However, Alyssum’s profile as an invasive species even, though up to 3 percent of its biomass can be comprised of nickel, makes it unfavorable for industry use. Which is why Professor Dhankher and his colleague have turned to Camelina sativa.
The pesky weed, widely used in the US, grows twice and thrice as fast as Alyssum. Its seeds contain a central ingredient in biofuels, so the plant already has a presence in the US as “a green material.”
Professor Dhankher wants to learn how Alyssum biologically retains so much Nickel that he can engineer Camelina sativa to phytomine nickel.
“Our idea” Dhankher said as per the UMass Amherst release, “is to determine which genes and proteins are responsible for Alyssum’s nickel hyperaccumulation, then re-engineer Camelina so that it, too, can hyperaccumulate nickel. We also want to determine which soil amendments will optimize the engineered Camelina’s ability to pull even more nickel from the soil.”