Developing Super Plants: Cleaning Contaminated Land with Genetic Manipulation

The video discusses the development of super plants capable of extracting harmful heavy metals from polluted soil, aiming to reclaim contaminated land in Europe. Dr. Lorraine Williams and her team focus on Arabidopsis, a plant with mapped DNA, to study phytoremediation. They aim to genetically modify faster-growing grasses to enhance this process. This research is part of a new scientific branch exploring how plants and bacteria can convert or concentrate industrial waste, leading to efficient and cost-effective land cleaning methods.

What is the primary goal of developing super plants?

• To produce more oxygen

• To extract harmful heavy metals from polluted soil

• To increase agricultural yield

• To create new plant species

Which plant is being studied by Doctor Lorraine Williams and her team for its phytoremediation capabilities?

• Bamboo

• Corn

• Arabidopsis

• Sunflower

What process allows Arabidopsis to remove toxic metals from the soil?

• Transpiration

• Phytoremediation

• Photosynthesis

• Respiration

What is the aim of genetically manipulating faster-growing grasses?

• To make them more resistant to pests

• To increase their water retention capacity

• To improve their nutritional value

• To enhance their growth rate for better phytoremediation

What is the new branch of science exploring in terms of industrial waste?

• Ways to harness plants and bacteria to convert or concentrate waste

• Strategies to burn waste efficiently

• Techniques to bury waste underground

• Methods to increase waste production