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Lotus,which is the national flower of India,could be a key in increasing the shelf life of cereal crops and even a healthier ageing for humans.
Jane Shen-Miller,a plant biologist of University of California who has been working on lotus for over a decade,has found the protein that help in protection of old lotus seeds,and which may be exploited for damage repair in other life forms.
One of the seeds of lotus from China that I have is as old as 1300 years. Seeds from other crops have a germination period from five to 20 years. Not only has the lotus seed germinated even after this age gap,we have also found that the protein molecules in the seeds remain in liquid form meaning that it is active even at a temperature as high as 110 degree Celsius, Shen-Miller said at a conclave on Evolution: Lifes Continuum organised by Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany.
According to Shen-Miller these proteins could also be used for repair of damaged human cells.
We have tentatively identified some 50 proteins out of which a few matches the protein sequence of humans while other match bacteria,proving that the protein sequence of lotus is one of the earliest sequences, she said.
We also found that the outer coat of the seed was impermeable for water,a reason why the seed was preserved for such a long time, she added.
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