AI Boosts Plant Immunity to Fight Crop Diseases

Scientists at the University of California, Davis, are sharing exciting developments that could revolutionize crop protection. Using artificial intelligence, they’ve enhanced plants' immune systems, allowing them to recognize a wider range of bacterial threats. This breakthrough may help protect crops like tomatoes and potatoes from devastating diseases.

Plants, like animals, have immune systems, with receptors that help detect harmful bacteria. One such receptor, FLS2, recognizes flagellin, a protein in bacteria. But bacteria evolve quickly, often finding ways to bypass defenses. That’s where UC Davis scientists came in. Led by Professor Gitta Coaker, they used AI—specifically AlphaFold, a tool that predicts protein structures—to reengineer FLS2, upgrading it to recognize more bacterial invaders.

In a recent news release, Coaker explained that this research opens the door to developing broad-spectrum disease resistance in crops using predictive design. One of the targets is a major crop threat: bacterial wilt.

For more from UC Davis, visit https://www.ucdavis.edu/food/news/how-plants-are-learning-spot-sneaky-bacterial-invaders