Unraveling the potential of gold mine tailings: Sustainable phytomining

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From phyto to agromining: past, present, and future scope

Publication . Novo, Luís A. B.; Castro, Paula M. L.; Alvarenga, Paula; Silva, Eduardo Ferreira da

The accumulation of valuable metals in plants has fascinated scientists ever since the 1700 s (Chaptal 1790; Malte-Brun 1824).

2018Book part

Restricted access

The effects of rhenium accumulation on Indian mustard

Publication . Novo, Luís A. B.; Silva, Eduardo F.; Pereira, Andrea; Casanova, Alba; González, Luís

Rhenium(Re) is one of Earth’s scarcest and more largely scattered elements, with an estimate concentration of 0.4–0.6 μg kg−1 in the upper crust. Still, considerable concentrations of bioavailable ReO4 − ions are often found, particularly in copper-molybdenum mines, where their uptake by plants of these regions has been reported. Yet, the impact of Re on plants remains a question mark, as the only available knowledge derives from a limited investigation carried out over 60 years ago. The aim of this study was to evaluate the ecophysiological response of Brassica juncea, a species known to endure and accumulate various metals, to a broad range of Re concentrations. B. juncea plants were allowed to grow and on a substrate amended with KReO4 to attain soil Re levels ranging from 0 to 80 mg kg−1. Plants were collected 45 days after sowing for analysis. The results have shown that greater Re levels reduce growth, photosynthetic activity, soluble carbohydrate mobilization, and protein contents, and increase the plant’s oxidative stress (anthocyanins, H2O2, lipid peroxidation) and corresponding response (ascorbic acid, superoxide dismutase activity). Nevertheless, B. juncea exhibited a remarkable ability to endure and uptake Re, featuring shoot Re concentrations that ranged from 1615 to 24,987 mg kg−1 among the 5 and 80 mg kg−1 treatments.

2018Journal article

Restricted access

Genome editing weds CRISPR: what is in it for phytoremediation?

Publication . Basharat, Zarrin; Novo, Luís A. B.; Yasmin, Azra

The arrival of sequence-specific endonucleases that allow genome editing has shaken the pillars of basic and applied plant biology. Clustered regularly interspaced palindromic repeats (CRISPR) is a revolutionary genome-engineering tool that enables the enhancement of targeted traits in plants. Numerous plants, including energy crops, known for their potential to tolerate, immobilize, and stabilize inorganic and organic pollutants, have already been edited using different CRISPR systems. Moreover, a large array of genes responsible for increased metal tolerance, metal uptake and hyperaccumulation have already been identified. Thus, the CRISPR-mediated genome reprogramming of plants, including its use in gene expression regulation through transcriptional repression or activation (CRISPRi and CRISPRa), could be of paramount importance for phytoremediation. The simplicity, inexpensiveness, and capabilities of this gene editing technique could soon be used to enhance plants and bacteria involved in phytotechnologies, such as phystabilization, phytoextraction, phytomining, phytovolatilization, and bio-energy generation. In this brief viewpoint piece, we posit some of the potential benefits of CRISPR for phytoremediation.

2018Journal article

Open access