Pollen study makes a buzz
A SIGNIFICANT breakthrough in the field of pollination studies has been made at Stellenbosch University.
Corneile Minnaar, a pollination biologist from the university, is using quantum dots to track the life of pollen.
This is a new approach to the study of pollen, from the first visit by an insect to its end in another flower’s stigma.
According to Minnaar, much of the pollen’s journey is unclear. “Which pollinators transferred the grains and from where?” he asks.
It is these questions which drove him to start his PhD in 2015.
Minnaar said the importance of studying pollen came from its value in the food chain.
“Most plant species are reliant on insects for pollination, including more than 30% of the food crops we eat.
“With insects facing rapid global decline, it is crucial that we understand which insects are important pollinators of different plants. This starts with tracking pollen.”
He came upon the idea of using quantum dots after reading an article on their use in tracking cancer cells in rats.
Quantum dots are tiny particles which when exposed to UV light emit a bright light. When the dots stick to the fatty parts of the pollen, they can be traced under UV light.
To make the study of the pollen possible, Minnaar also designed a fluorescence box that fits under a microscope, which he says can be 3D-printed at a cost of R5 000, a relatively inexpensive way of tracking individual pollen grains.
Despite this successful design, Minnaar cautions that the post-labelling part of the work still requires hours of painstaking counting and checking.
“I think I’ve probably counted more than 100 000 pollen grains these past three years,” he laughs.