Haynes group patents new method to fight global food insecurity

Story by Timmy Nguyen and Melanie Lex

MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (2/14/2024) – Novel nanoparticle research from the Haynes group aims to fight global food insecurity by boosting the defenses of food-producing plants against disease. This research recently secured a patent – granted January 7, 2025 – representing more than eight years of dedicated research and innovation.

Each year, approximately 20-40% of agricultural crops are lost to disease, significantly contributing to global food insecurity. Soil-borne fungal pathogens, in particular, pose a serious threat by infecting plant roots, colonizing vascular tissues, and disrupting water transport. One of the most prevalent diseases is Fusarium wilt, especially in crops like watermelon, where it is a major factor limiting global fruit production. However, the accumulation of certain beneficial chemical species, such as silicic acid and chitosan, can enhance the plants' natural defenses against disease, pests, and environmental stress. Chitosan, for example, triggers a signaling cascade in plants that strengthens their defense mechanisms, making it an effective treatment for reducing disease. Silicic acid, on the other hand, is accumulated through the roots and polymerizes to form silica phytoliths, which fortify the plant's cell wall, making it harder for pathogens to penetrate and infect plant tissues. In order to be effective, a continuous supply of silicic acid is necessary, as its disease-suppressing effects diminish if the supply is interrupted. 

Building on their expertise in mesoporous silica nanoparticle synthesis, the Haynes group has developed a novel, patented approach using chitosan-coated mesoporous silica nanoparticles that can enter plants through their leaves to enhance watermelon defense against fungal diseases and modulate stress-related gene expression. This treatment ensures efficient and consistent delivery of both silicic acid and chitosan to plants through slow, controlled dissolution when exposed to aqueous environments, providing sustained supplementation of these beneficial compounds. Serving as both a preventative and therapeutic measure, the chitosan-coated nanoparticles are applied to watermelon plant leaves or seeds using a vacuum infiltration method. This approach reduces disease severity by ~40%, decreasing the expression of stress-related genes in infected plants, and increasing fruit yield by 70% in healthy watermelon plants. Following the success of this newly patented work, a follow-up study used the same nanoplatform for disease suppression in soybeans, resulting in a 30% decrease in disease severity in addition to a significant increase in nutrient biofortification. 

As a culmination of many years of work and long periods of waiting, the US patent was successfully granted for the “Application of Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles to the Members of the Family of Cucurbitaceae” on January 7, 2025 (US 12,187,658 B1). This achievement follows years of research, with initial experiments led by UMN alumnus Dr. Joseph Buchman starting in June 2017, patent disclosure submitted in September 2019, the full application in September 2020, and final approval in January 2025 — an eight-year journey of dedication and innovation. This patent could not have been acquired without the guidance and support of the UMN Office of Technology Commercialization, which was a valuable resource for the Haynes group through every stage of the patent journey. 

While this patent serves as a testament to the hard work poured into the research, it also shares a personal triumph: “Seeing the work culminate in a patent should lead to wider adoption of the technology and help reduce crop loss. On a personal note, I am thrilled about the prospect of this work becoming a patent because my grandma tried to get several patents but couldn’t due to financial constraints. Being granted a patent is a great way to honor her memory,” Dr. Buchman writes. 

The issuance of this patent supports the commercial potential of this nano-enabled disease management strategy to help alleviate global food insecurity. This work was supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) under the Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology and the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship.

Led by Distinguished McKnight University Professor Christy Haynes, the Haynes group operates at the interface of bioanalytical and biomaterials chemistry, tackling pressing analytical challenges in agriculture, environmental monitoring, plasmonic sensing, and beyond. A primary focus of the group is on advancing sustainable nanotechnology, which aims to maximize the benefits of engineered nanomaterials while minimizing their unintended negative effects. The dynamic group is currently made up of 13 graduate students, one postbaccalaureate researcher, and three undergraduate researchers, all contributing to groundbreaking work in expanding the scientific horizon.