Roses are among the most beautiful and well known flowers of
the world. They are famous for their gorgeous colors including red, pink,
carroty, golden and even white. Some of these colors are natural but the others
are being developed through conventional methods of breeding. But the Blue Rose
is not bred by breeding method. How the blue rose is being developed?
What are the basic
needs to have Blue Rose?
·
To enable the plant to stop the production of Red
pigment.
·
Make a pathway for the blue color production.
·
Finally enable the plant in such a way that it starts
producing the blue pigment.
Stop the production of
red color pigment:
For a blue rose the first basic step was to achieve the
target that by making some changes at genetic level so that plant stops making
red color pigment. This was achieved by using a technology commonly known as
gene silencing technology, by using this technique scientists change the
genetic makeup of the Rose and stop the Red pigment synthesis.
Pathway for Blue color
formation:
The second important step towards a blue rose was to open the
window that allow for blue pigment to be produced. The process of synthesis colors and pigments
in flowers is just like a lane. In roses the pathway to produce red pigment is quite
open, but the way for blue color closed. So to make the path open for blue color
a gene commonly known as a delphinidin gene obtained or extracted from pansy
flower is inserted in the Rose that opened the door for the production of blue
pigment in the rose flowers.
Producing/synthesizing
the Blue pigment:
Once the door for the blue pigment is open the final step
towards the achievement of Blue rose is to produce the blue color automatically
by the plant. For this again the genetic structure of plant is disturbed by
inserting a gene from iris flower that enable the rose plant to produce the
flowers with blue color petals.
Real fact about the
Blue Rose:
The first blue rose which was developed was actually pale
violet or in purple color. The blue rose that is available now days in the
market is just the modification in the red color. Even blue flowers can also be
achieved if rose petals are made slightly less acidic since acidity induces the
blue pigment.
Commercial availability
of Blue Rose:
In this era Blue Rose is not a new thing as it was available
in the markets of Europe since 1961. Now many other different color roses are
available throughout the World, not only rose but the carnation, lily, gladiolus
is also available in unique and attractive colors.
Technology is becoming so advanced that nothing remains
impossible now in this world. We can have the flowers of our own choice, even
flowers with fireflies genes which have shiny petals during the night time has also
been developed. The only thing to be considered is to not misuse the technology
and go against the nature’s rules.
