Bioinspired surfaces with anti-microbial properties for sustainable crop protection
Abu Hamad, Hanan; Prudnikov, Elena; Ben-Arie, Niv; Polishchuk, Iryna; Segal, Ester; Pokroy, Boaz
- Publisher
- Zenodo
- Language
- en
Abstract
Phytopathogens pose a significant threat to agriculture, leading to the destruction of approximately one-third of all food crops annually. Commercial agriculture vastly relies on chemical fungicides to protect crops from fungal pathogens. Yet, the extensive usage of these fungicides results in detrimental effects on ecosystems and contributes to the emergence of resistant strains, rendering these treatments less effective over time. In response to these challenges, we have developed a sprayable coating that incorporates saturated fatty acids (FAs) as a novel, multi-functional solution for crop protection. Inspired by nature, we develop a sprayable coating incorporating saturated FAs as an alternative crop protection solution. Inspired by nature's self-cleaning mechanisms observed in plants like lotus leaves, the FAs assemble to form a superhydrophobic coating which impedes pathogen adhesion, the first step in the infection process. Using Botrytis cinerea , a fungal pathogen responsible for gray-mold disease in over 200 crop species, we show that by tailoring the composition of FAs we can tune the exerted effect of the coating from passive antibiofouling to active fungicidal. This is achieved by combining long FAs, which crystallize to create a hierarchical microstructure of wax crystals, with short-chain FAs that possess intrinsic antifungal properties. Our results indicate that the coatings can be easily applied to various surfaces, including plant foliage, significantly reducing spores adhesion and germination. These preliminary results show the potential to use these coatings as a solution to mitigate fungal infections on different surfaces including plants in a more environmentally friendly manner.
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Overview Phytopathogens pose a significant threat to agriculture, leading to the destruction of approximately one-third of all food crops annually. Commercial agriculture vastly relies on chemical fungicides to protect crops from fungal pathogens. Yet, the extensive usage of these fungicides results in detrimental effects on ecosystems and contributes to the emergence of resistant strains, rendering these treatments less effective over time. In response to these challenges, we have developed a sprayable coating that incorporates saturated fatty acids (FAs) as a novel, multi-functional solution for crop protection. Inspired by nature, we develop a sprayable coating incorporating saturated FAs as an alternative crop protection solution. Inspired by nature's self-cleaning mechanisms observed in plants like lotus leaves, the FAs assemble to form a superhydrophobic coating which impedes pathogen adhesion, the first step in the infection process. Using Botrytis cinerea , a fungal pathogen responsible for gray-mold disease in over 200 crop species, we show that by tailoring the composition of FAs we can tune the exerted effect of the coating from passive antibiofouling to active fungicidal. This is achieved by combining long FAs, which crystallize to create a hierarchical microstructure of wax crystals, with short-chain FAs that possess intrinsic antifungal properties. Our results indicate that the coatings can be easily applied to various surfaces, including plant foliage, significantly reducing spores adhesion and germination. These preliminary results show the potential to use these coatings as a solution to mitigate fungal infections on different surfaces including plants in a more environmentally friendly manner. Presenter Hanan Abu Hamad Co-Authors Bioinspired surfaces with anti-microbial properties for sustainable crop ... https://acs.digitellinc.com/live/35/session/560640 2 of 3 19/10/25, 15:32
( https://www.facebook.com/AmericanChemicalSociety ) ( https://twitter.com/AmerChemSociety ) ( https://www.linkedin.com/company/american-chemical-society ) ( https://www.instagram.com/amerchemsociety/?hl=en ) Privacy Center ( /pages/privacy_center?itm_source=footer ) Copyright © 2025 American Chemical Society Powered by Conexiant DXP Elena Prudnikov Niv Ben-Arie Iryna Polishchuk Ester Segal Boaz Pokroy Bioinspired surfaces with anti-microbial properties for sustainable crop ... https://acs.digitellinc.com/live/35/session/560640 3 of 3 19/10/25, 15:32
