ROS Measurement in WT and Mutant Arabidopsis Treated with Silver Nanoparticles (AgNP)

Presenter

Carlos Pineda

Group Members

Dylan Napoli

Campus

Fitchburg State University

Sponsor

Eric Owen Williams, Department of Biology and Chemistry, Fitchburg State University

Schedule

Session 4, 2:30 PM - 3:15 PM [Schedule by Time][Poster Grid for Time/Location]

Location

Poster Board A48, Campus Center Auditorium, Row 3 (A41-A60) [Poster Location Map]

Abstract

The study of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) responses to Silver Nanoparticles (AgNPs) in Arabidopsis thaliana plants provides insights into the interactions between nanomaterial exposure and plant physiological processes. ROS, are essential signaling molecules in plants. They are pivotal in stress responses, programmed cell death, and developmental processes. Excessive ROS levels can lead to oxidative stress, causing cellular damage. Given the increasing use of AgNPs in various fields, including medicine and electronics, and as antimicrobial agents, concerns about their environmental impact, especially on plant health, have intensified.Our research investigates how Arabidopsis thaliana responds to AgNP exposure by monitoring changes in ROS levels. AgNPs induce oxidative stress by generating excess ROS, which can disrupt plant cellular functions. Our findings aim to better understand the importance of understanding ROS dynamics in plants exposed to nanoparticles. In our initial experiments conducted in the fall, we grew ten wild type and ten mutated Arabidopsis plants, treating them with water, a salt solution, and silver nanoparticles to test if silver nanoparticles would elicit a different stress response than other treatments. The plant mutation knocked out the gene responsible for regulating stress responses. However, our fall semester results showed that the stress response difference between the two groups was mathematically insignificant, leading us to question the role of potential human error in our experiment. Consequently, we are reattempting the experiment this spring to determine if the initial outcomes were due to experimental inaccuracies. This repeated effort aims to validate our findings and further our understanding of how plants respond to nanoparticle exposure, particularly regarding stress response regulation.

Keywords

Silver Nanoparticles , Arabidopsis Thaliana, Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS), Photo analysis

Research Area

Biological Organisms

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