Decoding the ‘language’ of plant communication

Tomás is a biologist who joined the Institute of Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio) in 2019. His team researches the use of integrative omics approaches for understanding plant development and metabolism. 

“What we are trying to develop in this institute is to use systems approaches to understand all the different components of an organism and try to address different types of questions related to life, to biomedicine, to agriculture, to biotechnology and so on,” Tomás explained.

“It's currently the only Research Centre fully dedicated to systems biology at the moment in Spain, bringing together different types of researchers, from experimental biologists, biochemists to computational biologists and data scientists.”

Understanding plant behaviour

Tomás’ group studies plants from the metabolic point of view. 

“We know that plants produce a myriad of different types of compounds. These compounds help these plants to interact with their environment. For instance, we have pigments. These are visual cues that help either attracting seed dispersal animals or a pollinator,” Tomás explained. 

“Other type of compounds, such as aromas, also have some effect of attraction or repulsion, and could also have an effect at the cellular level, like antioxidant capacity and so on. We use different methods or approaches to understand how plants produce these compounds.” 

What we are trying to develop in this institute is to use systems approaches to understand all the different components of an organism and try to address different types of questions related to life, to biomedicine, to agriculture, to biotechnology and so on.

In deciphering plant-to-plant and plant-to-insect communication, Tomás and his team are looking at communication mechanisms through volatile organic compounds, in processes such as response to biotic stress, shade avoidance or pollination. This last revolves around the response of plants to vibroacoustic signals.

“We know that plants can communicate with other plants from other species, whether positive or negative, in response to different types of factors. Our studies show how plants are able to communicate by producing compounds that have effects on other plants that are next to them.”

The Good Vibes project

The Good Vibes project, a collaboration between Tomás’ team and researchers from Life Sciences and Systems Biology at Turin University (around Profs Francesca Barbero and Luca Casacci) and the Biogenic Dynamics Group in the UTS Centre for Audio, Acoustics and Vibration (CAAV) in the Faculty of Engineering and IT, seeks to understand how plants respond to pollinator vibration and other acoustic signals. 

“We want to find out whether pollinator vibrations are good for plants and whether they favour certain insects that are better pollinators than others,” Tomás explained.

With funding from the Human Frontier Science Program, the multidisciplinary team is seeking to better understand how finely-tuned plant-insect communication is crucial for maintaining plant-pollinator interactions. 

With this complex association so far investigated primarily by focusing on visual and olfactory cues, recent studies suggest that vibroacoustic signals may provide an additional communication channel eliciting plant responses.

“Vibroacoustic signals in the context of plant-pollinator associations have only been studied in the buzz-pollinated species, neglecting airborne components and without delving into the underlying molecular mechanisms involved,” Tomás said. 

“Our project aims at dissecting the molecular and physiological mechanisms of plant responses to distinct vibroacoustic signals emitted by approaching insects, using snapdragon as a model."

The Good Vibes project takes a multidisciplinary approach combining ethology, plant molecular biology and physics-informed vibroacoustic data science. 

By tackling complex dynamics in plant-pollinator systems from a totally new angle, we hope to gain a deeper understanding about why vibroacoustic communication has evolved in plants.

“As we record the vibroacoustic signals of flower visitors, we will be able to test their preferences to assess if plant responses triggered by them can be considered adaptive in the context of pollination,” Tomás explained.

“By tackling complex dynamics in plant-pollinator systems from a totally new angle, we hope to gain a deeper understanding about why vibroacoustic communication has evolved in plants.” 

UTS experts study vibrational waves

Led by A/Prof Sebastian Oberst, the Biogenic Dynamics Group at CAAV plays a pivotal role in the Good Vibes project by contributing expertise in bioacoustics, complex dynamics, machine learning and biogenic materials. 

“Our research aims to decode the ‘language’ of plant-insect communication through vibroacoustic signals,” explained Sebastian. “We use custom-built microelectronic monitoring devices and in-house algorithms to study how vibrational waves travel through plant structures and natural materials, to develop bio-informed vibroacoustic metamaterials.” 

Sustainability is one core focus of the Biogenic Dynamics Group, with pollinator protection at the heart of its mission. 

“Our work on termites, understanding their vibrational communication to develop non-chemical control methods, naturally extends into the Good Vibes project,” Sebastian added. “By replacing harmful insecticides like fipronil, we aim to protect pollinators while advancing eco-friendly pest control.” 

Our research aims to decode the ‘language’ of plant-insect communication through vibroacoustic signals.

The group also pioneers innovations in bioinspired sensors and actuators and is currently developing distributed actuation and sensor systems for insect and pollinator monitoring and classification. 

These systems aim to evaluate ecological diversity using advanced methods from acoustic engineering and mathematical physics. Through this multidisciplinary approach, the Biogenic Dynamics group contributes to a deeper understanding of ecological communication systems and expands the technological and scientific impact of the Good Vibes project.

Learn more about the Good Vibes project and the work of the UTS Centre for Audio, Acoustics and Vibration.