Photosynthesis News and Research

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Photosynthesis is a chemical process by which plants, some bacteria, and algae convert energy derived from sunlight to chemical energy. This is an important process for biological life on earth because it allows energy from sunlight to be harnessed and transferred into a form that can be utilized by organisms to fuel their activity.

Genetically engineered organisms can help mitigate atmospheric carbon

Climate change has become a crucial issue in the world. But in spite of agreements to combat climate change, global temperatures continue to rise.

12 Nov 2020

Some crops are not adapted to gain from elevated CO2 levels

The U.S. backs out of the Paris climate agreement even as carbon dioxide (CO2) levels continue to rise. Through photosynthesis, plants are able to turn CO2 into yield. Logic tells us that more CO2 should boost crop production, but a new review from the University of Illinois shows that some crops, including corn, are adapted to a pre-industrial environment and cannot distribute their resources effectively to take advantage of extra CO2.

6 Nov 2020

A stepwise approach to increase crop yield

GAIN4CROPS is developing novel disruptive technologies to overcome one of the main constraints of photosynthesis: the photorespiration, a process that reduces CO2 assimilation efficiency, and thus biomass yield and agricultural productivity.

6 Nov 2020

Researcher creates “leaf profile” of components involved in CO2 journey

During the process of photosynthesis, leaves trap the atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) and convert it into organic compounds.

4 Nov 2020

Study shows how global crop production may be impacted by rising CO2 levels

Five years ago, the United Nations committed to achieving the Sustainable Development Goal of Zero Hunger by 2030. Since then, however, world hunger has continued to rise.

3 Nov 2020

Scientists sequence full genome of ornamental variety of miscanthus

An international research team has sequenced the full genome of an ornamental variety of miscanthus, a wild perennial grass emerging as a prime candidate for sustainable bioenergy crops.

30 Oct 2020

Study highlights the importance of nitrogen-fixing microorganisms in ecosystem diversity

Research at the University of Guam has shown that the decomposition of leaf litter from three threatened tree species releases nitrogen and carbon into the soil for use by other plants.

28 Oct 2020

Cyanobacteria As "Green" Catalysts In Biotechnology

Cyanobacteria are known as "blue-green algae", and convert light energy into chemical energy effectively thanks to their active photosynthetic cells.

7 Oct 2020

Microbial electrosynthesis coupled with a renewable energy supply for recycling carbon dioxide

Semiconductive photocatalysts that efficiently absorb solar energy could help reduce the energy required to drive a bioelectrochemical process that converts CO2 emissions into valuable chemicals, KAUST researchers have shown.

7 Oct 2020

Researchers identify gene related to seed dispersal in green millet

For years, Elizabeth (Toby) Kellogg, PhD, member and Robert E. King Distinguished Investigator and other researchers at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center (Danforth Center) drove up and down the highways of the continental United States, occasionally pulling over to the side of the road to collect small weedy plants and bring them back to the lab.

6 Oct 2020

Corals' response to climate change could depend on iron

How well corals respond to climate change could depend in part on the already scarce amount of iron available in their environment, according to a new study led by Penn State researchers.

1 Oct 2020

Study warns the negative effects of ocean warming and acidification on planktonic communities

A new study led by researchers from the Institute of Environmental Science and Technology of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona warns that the negative effects of rapid ocean warming on planktonic communities will be exacerbated by ocean acidification.

1 Oct 2020

Study shows ecological consequences of extreme air pollution in the Arctic

An international team of scientists that includes a USDA Forest Service scientist based in New Hampshire used tree rings to document how "Arctic dimming," the interference with sunlight caused by extreme pollution such as that at an industrial complex in northern Siberia, is killing trees and possibly affecting how trees respond to climate change.

30 Sep 2020

Researchers explore the impact of raindrops on noncircular fibers of longleaf pine

If you have ever hiked in the woods and been surrounded by the sight and smell of pine trees, you may have taken a closer look at pine needles and wondered how their shape, material properties, and surface wettability are all influenced by rainfall.

30 Sep 2020

Researchers find way to engineer more efficient versions of plant enzyme

Researchers have found a way to engineer more efficient versions of the plant enzyme Rubisco by using a red-algae-like Rubisco from a bacterium.

29 Sep 2020

Tree rings show scale of arctic pollution is worse than previously thought

A large study of tree rings has shown that the direct and indirect effects of industrial pollution in the region and beyond are far worse than previously thought.

28 Sep 2020

Loss of seagrass will leave tropical islands vulnerable to climate change

Tropical islands have an important ally when it comes to battling storms and sea-level rise: seagrass. During hurricane Irma, an extremely powerful Category 5 storm that hit the North Caribbean in 2017, NIOZ scientist Rebecca James witnessed how native seagrass meadows along the coast of Sint Maarten held their ground, reduced coastal erosion and lowered the chances of flooding.

25 Sep 2020

Combining two tools could increase understanding of carbon dioxide uptake by plants

How much carbon dioxide, a pivotal greenhouse gas behind global warming, is absorbed by plants on land? It's a deceptively complicated question, so a Rutgers-led group of scientists recommends combining two cutting-edge tools to help answer the crucial climate change-related question.

24 Sep 2020

Lifeforms likely used arsenic before oxygen was present on planet Earth

Much of life on planet Earth today relies on oxygen to exist, but before oxygen was present on our blue planet, lifeforms likely used arsenic instead.

23 Sep 2020

Researchers discover novel resistance gene to devastating potato disease

Late blight is the most important pathogen in potato and causes devastation worldwide. The disease, caused by the oomycete Phytophthora infestans, was the trigger of the Irish Famine and still one of the most serious threats to potato production that causes significant economic losses.

22 Sep 2020