Biological pumps

All living creatures – humans as well as plants – have biological pumps. These pumps are proteins located in biological membranes surrounding the cell or cellular compartments, and whose function it is to pump substances across these membranes. Biological pumps are marvelous machines in miniature: about a million of them can be lined up on a millimeter.

 

In plants, the function of such pumps is of vital importance for the plant’s wellbeing and ability to grow under adverse conditions. By learning more about pumps it is probable that in the future we can produce crops that require less fertilization and, compared to existing cultivated plants, are able to better tolerate rough environmental conditions – for example cold, drought or lack of nutrients.

 

The Danish National Research Foundation Centre of Excellence PUMPKIN (Membrane pumps in cells and disease; www.pumpkin.au.dk) has a major branch at the Department of Plant Biology and Biotechnology devoted to the study of plant pumps.

 

More info: contact Professor Michael Gjedde Palmgren