Molecular level characterization of wildfire aerosol induced changes to plant health and value
The potential impacts of wildfire smoke on plant health and value are of increasing concern, due both to increasing awareness, and more frequent wildfire events. Wildfires produce substantial amounts of atmospheric pollution in smoke and particulate matter which can travel thousands of miles. These smoke events can blanket entire agricultural regions and cause impacts to plant development. One notable example of this is ‘smoke taint’ in wine, where vines, exposed to smoke, absorb many small volatile phenolic (VP) compounds. These VPs can be metabolized (glycosylated) and transported throughout the plant. Later, during downstream processing (fermentation of the grape musts), these glycosylated VPs can be hydrolyzed to re-release and volatilize the aroma-active phenolic compounds. The final product, thus, smells of smoke. Despite the obvious commercial and general research interests here, the nature of wildfire impacts on plant health are incompletely understood. Using established metabolomics and organic matter (aerosol) characterization methods, the overall aim of this proposal is thus to study wildfire smoke impacts on plant health and value, in the context of a model system (V. vinifera). This project closed early, and this report reflects some of the limited work conducted prior to conclusions. Specifically, this report discusses some sample preparation and initial MALDI-mass spectrometry analysis.