Researchers report that they have successfully modified photosynthesis in a way that boosts plant growth. This work is a proof-of-concept that photosynthesis can be made more efficient, and that doing so can increase crop yield. The work was done in tobacco, a plant that is easy to transform. Because the targeted process is universal in plants, the researchers believe the same approach can be successfully used in a variety of crop plants. This is a rare bit of good news on the agricultural front, as looming climate change and global population growth threaten humanity’s ability to feed itself into the future. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation funded this research, with the stipulation that any new agricultural products that result from the work be licensed in such a way that the technology is freely available to farmers in poor countries of Africa and South Asia.
For more information about this research, go to news.illinois.edu or email diya@illinois.edu.
