Abstract Detail

Molecular Ecology

Vanden Hoek, Kathryn [1], Ogoti, Tasha [1], Thomas, Shawn [2], Mendoza Cozatl, David [3], Pires, Joseph [4].

Plants vs. Pollution: Exploring salt and cadmium stress response in Sea Rocket.

Anthropogenic factors such as climate change, harsh agricultural practices, and mining have contributed to increases in soil salinization and heavy metal contamination. Highly saline environments drastically lower yield for crop species and elevated levels of toxic metals like cadmium are harmful to the environment. Some plants that have evolved in high-salinity habitats or in soils with heavy metals could be used to remediate contaminated soils. Halophytes are plants with various adaptations that allow them to survive and reproduce in saline conditions. General mechanisms for salt tolerance/uptake in halophytes are hypothesized to also deal with other stresses like heavy metals. We can use plants with these traits to extract salt and heavy metals from affected soils in a process called phytoremediation. We plan to develop Sea Rocket (Cakile maritima) in the Mustard family as a model system to understand mechanisms of salt (NaCl) and cadmium uptake and tolerance, as it has been shown to accumulate and tolerate both. As part of this study, we will hydroponically grow C. maritima in different stress treatments using salt and cadmium. As the plants uptake the pollutants, we expect that the conductivity and salinity of the solution will change. To measure this we have developed an automated pipeline to track these changes in real-time using conductivity sensors. In addition, we will sample root and leaf tissues at various time points to measure salt and cadmium uptake using elemental analysis. This data will provide insights into salt and cadmium uptake/tolerance and pave a path toward efficient and viable solutions improving phytoremediation approaches.

1 - University of Missouri - Columbia, Division of Biological Sciences, 1201 Rollins St, 311 Bond Life Science Center, Columbia, Missouri, 65211, United States
2 - University Of Missouri, Division Of Biological Sciences, 1201 Rollins Street, 311 Bond Life Sciences Center, Columbia, MO, 65211, United States
3 - University of Missouri - Columbia, Division of Plant Sciences, 1201 Rollins St, 271F Bond Life Science Center, Columbia, Missouri, 65211, United States
4 - New York Botanical Garden, International Plant Science Center, Bronx, NY, 10458, USA

Keywords:
ecology
climate change
pollution
Abiotic stress
hydroponics.

Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Number: ME2002
Abstract ID:227
Candidate for Awards:None