Maria Greger
About me
Associate Professor in Plant Physiology. Head of the Plant Metal Group.
My research interest is uptake and effects of heavy metals and metalloids in higher plants and the mechanisms behind, especially those making the differences in uptake and tolerance between plant species and cultivars. Furthermore, phytoremediation, using plants to clean soil and water especially from metals and metalloids, and silicon influences on plant metal uptake. I am involved in teaching and supervision at all levels and responsible for the master course Plants in Environmental Treatment.
Research
Specific project areas:
- Silicon influences on Cd and As accumulation in plants.
- Phytoremediation using Salix spp.
- Arsenic speciation in soil-plant system.
- Phytoremediation of polluted water using plants
- Silicon influences of plant uptake of nutrient elements
For many years we have been working on the question how to decrease Cd concentration in wheat grains, since 43% of our daily intake originates from wheat. We have found our that it is possible to use 1) Willow to clean soil for four years to decrease the Cd concentration in grains of post grown wheat with 33%, or 2) Silicon to decrease Cd transport from root to the grains and by that decreased the Cd concentration in grains with up to 50%. We have in addition found that Silicon decreases both Cd and As concentration in potato, lettuce, onion, carrots and wheat. The work has been done in both laboratory an field experiments and we working further with the mechanisms behind these findings.
We have also been working with speciation of arsenic in the soil-plant system using various methods. Currently my group is working on removal of arsenik from water by the use of water mosses.
Lately we have started a project which investigate the effect of silicon on availability in soil and plant uptake of all plant nutrients and Cd and As. We have found the P availability in soil increases and thus P uptake also increases in the plants.
Silicon inhibit the Cd uptake also on cellular level, shown by using protoplast loaded with a fluorescent dye, which binds free Cd. Silicon inhibit metal transporters in the plasma membrane and also inhibits the transporter, which promote the translocation from root to shoot of Cd.
Selected recent publications
Landberg, T. & Greger, M. 2022. Phytoremediation using willow in industrial contaminated soil. — Sustainability 14(14): 8449.
Schück, M. & Greger, M., 2022. Chloride removal capacity and salinity tolerance in wetland plants. — Journal of Environmental Management, 308:114553
Greger M., Landberg T. & Kaur H. 2021. Removal of PFAS from water by plants. — Int. J. Environ. Sci. Nat. Res. 28(2): 556233.
Schück M. & Greger M. 2020. Screening the capacity of 34 wetland plant species to remove heavy metals from water. — Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 17: 4623
Schück M. & Greger M. 2020. Plant traits related to the heavy metal removal capacities of wetland plants — Int. J. Phytorem. 22: 427-435
Kaur H & Greger M. 2019. A Review on Si Uptake and Transport System. — Plants, 8, 81; doi:10.3390/plants8040081
Alhousari F & Greger M. 2018. Silicon and mechanisms of plant resistance to insect pests. — Plants, 7, 33; doi:10.3390/plants7020033
Greger M., Landberg T. & Vaculík M. 2018. Silicon Influences Soil Availability and Accumulation of Mineral Nutrients in Various Plant Species. — Plants, 7, 41; doi:10.3390/plants7020041
Sandhi A., Landberg T. & Greger M. 2018. Phytoremediation of arsenic by aquatic moss (Warnstorfia fluitans). — Environental Pollution 237: 1098-1105
Nazaralian S., Majd A., Irian S., Najafi F., Ghahremaninejad F., Landberg T. & Greger M. 2017. Comparison of silicon nanoparticles and silicate treatment in fenugreek. — Plant Physiology and Biochemistry 115: 25-33
For more, see publication list