A Synthetic Ion Channel Makes Plants Grow Faster
Chia-Yi Hou | Sep 1, 2019
Arabidopsis with guard cells modified by a light-activated potassium ion channel can open and close stomata more quickly, conserving water.
Oceanic Bacteria Trap Vast Amounts of Light Without Chlorophyll
Abby Olena | Aug 8, 2019
Microbes that dwell in nutrient-poor waters use a photopigment called retinal to harvest energy from sunshine at levels at least equal to those stored by chlorophyll-based systems.
Clouds and Rain Carry a Menagerie of Photosynthetic Microbes
Chia-Yi Hou | Jun 24, 2019
Microbiologists identify diatoms, algae, and cyanobacteria species from samples above a mountaintop in France.
Quantum Biology May Help Solve Some of Life’s Greatest Mysteries
Catherine Offord | Jun 1, 2019
From the remarkable speed of enzyme-catalyzed reactions to the workings of the human brain, numerous biological puzzles are now being explored for evidence of quantum effects.
Infographic: Quantum Explanations for Biological Phenomena
Catherine Offord | Jun 1, 2019
Weird effects on the scale of subatomic particles may play roles in enzyme catalysis, photosynthesis, and avian magnetoreception.
Genetically Engineered Tobacco Does Photosynthesis More Efficiently
Carolyn Wilke | Jan 4, 2019
The modification beefed up plant biomass by 40 percent in field tests.
Image of the Day: Multiple Choice
Sukanya Charuchandra | Jun 19, 2018
Photosynthesis can happen in more than one way.
Image of the Day: Artificial Cell
Sukanya Charuchandra | May 31, 2018
Researchers made a synthetic cell that can photosynthesize and make proteins crucial for cellular structure.
Long-Term Study Reveals Flip in Plant Responses to Carbon Dioxide
Catherine Offord | Apr 20, 2018
The 20-year project calls into question the conventional wisdom about the role plants will play in mitigating future climate change.