The patent-pending discovery could lead to an effective, inexpensive and environmentally safe way to improve plants’ resistance to disease, according to research to be published in Science on April 3, 2009.

“The potential for crop protection for organic and conventional farming is strong,” said Jean Greenberg, associate professor of molecular genetics and cell biology at the University of Chicago and corresponding author of the study. “This could lead to better food quality and higher agricultural yields.

“We’re very excited to see something so practical come out of our lab that could have an impact in the real world,” she added.

Although it has long been known that plants have immune systems, just how these systems function has been the subject of intense study. Greenberg and colleagues determined crucial steps and identified new compounds involved in the immune system of Arabidopsis, a plant in the same family as mustard, cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower.