Microbe mobilizes 'iron shield' to block arsenic uptake in rice

(University of Delaware) University of Delaware researchers have discovered a soil microbe that mobilizes an 'iron shield' to block the uptake of toxic arsenic in rice. The UD finding gives hope that a natural, low-cost solution -- a probiotic for rice plants -- may be in sight to protect this global food source from accumulating harmful levels of one of the deadliest poisons on the planet. Rice currently is a staple in the diet of more than half the world's population.