C. E. Cook is the first author of a 1966 study isolating strigol, a chemical that stimulates germination in the root-parasitic plant Striga. The team obtained crystalline material from cotton root exudates and connected the purified compound to a biological response.[ref]
Germination of Witchweed (Striga lutea Lour.): Isolation and Properties of a Potent Stimulant by C. E. Cook and others. Original byline and Abstract: isolation and germination stimulation
The experiment separated an active substance from a complex mixture. Activity in the original exudate could have arisen from many compounds; obtaining a defined crystalline stimulant allowed the response to be associated with a more specific chemical candidate.[ref]
Germination of Witchweed (Striga lutea Lour.): Isolation and Properties of a Potent Stimulant by C. E. Cook and others. Abstract: crystalline strigol isolated from cotton exudates
The readout was germination. It did not by itself demonstrate subsequent attachment, invasion or successful growth of the parasite on cotton. Distinguishing an initiating cue from the complete biological interaction prevents an assay result from being mistaken for proof of host compatibility.
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