PubMed · 2026-05-15
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.
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.
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.
The chip successfully monitored microRNA expression in living tomato plants under both drought and salt stress conditions without harming or detaching from the plant.
