Nanotechnology is one of the most innovative advancements in modern science and technology and promises to revolutionize a variety of industries including agriculture. Novel nano-based fertilizers, pesticides, sensors and nutrient delivery systems for agricultural applications have been rapidly increasing. However, the underlying mechanisms governing their fate and risks are still poorly understood. In an effort to address the bioavailability, fate, and risks to food safety of agricultural nanoparticles, this project will utilize two food crops and two commonly used nanoparticles in agriculture to study the accumulation and transformation of nanoparticles in the plant-soil ecosystem. Findings generated from the proposed research will address critical societal concerns on the potential benefits, ecological impacts, and limitations of nanotechnology for agricultural applications and significantly advance our understanding of nanotechnology applications in agriculture. This multi-disciplinary, multi-institution collaborative project will also enable Lincoln University of Missouri, an 1890 land-grant and one of the nation's Historically Black Colleges and Universities, to strengthen its science, technology, engineering and mathematics education and research capacity. Through this project, the investigator will train underrepresented and underserved students for science, technology, engineering and math career leadership roles in addressing complex, emerging environmental issues, contributing to a diverse workforce.
Nanotechnology-enabled agrichemicals containing metallic engineered nanoparticles such as silver and zinc oxide nanoparticles are particularly popular for agricultural applications. It is critically important to understand their environmental impacts, interactive mechanisms with crops or microbial communities, and any synergistic/antagonistic effect with co-occurring nanoparticles in the plant-soil ecosystem. This project will directly contribute to advancing the scientific knowledge of nano behavior by addressing several key questions in the nanotechnology-food safety nexus. Specific objectives are to: 1) develop and validate single particle inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry method for nanoparticle detection and analysis in various media; 2) elucidate the mechanisms for plant uptake and accumulation of selected nanoparticles and their transformed products; 3) understand the role of rhizosphere microbial community on plant-nanoparticle interactions; 4) investigate the interactions of plants with co-occurring nanoparticles; and 5) enhance the science, technology, engineering and mathematics education and research capacity at an institution designated as a Historically Black College and University. Two plant species: corn (Zea mays), a popular crop in the Midwest, and lettuce (Lactuca sativa), a common salad vegetable, will be selected as representative crop species. Corn is a monocot and lettuce a dicot; therefore, the uptake mechanisms of nanoparticles may differ between the two plants due to their different root structures. Silver nanoparticles have become a common ingredient in a variety of agrichemicals due to their antimicrobial property. Zinc is an essential micronutrient for plants, and zinc oxide nanoparticles have also displayed some antimicrobial properties and been explored as a novel fertilizer to reduce the zinc deficiency for agronomic crops. The single particle inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry is a cutting-edge, advanced technology used for nanoparticle analysis. This project represents a multi-disciplinary research with integration of crop plants, nanoparticles, and key experimental technologies. The novel methods and findings from this study could be expanded to other nanoparticle-crop systems to advance our knowledge on the impacts of nanotechnology on plant growth and food safety, a critical challenge facing society. The insights obtained from the proposed project will greatly contribute to the knowledge of nanotechnology applications in agriculture by providing solid, scientific evidence on the fate and impacts of nanoparticles in the plant-soil ecosystems. This multi-institution collaborative project will also provide immense benefits to underrepresented and underserved students and contribute to a diverse science, technology, engineering and math workforce.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
