Green Immunity – How Do Plants Fight Infection? - Robin May
Mar 11, 2025
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Robin May, the Gresham Professor of Physic and Chief Scientific Adviser at the Food Standards Agency, discusses the fascinating world of plant immunity. He reveals how plants can recognize pathogens and form immunological memories, even inheriting defenses from parent plants. The conversation explores groundbreaking ideas like using plants for producing human antibodies and edible vaccines, potentially revolutionizing global health. May also shares insights on harnessing plant immunity for disease detection through innovative engineering techniques.
Plants possess sophisticated immune systems that allow them to recognize pathogens and retain immunological memory, enhancing their future defenses.
Innovative research explores using plants to produce human antibodies and develop edible vaccines, potentially transforming agricultural and healthcare practices.
Deep dives
Remarkable Plant Immunity
Plants possess complex immune systems akin to those of animals, yet they are often overlooked in discussions about immunity. They respond rapidly to pathogens such as viruses and bacteria while employing unique strategies like predatory calling and long-distance communication about their health status. The details surrounding plant immunity reveal a multifaceted ability to fight infections that parallels human immune responses. This indicates there is much we can learn from plant defenses, which could inform not only garden practices but also advancements in human medicine.
The Gene-for-Gene Relationship
The concept of the gene-for-gene relationship, primarily developed by scientist Harold Henry Floor in the 1940s, highlights the nuanced dynamics of plant immunity. Floor’s research demonstrated that different plant varieties show varying susceptibility to specific strains of pathogens based on whether their genes can recognize and respond to those pathogens. This profound insight paved the way for understanding how plants possess a form of immunity that resembles the human immune system. Ultimately, identifying this relationship has opened up new avenues for enhancing crop resistance and our overall knowledge of immunity.
Cell Suicide and Similarities to Human Immunity
Plants initiate a rapid immune response similarly to humans when detecting pathogens, triggering a process of localized cell death that effectively prevents further infection. This programmed cell death resembles the immune responses humans have, where cells infected by viruses can undergo apoptosis to eliminate the threat. By restricting the nutrient supply to the invading pathogen, plants neutralize threats effectively while protecting surrounding cells. This shared strategy highlights the fascinating parallels between plant and animal immune responses, emphasizing the potential benefits of studying plant defenses for medical applications.
Innovative Applications of Plant Immunity
Research is progressing toward enhancing plant immunity in ways that could revolutionize agricultural practices and even human health solutions. Advances include the idea of creating 'planty bodies' that utilize plants to produce human antibodies, making treatments more cost-effective and accessible. Additionally, the potential for developing edible vaccines could simplify immunization and bypass logistical challenges in areas with limited healthcare access. These innovations not only aim to improve crop resilience but also present exciting opportunities to tackle public health issues more effectively.
Most of us rarely think about plant immunity. But, like us, plants can distinguish between different pathogens, trigger a ‘bespoke’ immune response and retain a memory of past infections to boost future immunity. However, plant immune systems also exhibit enviable features like the ability to inherit immunological memory from a parent, or to warn distant individuals of an impending pathogen attack. This lecture investigates how they do all of this and more without a single white blood cell.
This lecture was recorded by Robin May on 29th January 2025 at Barnard's Inn Hall, London.
Robin is Gresham Professor of Physic.
He is also Chief Scientific Adviser at the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and Professor of Infectious Disease at the University of Birmingham.
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