TED Talks Daily How fungi recognize (and infect) plants | Mennat El Ghalid
Mar 27, 2018
Fungi cause devastating losses, threatening global food security and economics. Mennat El Ghalid reveals that ancient theories about how plants communicate with fungi are being revisited. Discoveries of specific tomato signals that fungi recognize could pave the way for innovative antifungal treatments. Understanding these interactions might not only protect crops but also revolutionize how we combat fungi in agriculture.
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Fungi Follow Plant ‘Lighthouses’
- Fungi use host-derived signals as lighthouses to locate and invade plants.
- Identifying these molecular signals opens targeted strategies to block infection.
Chestnut Blight Shows Devastation
- At the turn of the 20th century the Eastern American chestnut was nearly wiped out by a fungal blight.
- Mennat El Ghalid uses this example to show the drastic agricultural and societal impact of fungal diseases.
Fungal Losses Equal Massive Food Shortfall
- Crop losses from fungal infections equal enough calories to feed half a billion people.
- These losses cause famine risk, income drops for farmers, and exposure to fungal toxins.