. “Ezi khemikhali zikhuthaza iintsholongwane zomhlaba ukuba zilungise i-nitrogen kwaye izityalo zisebenzisa i-ammonium ephumayo, ngaloo ndlela zinciphisa imfuneko yezichumisi zeekhemikhali.”
Iqela likaBroomwald lisebenzise uhlalutyo lweekhemikhali kunye ne-genomics ukuchonga iikhompawundi kwizityalo zerayisi – i-apigenin kunye nezinye ii-flavonoids – eziphucula umsebenzi wokulungisa i-nitrogen kwiibhaktheriya.
Emva koko bachonge iindlela zokuvelisa iikhemikhali baza basebenzisa iteknoloji yokuhlela iijini yeCRISPR ukwandisa imveliso yeekhompawundi ezikhuthaza ukwakheka kwe-biofilm. Ezi biofilms ziqulathe iibhaktheriya eziphucula utshintsho lwe-nitrogen. Ngenxa yoko, umsebenzi wokulungisa i-nitrogen webhaktheriya uyanda kwaye ubungakanani be-ammonium ekhoyo kwisityalo buyanda.
“Izityalo zerayisi eziphuculweyo zibonise isivuno esikhulayo sengqolowa xa zikhuliswe phantsi kweemeko ezinqongopheleyo zenitrogen emhlabeni,” babhala abaphandi kweli phepha. “Iziphumo zethu zixhasa ukuguqulwa kwendlela ye-flavonoid biosynthesis njengendlela yokukhuthaza ukufakwa kwenitrogen kwizinto eziphilayo kwiinkozo kunye nokunciphisa umxholo we-nitrogen engaphiliyo. Ukusetyenziswa kwesichumiso. Amaqhinga Okwenyani.”
Ezinye izityalo nazo zingayisebenzisa le ndlela. IYunivesithi yaseCalifornia ifake isicelo selungelo elilodwa lomenzi wechiza kule teknoloji kwaye okwangoku ilinde yona. Olu phando luxhaswe yiWill W. Lester Foundation. Ukongeza, iBayer CropScience ixhasa uphando olongezelelweyo ngale ngongoma.
“Izichumiso zenitrogen zibiza kakhulu,” utshilo uBlowald. “Nantoni na enokuphelisa ezo ndleko ibalulekile. Kwelinye icala, ngumbuzo wemali, kodwa initrogen ikwanemiphumo emibi kwindalo esingqongileyo.”
Uninzi lwezichumisi ezisetyenzisiweyo ziyalahleka, zingene emhlabeni namanzi angaphantsi komhlaba. Ukufunyanwa kukaBlowald kunokunceda ukukhusela okusingqongileyo ngokunciphisa ungcoliseko lwe-nitrogen. “Oku kunokubonelela ngendlela yokulima ezinzileyo enokunciphisa ukusetyenziswa kwesichumisi se-nitrogen esigqithisileyo,” utshilo.