Using high-performance computing and genetic engineering to boost the photosynthetic efficiency of plants offers the best hope of increasing crop yields enough to feed a planet expected to have 9.5 billion people on it by 2050, researchers report in the journal Cell.
There has never been a better time to try this, said University of Illinois plant biology professor Stephen P. Long, who wrote the report with colleagues from Illinois and the CAS-MPG Partner Institute of Computational Biology in Shanghai.
“We now know every step in the processes that drive photosynthesis in C3 crop plants such as soybeans and C4 plants such as maize,” Long said. “We have unprecedented computational resources that allow us to model every stage of photosynthesis and determine where the bottlenecks are, and advances in genetic engineering will help us augment or circumvent those steps that impede efficiency.”
Substantial progress has already been made in the lab and in computer models of photosynthesis, Long said.
“Our lab and others have put a gene from cyanobacteria into crop plants and found that it boosts the photosynthetic rate by 30 percent,” he said.
Photosynthetic microbes offer other clues to improving photosynthesis in plants, the researchers report. For example, some bacteria and algae contain pigments that utilize more of the solar spectrum than plant pigments do. If added to plants, those pigments could bolster the plants’ access to solar energy.
Some scientists are trying to engineer C4 photosynthesis in C3 plants, but this means altering plant anatomy, changing the expression of many genes and inserting new genes from C4 plants, Long said.
“Another, possibly simpler approach is to add to the C3 chloroplast the system used by blue-green algae,” he said. This would increase the activity of Rubisco, an enzyme that catalyzes a vital step of the conversion of atmospheric carbon dioxide into plant biomass. Computer models suggest adding this system would increase photosynthesis as much as 60 percent, Long said.
Computer analyses of the way plant leaves intercept sunlight have revealed other ways to improve photosynthesis. Many plants intercept too much light in their topmost leaves and too little in lower leaves; this probably allows them to outcompete their neighbors, but in a farmer’s field such competition is counterproductive, Long said.
Studies headed by U. of I. plant biology professor Donald Ort aim to make plants’ upper leaves lighter, allowing more sunlight to penetrate to the light-starved lower leaves.
Computer modeling of photosynthesis also shows researchers where the traffic jams occur – the steps that slow the process down and reduce efficiency.
“The computer model predicts that by altering this system by up-regulating some genes and down-regulating others, a 60 percent improvement could be achieved without any additional resource – so 60 percent more carbon could be assimilated for no more nitrogen,” Long said.
Read more: Photosynthesis hack needed to feed the world by 2050
The Latest on: Photosynthetic efficiency
[google_news title=”” keyword=”Photosynthetic efficiency” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
via Google News
The Latest on: Photosynthetic efficiency
- Plants had complex leaf vein networks 200 million years agoon April 18, 2024 at 2:57 pm
Complex leaf vein networks, a feature prevalent in modern flowering plants, actually originated much earlier than previously believed.
- Drone cameras help scientists distinguish between drought stress & fungus in oakson April 18, 2024 at 4:53 am
How do you identify sick oaks? For a long time, detecting unhealthy oaks and identifying the disease afflicting them required a lot of manual labor. Scientists often looked out of airplanes or walked ...
- Golden-Hour Water Use Efficiency: Pioneering Crop Productivity and Sustainability in the Face of Water Scarcityon April 17, 2024 at 9:04 am
A research team has shed light on the early morning 'golden hours' as a pivotal time for achieving optimal water use efficiency (WUE) in crops, ...
- Pioneering crop productivity and sustainability in the face of water scarcityon April 16, 2024 at 11:25 am
A research team has shed light on the early morning "golden hours" as a pivotal time for achieving optimal water use efficiency (WUE) in crops, revealing that plants can maintain lower transpiration ...
- SOLLUM TECHNOLOGIES ENHANCES GROWER CONTROL WITH NEW SUN AS A SERVICE® FEATURESon April 16, 2024 at 3:00 am
Sollum Technologies, the leader in dynamic LED lighting solution, is pleased to announce the latest enhancements to its groundbreaking SUN as a Service (SUNaaS®) cloud platform.
- Spider Farmer Glow80 LED Grow Light Revolutionizes Veggie Gardeningon April 14, 2024 at 6:01 am
The Spider Farmer Glow80 LED Grow Light is engineered to simulate natural sunlight, providing a comprehensive spectrum of light that supports plant growth from seed to harvest. Its 80W power output, ...
- What It Takes To Design Efficient Indoor Farms For Optimal Crop Growthon April 12, 2024 at 8:12 am
Technology is pivotal, from advanced lighting that mimics natural sunlight to automated systems for precise nutrient delivery and climate control.
- The many perils of decorative lights wrapped on Mumbai’s treeson April 11, 2024 at 11:22 am
Besides causing light pollution and affecting citizens, the decorative lights are also detrimental to the health of the trees and nocturnal animals.
- Bombay HC issues notice to municipal bodies based on PIL seeking removal of lights from treeson April 10, 2024 at 6:10 pm
Bombay High Court issues notice to Maharashtra government and municipal corporations over harmful effects of festive tree decorations.
- American Wonder device to stop hair loss with exclusive discounton April 9, 2024 at 1:33 am
Hairmax: FDA-approved device proven in 7 clinical studies with 90% success rate. Combat hair loss, anxiety, and stress-related baldness. Exclusive discount available now.
via Bing News