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Author Topic: Nanotechnology and plants  (Read 7335 times)

Psyguy

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Nanotechnology and plants
« on: March 18, 2014, 02:26:44 PM »
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/03/140316153328.htm

" Now, researchers wants to make plants even more useful by augmenting them with nanomaterials that could enhance their energy production and give them completely new functions, such as monitoring environmental pollutants."

Plants are so magnificent on their own.  The precedent set by this type of human interaction could be both alarming and boundless.  Plants are so powerful in their own right and using them as a technological platform creates so many possibilities.  The inner kid in me has such a hard time accepting the direction of modern science by enslaving organisms to do our bidding.  I prefer a bit more symbiosis.  Maybe I should just man up and ignore these feelings. 

Either way its some exciting stuff.
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cloud

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Re: Nanotechnology and plants
« Reply #1 on: March 18, 2014, 03:42:35 PM »
.. Thanks for sharing that Psyguy .. I can totally agree with where you're coming from. Although humans have been intentionally modifying/determining plant characteristics for a while... is this going to create an oil-spill on the already slippery-slope? .. As you said, "so many possibilities"..

I attached the link to the article concerned if anyone would like to give it a read..

Giraldo, J.P., et al.  2014. Plant nanobionics approach to augment photosynthesis and biochemical sensing. Nature Materials, Online: DOI: 10.1038/NMAT3890
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Psyguy

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Re: Nanotechnology and plants
« Reply #2 on: March 18, 2014, 04:09:55 PM »
Hi cloud,

Thanks for plugging in the link to the study!  There are so many perspectives and such a broad range of what we deem as 'acceptable' or not.  Selective breeding to favour certain plant characteristics dates back thousands of years in human history.  Now we are at a time of mono cropping, genetic altering (of all kinds), and nanotechnology. 

It amazes me how humans have dissected every part of almost every species of plant known to exist, but many have never experienced their effects or take them for granted.  How is it that we can insert carbon nanotubes into plants but still OUTLAW plants with known benefits to humans.  I'll stop the rant now that I'm ahead.

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New Wisdom

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Re: Nanotechnology and plants
« Reply #3 on: March 18, 2014, 07:14:02 PM »
Interesting.  A lot of this stuff can be extremely promising and also extremely scary.  It all matters how the powers that be use the technology. 

Maybe they can make little nano-robots that help produce alkaloids... ;)
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Psyguy

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Re: Nanotechnology and plants
« Reply #4 on: March 18, 2014, 07:20:19 PM »
I don't think that idea is so far removed  :P.  I wouldn't mind a boost in yield from the little guys (I would welcome it in fact).  We get to witness the technology in its infancy so maybe now is the time to see how we can get it to work in our favour  ;D
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