Researchers Create Plant-Circuit Hybrid (sciencemag.org)

sciencehabit writes: Researchers have crafted flexible electronic circuits inside a rose. Eventually such circuitry may help farmers eavesdrop on their crops and even control when they ripen. The advance may even allow people to harness energy from trees and shrubs not by cutting them down and using them for fuel, but by plugging directly into their photosynthesis machinery. The researchers used "an organic electronic building block called PEDOT-S:H. Each of these building blocks consists of a short, repeating chain of a conductive organic molecule with short arms coming off each link of the chain. Each of the arms sports a sulfur-containing group linked to a hydrogen atom. Berggren's group found that when they placed them in the water, the rose stems readily pulled the short polymer chains up the xylem channels (abstract). ... The upshot was that the myriad short polymer chains quickly linked themselves together into continuous strings as long as 10 centimeters. The researchers then added electronic probes to opposite ends of these strings, and found that they were, in fact, wires, conducting electricity all down the line."

Comments

Circuits?

[fyngyrz]

Wires, according to TFS. Not much of a circuit, really...

But it's a start. Perhaps they'll also figure out resistors, capacitors and semiconductors. Along with a way for them to self-assemble in such a way as to be able to do something of an intentionally designed nature.

Interesting to see such research going on. I wonder what the eventual consequences might be if they can go further. Rare plants that report to "central" if you try to uproot or poison them? Vegetation that sends out an analysis of the digestive conditions of those that eat them? Weeds that are weather stations? Surveillance built into the trees on a nicely shaded street? Organic LED displays from the garden? Soft, programmable illumination from the tree over your picnic table?

Okay, perhaps I just need more coffee. Not supposed to be dreaming after I wake up. :)