ST. LOUIS, MO, January 6, 2026 — In a groundbreaking development, researchers from the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, the University of Florida, Gainesville, and the University of Iowa have engineered tools that transform major grain crops into living biosensors. These grasses, including corn, can now detect minute chemical levels in the field, offering a new dimension in agricultural monitoring.
Leading the project, Principal Investigators Dmitri Nusinow, PhD, and Malia Gehan, PhD, have successfully modified grasses to produce a visible purple pigment, anthocyanin, in response to specific chemical stimuli. This innovation, when combined with advanced imaging and analytical systems, enables the detection of low-level chemical exposures, pollution, and other conditions affecting crop and human health.
Their findings, detailed in the study Remote Sensing of Endogenous Pigmentation by Inducible Synthetic Circuits in Grasses, were recently published in the Plant Biotechnology Journal.
Turning Plants Into “Sentinels”
The concept of using plants as early warning systems for adverse conditions or unwanted chemicals has long intrigued scientists. While plant-based biosensors have been explored, most research has focused on dicot species like Arabidopsis thaliana. In contrast, grass species, which form the backbone of global grain production, have not been as extensively studied.
Nusinow and Gehan have adapted a ligand-inducible genetic circuit that activates the plant’s anthocyanin pathway in the C4 model grass Setaria viridis. This breakthrough allows grasses such as corn to exhibit a purple pigment when exposed to specific chemicals, serving as a visible indicator of environmental changes.
Key Advances in Biosensor Technology
- Identification of two transcription factors co-expressed from a single transcript to trigger anthocyanin production.
- Demonstration of both constitutive and ligand-inducible pigment production in protoplasts and whole plants.
- Development of hyperspectral imaging and discriminative analysis techniques for non-destructive detection of pigmentation changes.
These advancements establish a robust system for precise, remote sensing of chemical exposure in grasses, paving the way for crop plants that can actively communicate environmental conditions.
“Grain crops are at the heart of global food security,” said Nusinow. “Having plants act as sentinels in the field could increase food security and improve the sustainability of agriculture.”
Implications for Agriculture and Food Security
This research marks a significant step toward plant-based monitoring systems capable of detecting contamination, chemical drift, or other environmental factors influencing crop performance. As detection tools become more sophisticated, the ability for plants to “report” their stressors could transform agricultural management and resilience.
By enhancing the ability to monitor environmental conditions, these biosensors could help farmers make more informed decisions, potentially leading to increased yields and reduced environmental impact.
Tools Available for Community Use
In a commitment to open science, the molecular tools and methods for detecting pigmentation changes have been made publicly available. This enables other scientists to build on this work and accelerate innovation in plant synthetic biology.
“We wanted to build a system that other researchers could easily use. Making our constructs and imaging approaches publicly available will accelerate innovation across the community,” said Gehan.
The project involved collaboration with Alina Zare, PhD, from the University of Florida, and Susan Meerdink, PhD, from the University of Iowa. The research was supported by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).
About the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center
Founded in 1998, the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center is a nonprofit research institute dedicated to improving the human condition through plant science. The Center focuses on food security and environmental sustainability, positioning itself at the forefront of agricultural innovation.
