University of Delaware plant biologist Harsh Bais (left) and postdoctoral researcher Thimmaraju Rudrappa examine a specimen of Phragmites, one of the most invasive plants in the U.S.
This image shows the tubulin, a structural protein, in the root of an Arabidopsis plant after exposure to Phragmites' toxin in the lab. In 20 minutes, the tubulin is completely gone.