Articles tagged with Photosynthesis
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Researchers at Berkeley Lab have revealed the structure of the NADH dehydrogenase-like complex (NDH), a crucial protein in photosynthesis. This breakthrough will allow scientists to explore how the complex functions and could lead to improvements in sustainable bioproducts, including plastic alternatives and biofuels.
Researchers at CRAG have discovered that chloroplasts play a key role in regulating the shade avoidance syndrome in plants, allowing them to optimize photosynthesis. This discovery has important implications for improving crop productivity without increasing land use.
Coral reefs optimize their photosynthetic capacities to prevailing environmental conditions, such as light availability, temperature, and nutrient levels. This adaptation allows reef organisms to respond to stresses like global climate change, with potential implications for measuring reef health and ecosystem function.
A new study found that plants adjust photosynthesis in response to rapid light changes using a sensory-like regulation system. The findings suggest that plants have evolved to prioritize long-term stability over short-term efficiency in the face of changing environmental conditions.
Scientists calculate that an area the size of Germany could suffice for artificial photosynthesis to remove 10 gigatonnes of CO2 per year. This technology could potentially balance climate carbon budget and reduce emissions. However, large investments in research and development are required to make it a reality.
Researchers developed a bioengineering approach to boost photosynthesis in rice plants, increasing grain yield by up to 27%. The genetically engineered plants showed increased photosynthetic efficiency and productivity under bright light conditions.
Scientists engineered a photorespiratory shortcut to boost crop growth by 40 percent in real-world agronomic conditions. This innovation uses genetic constructs to reroute the process, saving precious energy and resources for more photosynthesis.
Researchers solved the structure and elucidated the function of photosynthetic complex I, a key element in dynamic rewiring of photosynthesis. The complex plays a major role in cyclic electron transport, allowing for efficient energy production.
A new study found that fire air pollution weakens forest productivity globally, with surface O3 reducing GPP by 4.9 Pg C and global aerosols enhancing it by 1.0 Pg C. The net impact is dominated by O3, leading to a reduction of 0.9 Pg C annually.
Research suggests that oxygenic photosynthesis could have occurred at least one billion years before the emergence of cyanobacteria, a key factor in increasing atmospheric oxygen levels. This finding has significant implications for our understanding of the origins of complex life and its potential evolution on other planets.
The Realizing Increased Photosynthetic Efficiency (RIPE) project has received an additional $13 million to accelerate its progress in redesigning photosynthesis. The funding will be used to test model predictions in key crops and translate yield-boosting technologies more quickly, aiming to achieve a 50 percent yield increase.
Researchers suggest water availability, not carbon dioxide levels, drove the emergence of C4 plants, which supplemented the earlier C3 pathway. The C4 pathway enabled plants to make food with less water loss, gaining a competitive advantage in relatively arid environments.
Researchers found that mature plant chloroplasts isolate ATP production, while young leaves allow for temporary import of ATP to support development. This strategy optimizes energy efficiency in plants.
Researchers at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz have made progress in understanding the binding of chlorophyll to plant proteins. By studying a water-soluble chlorophyll protein from cauliflower and Virginia pepperweed, they found that amino acid variations can alter the preference for one chlorophyll over the other.
Researchers have developed a new method for creating three-dimensional images of leaves, allowing scientists to study the complex dynamics of water and gas exchange within plant cells. This breakthrough has significant implications for improving crop photosynthetic performance and understanding plant biology.
Researchers have created a more efficient path to producing solar fuels by enticing the bacterium Moorella thermoacetica into being productive with light-absorbing gold nanoclusters. This results in a higher yield of chemical products and improved quantum efficiency compared to previous models.
A team of researchers has successfully engineered a more productive corn variety that can better cope with future climates. By increasing the enzyme Rubisco, which captures CO2 from the atmosphere, they achieved a 15% improvement in crop biomass and CO2 assimilation.
Researchers from Cornell University and the Boyce Thompson Institute found a way to overexpress a key chaperone enzyme called RuBisCO Assembly Factor 1 to increase RuBisCO content in corn. This discovery has the potential to improve photosynthetic efficiency, leading to increased biomass production and reduced environmental footprint.
Researchers have developed cadmium-free nanomaterials for artificial photosynthesis, showing high efficiency in producing hydrogen from light and water. The new composites are environmentally friendly and have the potential to serve as an eco-friendly alternative for various commercial fields.
Researchers have found viable cyanobacteria in a deep borehole, expanding the ecological range of these microorganisms. The discovery suggests that cyanobacteria can thrive in environments without sunlight, potentially serving as primary producers in the deep subsurface.
Dr. R. David Britt received the prestigious Zavoisky Award for his groundbreaking work on enzymes and electron paramagnetic resonance. He will receive a cash prize of €5,000 and deliver a lecture on solar energy.
Researchers have purified and visualized the Cyclic Electron Flow supercomplex, a critical part of photosynthetic machinery, to advance solar-powered microalgae-based biotechnologies. This discovery provides new insights into how plants capture and store solar energy at the molecular level.
Scientists at Australian National University have engineered tiny carbon-capturing engines from blue-green algae into plants, promising a 60% increase in plant growth and yield. This breakthrough improves the way crops convert carbon dioxide, water, and sunlight into energy through enhanced photosynthesis.
Researchers at St John's College, University of Cambridge, successfully split water into hydrogen and oxygen using semi-artificial photosynthesis, producing more solar energy than natural photosynthesis. This innovation could revolutionize renewable energy production with a green and unlimited source of energy.
Researchers have identified a protein complex that helps plants 'switch off' photosynthesis at night and 'switch on' when light is available again. This complex, involving thioredoxin-like2 (TrxL2)/2-Cys peroxiredoxin (2CP), allows plants to conserve energy and restore photosynthetic activity when necessary.
Berkeley Lab researchers have pioneered a nanoscale imaging technique to understand how local properties affect a material's macroscopic performance in water splitting. The study reveals heterogeneity in charge utilization, which may account for the material's efficiency.
Scientists have engineered a bacterium that can fix nitrogen from the air, paving the way for nitrogen-fixing plants that could reduce fertilizer usage and increase crop yields. The breakthrough could benefit billions of people worldwide, particularly subsistence farmers.
Scientists have discovered a new form of photosynthesis that uses near-infrared light, contradicting the long-held assumption that only red light is required. This discovery has significant implications for crop engineering and astrobiology.
Researchers at UNH used satellite data to analyze photosynthesis across eight major ecosystem types, finding a universal relationship between the energy glow and carbon uptake. This method could provide more accurate data for scientists modeling climate change.
New research reveals tall Amazonian forests are more resilient to drought, with older trees having deeper root systems that access deeper soil moisture. This finding has implications for the future ability of rainforests to store carbon and withstand climate change.
Researchers at Ruhr-University Bochum found that bioelectrodes containing photosystem I are unstable in the long term due to formation of reactive oxygen species and hydrogen peroxide. This limits their potential for environmentally friendly energy conversion.
Researchers have found quantum effects in photosynthetic systems at low temperatures, challenging the idea that these effects are unique to non-biological systems. The study also reveals that regular vibrations, not superposition, were responsible for earlier reported observations.
Researchers discovered a protein 'piston' that facilitates rapid electron transfer in photosynthesis. The piston-like motion of PSI subunit is thought to stimulate electron transfer and provide insights into artificial photosynthesis.
Researchers analyzed four African cassava cultivars and found that unimproved landraces outperform improved varieties in photosynthetic efficiency. The study suggests genetic engineering may be necessary to improve cassava yield potential, which has remained stagnant despite advances in breeding.
A new artificial photosynthesis device doubles the efficiency of harnessing sunlight to generate hydrogen, a clean-burning fuel. The device uses water and light from the sun, paving the way for large-scale production of clean hydrogen fuel.
A team of scientists from Arizona State University has re-thought the evolutionary history of photochemical reaction centers (RCs). They propose a new pathway that ancient organisms may have taken to evolve the great variety of photosynthetic RCs seen today.
Researchers have developed a hybrid system combining inorganic semiconductor nanocrystals with a molecular catalyst, achieving efficient hydrogen production. The system shows remarkable catalytic activity in water without the use of toxic metals like cadmium.
Researchers have determined the structure of a photosynthetic LH1-RC complex from the bacterium Blastochloris viridis, which can harness and use light at wavelengths over 1,000 nm. This breakthrough reveals how the protein converts near-infrared light into an electrical charge to power cell metabolism.
A University of Michigan biophysicist and her team have imaged the moment a photon sparks the first energy conversion steps of photosynthesis. The findings provide crucial insights into the initial charge separation during photosynthesis, an essential step in the process.
A new study suggests that photosynthesis may have evolved as long as 3.6 billion years ago, contradicting previous estimates. This finding implies that oxygenic photosynthesis, which produces all the oxygen on Earth, started earlier than thought, potentially allowing early life to diversify and dominate the world.
Researchers deployed 12-foot metal poles with sensors to capture sun-induced fluorescence, allowing them to rapidly monitor crop photosynthetic performance. This technology has the potential to transform phenotyping into an efficient, automated process.
A team from TUM developed a methodology to observe ultrafast chemical processes with quintillionths of a second resolution. This allows for the control and influence of ionization dynamics, shedding light on photosynthesis and silicon ionization in computer chips.
A new species of orchid has been found to be a different identity from previously thought Lecanorchis nigricans var. patipetala. The closed-flower variety has smaller flowers and distinct petal features that set it apart from the open-flower variety.
Scientists have discovered that the basis for photosynthesis in today's plants was set in place 1.25 billion years ago, according to a new study published in Geology. The research pinpoints the age of ancient algae fossils, which had previously been estimated between 720 million and 1.2 billion years.
New research by Prof. Andrew Kowalski of the University of Granada calls into question current methods of studying photosynthesis, highlighting the importance of non-diffusive gas transport in the process. This discovery has significant implications for fields such as biology and micrometeorology.
Researchers have identified a set of genes in drought-resistant plants that enable them to survive in dry conditions. By studying these genes, scientists hope to bioengineer water-efficient crops that can thrive in water-limited environments. This could reduce agricultural water use and boost crop resilience.
A team of NUS scientists has developed a prototype device that mimics natural photosynthesis to produce ethylene gas. The device uses only sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide, reducing the carbon footprint of ethylene production.
Researchers proposed a model explaining how plants regulate photosynthesis in response to varying light intensities through redox systems like thioredoxins and NTRC. The chloroplasts have protective antioxidant enzymes, such as 2-cys peroxiredoxin, which play a crucial role in maintaining the balance of these redox systems.
Researchers found that reducing chlorophyll content in plant leaves can save significant amounts of nitrogen, which can be reinvested to improve light use efficiency and increase yield. This strategy has the potential to enhance photosynthetic efficiency without sacrificing carbon gain.
Scientists at the University of Liverpool have discovered the molecular processes behind crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) photosynthesis in succulents. They found that the PPCK enzyme is essential for optimizing CO2 capture and storage, and that alterations in the circadian clock can affect CAM function.
Three non-photosynthetic plant species use camel crickets as their main seed disperser. The seeds are preserved unharmed in the excrement, allowing the plants to occupy a unique biological niche. This discovery highlights the dramatic changes that occur when photosynthesis is lost.
Researchers have identified key genes that regulate water-efficient photosynthesis in pineapple and other CAM plants. This breakthrough could lead to improved water use efficiency in C3 crops, allowing them to thrive in environments previously inhospitable to them.
A $400,000 grant from the US Department of Energy's Office of Basic Energy Sciences will support Dr. Gary Hastings' research on efficient solar energy conversion in photosynthesis. The goal is to design more efficient artificial solar cells by understanding how plants capture solar energy.
Scientists have made a major step forward in quantifying photosynthesis by mapping solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence with high spatial resolution from the NASA satellite OCO-2. This enables them to scale SIF to gross primary production across different vegetation types.
A new technique uses satellite-based remote-sensing to quantify plant metabolism by measuring solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence. This correlation opens up applications for climate change and ecosystem monitoring, biodiversity conservation, and land management.
Researchers studied northern hemisphere boreal forests from 1979-2014 and found that spring recovery after snowmelt advanced by an average of 8.1 days, corresponding to a 3.7% increase in gross primary production per decade.
The Realizing Increased Photosynthetic Efficiency (RIPE) project aims to develop sustainable yield increases through engineered photosynthesis. With a five-year, $45 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and others, RIPE seeks to provide new means to eradicate world hunger and malnutrition by 2030.
Researchers found that plants have adapted to rising CO2 levels by becoming more efficient at using water, which could help offset human-induced climate change. The study provides new insights into the impact of CO2 on plant behavior and photosynthesis.
A team of scientists from ASU and Penn State University has discovered the structure of a reaction center that preserves the characteristics of the ancestral one, providing new insight into the evolution of photosynthesis. This breakthrough sheds light on the process by which organisms harness light energy to drive their metabolism.
Researchers at Georgia State University discovered that a process called inverted-region electron transfer contributes to the high efficiency of solar energy conversion in photosynthesis. This mechanism can be used to design new and better types of artificial solar cells.