Engineered increase in mesophyll conductance improves photosynthetic efficiency in field trial
It is possible to engineer increased mesophyll conductance in plants according to new RIPE research! Scientists in the Long Lab at the University of Illinois found that by increasing porosity and decreasing the cell wall thickness they could increase CO2 diffusion and uptake in a model crop. Their work was published today in Plant Biotechnology Journal.
Researchers improve seed nitrogen content by reducing plant chlorophyll levels
Chlorophyll plays a pivotal role in photosynthesis, but it uses a lot of a plant's resources. RIPE researchers wondered if they reduced a plant's chlorophyll levels, if the plant would invest those resources in other areas, potentially improving nutritional quality or yield. Their findings were recently published in the Plant, Cell & Environment journal.