(July 3, 2012) You’d be amazed at how much you can learn from a plant.
In a paper
published this week in the journal Science, a Michigan State University
professor and a colleague discuss why if humans are to survive as a species, we
must turn more to plants for any number of valuable lessons.
“Metabolism
of plants provides humans with fiber, fuel, food and therapeutics,” said Robert
Last, an MSU professor of biochemistry and molecular biology. “As the human
population grows and nonrenewable energy sources diminish, we need to rely
increasingly on plants and to increase the sustainability of agriculture.”
However,
Last and co-author Ron Milo of the Weizmann Institute of Science point out that
despite decades of plant genetic engineering, there are relatively few types of
commercial products originating from this body of work.