Scientists built a flexible, wearable sensor that can be attached to living plants to detect tiny regulatory molecules called microRNAs directly in the field — no lab needed. The device successfully monitored tomato stress responses to drought and salt in real time.
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The wearable chip detected plant microRNAs at concentrations as low as 3.2 femtomolar — an extraordinarily sensitive threshold that eliminates the need for sample preparation or lab enrichment.
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The device uses two specialized electrodes: one draws molecular targets out of plant fluid, and a gold nanoparticle-coated graphene electrode reads the electrochemical signal reliably.
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The chip successfully monitored microRNA expression in living tomato plants under both drought and salt stress conditions without harming or detaching from the plant.
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