Innovation in agricultural technology will be a critical element in the effort to feed the world’s growing population and ultimately provide global food security, while at the same time protecting the environment and ensuring the sustainable use of the Earth’s non-renewable resources. This presentation will examine the question: Can bionanotechnology help improve the nutrient use efficiency of fertilizers? The presentation will focus specifically on a relatively new technology called aptamers and their agricultural applications. Aptamers are synthetic nucleic acids that fold into nanoscale shapes that are able to recognize and bind to a target molecule of interest. This innovative form of bionanotechnology is gaining attention in the areas of biosensing and controlled delivery. Our efforts in the development of aptamers for specific root exudates associated with nitrogen uptake will be described. Also, our work in the development of aptamer-based nanoscale polymeric coatings for triggered nutrient release will be presented, as will the integration of these components into a smart fertillizer prototype. The opportunity for bionanotechnology and molecular recognition to be applied in agriculture beyond nutrient delivery will be discussed.

Combining molecular recognition and nanotechnology: Towards smart fertilizers

2019 Spring National Meeting

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.