NetNews Usenet Archive 1993 #3/NN_1993_3.iso/spool/talk/bizarre/45873

Text File | 1993-01-21 | 1.6 KB | 34 lines

Newsgroups: talk.bizarre
Path: sparky!uunet!mnemosyne.cs.du.edu!nyx!pfinerty
From: [e-mail] (fun fun fun boy)
Subject: electrical signals in plants will make me rich
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Summary: i wish i had a pieces of a fruit called a red.
Keywords: doodz
Sender: [e-mail] (netnews admin account)
Organization: Nyx, Public Access Unix @ U. of Denver Math/CS dept.
Date: Thu, 21 Jan 93 20:42:04 GMT
Lines: 21

so, we had journal club today. this post-doc presented a cool paper
in which they showed that when a plant (tomato plants here) was
injured due to a bug chewing on a leaf or something it induces genes
which code for protease inhibitors. the bug eats these and then gets
a bad case of indigestion. the paper correlated a current flow from
the damaged region to rest of the plant with the induction of the
genes. so, it seems that somehow this current is inducing
transcription. way cool. anyway, i'm more interested in the current
that is generated upon injury (any injury, not just a bug chewing..).

i figure i can build an electric car that will run on the current
generated by these plants. all i have to do is fill the trunk with
plants and just beat on them when i want current to make the car go.
yeah. it will be sort of like a solar powered car but the plants will
be the solar cells. i figure plants with the biggest leaves will be the
best since they can photosynthesize the most. of course, i'll prob
have to buy new plants every other day since they will fairly well
abused to keep me at a happy 50 MPH.
--
            PJF--->Biochem. grad student
                  PUBLIC ENEMY #1