UZH researches natural substitutes for pesticides

(CONNECT) A team at UZH led by Professor Cyril Zipfel, who heads the Laboratory for Molecular and Cellular Plant Physiology there, is looking for alternatives for plant protection that do not harm nature. The researchers observed which plant genes are upregulated in certain stress situations such as heat and lack of water or in response to pathogens such as bacteria. They discovered signaling peptides from the plant's own immune system.

The peptides were already known to be important plant hormones. However, "we now know that the signaling peptides regulate every aspect of plant life: from seed development to germination, growth and reproduction to responses to the environment," Zipfel is quoted as saying in a UZH report. This allows them to trigger cascades of regulatory signals within a few milliseconds. Certain peptide families even have a direct antimicrobial effect.

The highlight of these signal peptides is that they offer a selection of possible switches that can be used to control plants. Among other things, they can be made more resistant to diseases and pests. "But first we have to gain a better understanding of the signaling peptides," says Zipfel.

Because these peptides are so numerous and diverse in structure, the team uses computer methods and artificial intelligence-based models to identify them. Following experiments with the typical laboratory model plants, projects on potatoes, tomatoes and barley are now also underway. The laboratory is working closely with chemists and agronomists to find out how the peptides can be used in agricultural practice. ce/mm