PARENT SESSION
Monday, August 7, 5:00-6:30 pm
Poster Session 7 - Climate and global change
Exhibit Hall, Ballroom Level, Cook Convention Center
Development of a molecular imprinting tool for the plant stress response hormone abscisic acid.
Baldwin, Patrick*,1, Bauerle, William1, 1 Clemson University, Clemson, SC
ABSTRACT- Abscisic Acid (ABA) is a water stress hormone that signals stomatal closure at the pico mol level. In order to enhance detection and understand stomatal sensitivity to pico scale ABA biosynthesis in plant tissue, we are developing a new analytical tool based on molecular imprinting. Molecular Imprinting technology is a well establish chemical procedure for molecule recognition. The principal behind the technology is the formation of a polymer complex around a specific target molecule. Once formed, the complex contains cavities with binding sites that are complementary to the shape and size of the target molecule. As a result, the polymer complex is analogous to a key and lock detection system, where only the target molecule can fit into and bind with the polymer complex. In addition to the high specificity, molecular imprinting technology is non-invasive and dynamic (thermal and pH stable, economic, recyclable, and environmentally inert). Currently, we have developed a molecular imprint that binds ABA. Using the imprint plus UV detection, ABA has been detected in a series of in vitro experiments. The next phase of our work will focus on the enhancement of the detection system with fluorescence/chemiluminescence. The molecular imprinting tool can then be used to quantify and characterize the hormonal stress response from the cellular to the ecosystem level.
Key words: molecular imprint, abscisic acid, climate change