IIT Mandi Researchers Discover Cellular Response to Anaesthesia in Plants
Mumbai: Researchers from Indian Institute of Technology Mandi have published two studies describing how plant cells respond to anaesthesia through coordinated cellular changes, a finding that could contribute to research on consciousness and cellular behaviour in living organisms.
The research, led by Prof. Laxmidhar Behera, Director of IIT Mandi, and Prof. Chayan Kanti Nandi, has been published in the journals Advanced Biology (2025) and Chemical & Biomedical Imaging (2026).
Study Examined Plant Cell Responses Under Anaesthesia
The researchers investigated whether anaesthesia affects organisms without a brain or nervous system in ways similar to animals. Using live-cell microscopy, they examined cells from tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) and brinjal (Solanum melongena) plants.
According to the researchers, the plant cells displayed coordinated changes during exposure to anaesthesia despite the absence of a nervous system.
Sequential Cellular Shutdown Observed
The first study reported what the researchers described as a “hierarchical cascade of organellar silencing.”
During anaesthesia, different cellular structures—including mitochondria, lysosomes, vesicle trafficking systems, chloroplasts, and the cell nucleus—became inactive in a specific sequence. Recovery occurred in the reverse order after the anaesthetic was removed.
The researchers identified the cell nucleus as the final structure to become inactive and the first to coordinate recovery once anaesthesia ended.
Coordinated Nuclear Reorganisation
In the second study, the team observed coordinated changes in the nuclei of plant cells during anaesthesia.
Under normal conditions, the nuclei were found to move independently. During anaesthesia, however, the researchers observed synchronized nuclear organisation across cells. They also reported that euchromatin, the active form of DNA, shifted toward the outer edge of the nucleus while heterochromatin remained unchanged.
According to the researchers, these coordinated responses occurred simultaneously across multiple plant cells, despite the absence of neurons or a known rapid communication system.
Based on these observations, the team proposed that nuclear chromatin reorganisation could serve as a potential cellular biomarker of the anaesthetised state in both neuronal and non-neuronal organisms.
Root Apex Chosen for Investigation
The study focused on the root apex, particularly the root cap, which researchers describe as an important sensory and integrative region in plants.
The team referred to the “root brain” hypothesis, which proposes that root meristems process environmental information and help regulate plant responses, although plants do not possess a brain or nervous system.
Researchers Plan Further Studies
The IIT Mandi team has extended the research to Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans), a microscopic roundworm commonly used in biological research.
According to the researchers, they aim to determine whether similar nuclear reorganisation patterns occur in organisms with simple nervous systems. They state that observing comparable responses could provide further evidence for a common cellular response to anaesthesia across different forms of life.
Researchers Reference Indian Knowledge Systems
The researchers also noted parallels between their findings and concepts discussed in Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) regarding the nature of consciousness.
Prof. Laxmidhar Behera stated that additional research is required to investigate whether the observed nuclear changes can help explain broader questions related to consciousness at the cellular level.
The findings add to ongoing scientific research into how living cells respond to anaesthesia and may contribute to future studies on cellular communication and biological organisation across different species.
