Increasing knowledge about phytoremediation through a practical approach for undergraduate students

TALANO, MELINA A.; IBAÑEZ, SABRINA; SOSA ALDERETE, LUCAS G.; WEVAR OLLER, ANA L.; VEZZA, MARIANA E.; MEDINA, MARÍA I.; AGOSTINI, ELIZABETH

JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL EDUCATION

INST BIOLOGY

Lugar: Londres; Año: 2020 p. 1 - 7

0021-9266

Universities play an important role in society at development and inproviding solutions for its problems. Environmental pollution is one ofthe most serious problems facing the world today. Thus, universities areincreasingly including subjects related to the environment and its conservationboth in their educational and research programme. Generally,undergraduate students know many benefits of plants, such as beingsources for food and several bioactive compounds, provision of atmosphericoxygen and soil conservation. However, they are less aware of thepotential of plants in ?cleaning? environmental pollutants. To this end,a useful biochemistry laboratory approach is described that guides studentsto learn about the applicability of phytoremediation using in vitroplant cultures (hairy roots) to degrade an organic pollutant (phenol) froma synthetic solution. This laboratory approach has been successfullyimplemented in university Plant Biotechnology course to deepen understandingabout phytoremediation potential and highlight the biochemicalbasis of this process. This procedure can be easily adopted to increasestudent learning of environmental issues and awareness about the potentialof using plants for environmental remediation processes.