Glowing Plants Reveal Immune Responses Around Infection Sites via Two Colors

Glowing plants reveal immune responses around infection sites via two colors

Researchers at the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences (LMS) have developed a new way to make glowing biological reporters more accurate, allowing scientists to track gene activity in living plants over days, weeks and potentially even months and years. The approach could help researchers study how plants respond to disease, pests and environmental stress, while opening the door to similar applications in animal and human disease models.

A New Way to Watch Plants Respond to Disease in Real Time

Scientists at the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences (LMS) have devised a novel method for improving the accuracy of luminescent biological reporters, which enables researchers to monitor gene expression in living plants for extended periods, including days, weeks, and potentially months or even years.

Dual-colour glow turns autoluminescent plants into quantitative gene

A red-shifted fungal luciferase paired with a green reporter lets researchers measure gene activity in glowing plants by colour ratio rather than brightness, correcting for metabolic noise.