The Pato lentil
It is a tiny aquatic plant that has always been practically ignored, but is gaining the attention of environmental and agriculture specialists by its application potential in sustainable food systems, renewable energies and climate change mitigation.
The genetic secrets of water lentil They were recently revealed by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) researchers, who sequenced the genomes of five lentil species and noticed a great versatility and adaptability.
A lentilfor example, thrives in various aquatic environments, despite its form without roots. You just need sunlight and carbon dioxide to flourish.
Scientists have created a highly accurate gene catalog that identifies the main exclusive characteristics of the plant. In particular, the open stoma of the plant-microscopic pores used for gas exchange-make it highly efficient in carbon capture, a strong characteristic for carbon capture technologies. And the absence of roots in some species increases their ability to grow in various aquatic ecosystems with a minimum contribution.
“The use of state-of-the-art technology allowed us to make an extremely accurate gene catalog. We could say exactly which genes were there and which ones were not. Many of the missing genes are responsible for plant characteristics-open stoma or the absence of roots. We were able to identify the genes responsible for each characteristic,” researcher Evan Ernst, who has been studying the water lentil for over 15 years, .
The simple plant can also be explored as food resource e biofuel. Some species are rich in proteins and may serve as food for animals, while others accumulate adequate starch for bioethanol production.
Genetic data suggest that these plants began to diversify about 59 million yearsduring a period of large global climate change.
