Name: Can nanoparticles help fight hunger?
Uploaded: 2024-02-22T15:47:30Z
Duration: 11 min 23 s
Description: A game-changing solution to the global food crisis could come from something so tiny you can't see it with the naked eye. Nanomaterials chemist Christy Haynes describes her team's work designing nanoparticles that could protect plants from disease and crop loss, helping farmers reap abundant harvests and grow food that will make its way to markets and dinner tables.

A game-changing solution to the global food crisis could come from something so tiny you can't see it with the naked eye. Nanomaterials chemist Christy Haynes describes her team's work designing nanoparticles that could protect plants from disease and crop loss, helping farmers reap abundant harvests and grow food that will make its way to markets and dinner tables.

Can nanoparticles help fight hunger?

Nanoparticles engineered from common materials like silica could help crops fend off disease and dramatically boost harvests. In field trials, a single two-cent dose of silica nanoparticles led to a 70 percent increase in watermelon yield, with no trace left in the edible fruit. These novel treatments offer a sustainable, cost-effective alternative to traditional pesticides and fertilizers, promising hope against rising crop loss and global hunger.