Bio hacking has gone to a whole new different level. Electronic implants are now made possible even on plants as Sweden scientists successfully created a cyborg rose.
As reported by Times of India, scientists at the laboratory of organic electronics have developed the first ever electronic rose. The research led by Professor Magnus Berggren used the vascular system of the living roses to build key components of electric circuits. There are no known studies with similar nature that were published prior to this.
ZME Science reports on how they were able to build electric circuits inside the plant. An ordinary rose was submerged into a water soluble conductive polymer used to make printed electronic circuits. The rose absorbed the polymer as if it's like water.
Once absorbed inside the plant's system, the polymer leaves behind a kind of wire after precipitation. This wire is capable of carrying a small charge of electricity. The scientists then attached gold robes to the wires and connected switches to them. The plant retained most of its vascular system so it appeared and smelled much like a rose.
The study which was published in Science Advances suggests that the result is somewhat similar to a printed circuit board.
The research was funded by a grant from Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation. In late 2012, a grant of about $2 million was awarded and the said money could be used in any research Berggren wanted to conduct.
"It's an unbelievable luxury with this kind of money, where you are free to choose who you work with, and also to halt research quickly when it's not working," Berggren said.
The money enabled him to hire three more post-doctoral research scientists to begin the tedious work of coming up with a live electronic rose. As of now, there were no identified practical applications using the electronic rose.
The Swedish scientists are working with biologists to see if these could prove useful in monitoring plant growth and adding knowledge to physiology.
More so, scientists believe that future applications may include turning electronic plants into living fuel cells by using sugars produced to generate and deliver electricity.
Whatever the case may be, the electronic rose could definitely lead to something that the society might find useful. What do you think? Do you like this discovery?
