08/04/2023
It’s Wisdom Wednesday!
We’ve all heard of zombie-eating plants… but, what about metal-eating ones?
A little throwback to the past can bring us to the good old days when video games like Plants vs. Zombies became a generational hit. In that game, plants can do so much more than photosynthesis and CO2 absorption, having the ability to shoot fireballs at undead intruders. However, while all of the things mentioned are fiction, it remains true that plants can do more shocking things in real life. In this instance, let us discover the strange wonders of the metal-eating plant!
Discovered in the western part of Luzon by scientists from the University of the Philippines-Los Baños, the metal-eating plant has a scientific name of Rinorea niccolifera, derived from its ability to ingest nickel in very high amounts. While usual plants consume water, sunlight, and carbon dioxide for a living, these one have nickel as its primary food source. The absorbed nickel is found in the leaves, which can be collected and harvested afterward like a gold mine or, in this case, a nickel mine.
According to Professor Fernando, the lead research author, it can consume up to 18000 ppm of the metal, which is a hundred to a thousand times higher than what other plants can normally digest. This phenomenon is a prime example of hyperaccumulation, defined as a plant’s capability to consume heavy and potentially hazardous metals from contaminated soil as it adapts to the toxic environment.
Hyperaccumulation begins as the plant absorbs the metal ions, which are then transported to its shoots. Then, the metal is isolated in the area to cleanse its toxins, so the plant can collect more concentration of the substance without experiencing signs of stress or poisoning.
As a hyperaccumulator, the metal-eating plant can be used as a tool to alleviate pollution as it can rid the earth of contaminants. This process is known as phytoremediation. Considering the food safety issues caused by heavy metal concentration in our soils, the metal-eating plant is becoming a significant part of the agriculture industry.
Not only that but the nickel-consuming species can also be used as an eco-friendly alternative for extracting minerals from the earth through phytomining. As the Philippines is rich in nickel, this could open up opportunities for greener mining techniques in our country.
However, the limit seems to not exist with metal-eating plants as Rinorea niccolifera is not the only species that can store metals in its leaves. There are wider-range herbs like Sedum alfredii, which have the same abilities. But instead of nickel, its job is to consume cadmium, zinc, and lead, which can also help the food industry and economy of countries affected by metal-polluted soils.
It's interesting how one plant can do so much. With this discovery, one can wonder what more impossible things they can achieve to change the world. Can they also digest and break down supposedly non-biodegradable plastics? Though that's yet to be discussed, the limits are truly endless when it comes to plants and their contributions to the world and materials science.
References
[1] Cruz, Florante. 2014. “New species of metal-eating plant discovered in the Philippines.” UPLB Museum of Natural History, May 11, 2014. https://mnh.uplb.edu.ph/press-release/new-species-of-metal-eating-plant-discovered-in-the-philippines/.
[2] Fernando, Edwino S., Marilyn O. Quimado, and Augustine I. Doronila. 2014. “Rinorea niccolifera (Violaceae), a new, nickel-hyperaccumulating species from Luzon Island, Philippines.” PhytoKeys 1, no. 37 (May): 1-13. 10.3897/phytokeys.37.7136.
[3] Pandey, Vimal C., and Kuldeep Bauddh, eds. 2018. Phytomanagement of Polluted Sites: Market Opportunities in Sustainable Phytoremediation. N.p.: Elsevier Science.
[4] Zhou, Renying. 2016. “Metal-devouring plant hero: How do hyperaccumulating plants extract metals from contaminated soil?” Experiment | Crowdfunding Platform. https://experiment.com/projects/metal-devouring-plant-hero-how-do-hyperaccumulating-plants-extract-metals-from-contaminated-soil.
[5] Cardinale, Massimiliano. 2014. “The bacterial rhizobiome of hyperaccumulators: future perspectives based on omics analysis and advanced microscopy.” Frontiers. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2014.00752/full.
Content by: Elrene Rubica
Design by: Lorein Angelique Caro & Ched Andrea Galindez
Wisdom Wednesday is brought to you by the UP Materials Science Society. Want more knowledge? Stay tuned next week for another amazing Wisdom Wednesday!
