In Sweden, an e-rose blooms

LONDON: For the first time, scientists have developed an 'electronic' rose by implanting circuits inside the vascular system used to distribute water and nutrients in the plant. Researchers at Linkoping University in Sweden created analog and digital electronics circuits inside living plants.

The group at the laboratory of organic electronics (LOE), led by professor Magnus Berggren used the vascular system of living roses to build key components of electronic circuits. One of the researchers said that as far as the group knows here has been no previous published research regarding electronics produced inside plants.

Researchers demonstrated wires, digital logic, and even display elements - fabricated inside the plants - that could develop new applications for organic electronics and new tools in plant science. Plants are complex organisms that rely on the transport of ionic signals and hormones to perform necessary functions. However, plants operate on a much slower time scale making interacting with and studying plants difficult. Augmenting plants with electronic functionality would make it possible to combine electric signals with the plant's own chemical processes.