Towards realizing nano-enabled precision delivery in plants
- PMID: 38844663
- DOI: 10.1038/s41565-024-01667-5
Towards realizing nano-enabled precision delivery in plants
Abstract
Nanocarriers (NCs) that can precisely deliver active agents, nutrients and genetic materials into plants will make crop agriculture more resilient to climate change and sustainable. As a research field, nano-agriculture is still developing, with significant scientific and societal barriers to overcome. In this Review, we argue that lessons can be learned from mammalian nanomedicine. In particular, it may be possible to enhance efficiency and efficacy by improving our understanding of how NC properties affect their interactions with plant surfaces and biomolecules, and their ability to carry and deliver cargo to specific locations. New tools are required to rapidly assess NC-plant interactions and to explore and verify the range of viable targeting approaches in plants. Elucidating these interactions can lead to the creation of computer-generated in silico models (digital twins) to predict the impact of different NC and plant properties, biological responses, and environmental conditions on the efficiency and efficacy of nanotechnology approaches. Finally, we highlight the need for nano-agriculture researchers and social scientists to converge in order to develop sustainable, safe and socially acceptable NCs.
© 2024. Springer Nature Limited.
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- 2222373/National Science Foundation (NSF)
- 2133568/National Science Foundation (NSF)
- 2134535/National Science Foundation (NSF)
- 2022-67021-38078/United States Department of Agriculture | Agricultural Research Service (USDA Agricultural Research Service)
- 101041729/EC | EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation H2020 | H2020 Priority Excellent Science | H2020 European Research Council (H2020 Excellent Science - European Research Council)
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