Gresham College Lectures Green Immunity – How Do Plants Fight Infection? - Robin May
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Mar 11, 2025 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.
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Gene-for-Gene Relationship
- In the 1940s, Harold Henry Flor proposed the gene-for-gene relationship in plant immunity.
- This suggests plants have genes that recognize pathogen genes, initiating defense if they match.
Tomato Blight
- Pseudomonas syringae, a bacterial infection, causes black blotches on tomatoes.
- Different tomato varieties exhibit varying resistance to different bacterial strains, demonstrating the gene-for-gene relationship.
Hypersensitive Response
- Plants, like humans, use localized cell suicide to combat infection.
- This hypersensitive response creates a barrier preventing pathogen entry, similar to our skin's outer layer.