3
RUDN University biologists develop a rapid test for detecting the fire blight in plants

RUDN University biologists develop a rapid test for detecting the fire blight in plants

RUDN University biotechnologists have created a method for detection of bacterial infection in apple, pear, hawthorn and other plants of the Rosaceae family. The test does not require laboratory equipment, the result is ready in 10 minutes. This will allow detecting the disease quickly and prevent the spread of infection.

Erwinia amylovora bacteria causes a dangerous infectious disease in plants — a fire blight. Most plants of the Rosaceae family are vulnerable to it, for example, hawthorn, apple, pear. The bacteria causes the blossom to wither, the leaves dry up and curl, the bark develop necrotic lesions. The disease can spread through infected plants, garden tools, and with the wind, which carries the exudate produced by lesions. To stop the spread of infection in time, we need ways to diagnose it quickly and effectively. Existing testing methods require laboratory equipment. This slows down diagnostics. RUDN University biotechnologists have developed a method that gives the results in 10 minutes right “on the spot”.

“To control E. amylovora, disease diagnosis right in the orchard or nursery is important, especially for monitoring disease outbreaks or independent control of farm and private orchards. Thus our main objective was to develop an express-test to detect E. amylovora and compare different organs of infected plants for optimization”, Shyatesa Razo, PhD student at RUDN University

The new test is based on immunochromatographic analysis. This is one of the most universal diagnostic methods — this is how most modern express tests works (for example, a pregnancy test or SARS-CoV-2 test) are arranged. A test strip is placed in a biological liquid — for example, a leaf extract. Specific antibodies are applied to the strip, which “bind” to the desired substance and color certain areas forming the stripes. By their number, it can be concluded that a particular substance is present in the biological fluid. The aim of the RUDN University biotechnologists was to select such antibodies that would allow to determine the presence of Erwinia amylovora in the plant liquids.

To obtain specific antibodies, biologists immunized chinchilla rabbits with Erwinia amylovora. 7-10 days after the last injections, biologists took blood samples from the animals and isolated the necessary immunoglobulin IgG (protein cells that neutralize the pathogen).

The resulting test was verified on infected plants from the Voronezh region — 121 samples of apple, pear, hawthorn, quince, blackthorn and cherry. The test fluid was isolated from leaves, twigs, flowers, fruits, and bacterial mucus. As a result, in 93.5% of cases, the results of the rapid test coincided with the results of the PCR test, which requires more time and special laboratory equipment. RUDN University biotechnologists also determined that it is best to use the vascular tissues of the plant.

“Today, the diagnosis of plant pathogens is on the rise; the number of rapid and sensitive methods of analysis, both laboratory and non-laboratory, is increasing. However, the distribution of the pathogen in the plant determines the appropriate sampling for any assay. We determined which plant parts are more accurate for fire blight detection using LFIA. In this aspect, our study will be helpful for more effective and thoughtful diagnosis of fire blight in non-laboratory conditions”, Shyatesa Razo, PhD student at RUDN University.

The results of the study were published in Physiological and Molecular Plant Pathology.

International scientific cooperation View all
16 Oct
530 applications, 90 young scientists from 30 countries. Darya Nazarova, a postgraduate student of RUDN Faculty of Economics, traveled 11,276 km from Moscow to Sao Paulo for the International Scientific School on Technological and Innovation Strategies and Economic Development Policy at the University of Campinas (UNICAMP). Darya Nazarova, a young RUDN scientist, writes about scientific research, rafting and the country of eternal carnival.
78
30 Jan 2018
The conference on international arbitration, where law students from European universities simulate court proceedings and alternately defend the interests of the respondent and the orator.
1305
Similar newsletter View all
16 Oct
Green Diplomacy Center opened in RUDN

A Center for Green Diplomacy was created based on the RUDN Institute of Environmental Engineering. Among the goals is the integration of the results of scientific and practical activities into the development of international relations in the environmental sphere. The center's specialists will also accompany the corporate sector in solving various environmental problems.

118
19 Apr
A huge pizza and a jug of water, why should 5G networks be sliced? The winners of RUDN science competition explain

RUDN summarized the results of the scientific competition "Project Start: work of the science club ". Students of the Faculty of Physics, Mathematics and Natural Sciences have created a project for a managed queuing system using a neural network to redistribute resources between 5G segments. How to increase flexibility, make the network fast and inexpensive and reach more users — tell Gebrial Ibram Esam Zekri ("Fundamental Computer Science and Information Technology", Master's degree, II course) and Ksenia Leontieva ("Applied Mathematics and Computer Science", Master's degree, I course).

179
19 Apr
Lyricists and physicists are now on equal terms: the first humanitarian laboratory opened in RUDN

What is your first association with the word “laboratory”? Flasks and beakers? Microscopes and centrifuges? Yes, many of us would answer the same way.

226
Similar newsletter View all