Harnessing natural variation for photosynthetic improvement in next-generation crop breeding.
Zhou Y, Li X, Wei S, Soualiou S, Struik PC
Crop Improvement
Every tomato you grow, every wheat field feeding a city, runs on photosynthesis—and wild plant relatives quietly carry genetic tricks that could make those crops thrive through hotter, drier summers we're already seeing.
Plants turn sunlight into sugar through photosynthesis, and different plants—even different varieties of the same crop—do this with wildly different efficiency. Scientists are now cataloging that natural variation and figuring out which genes control it, so breeders can select for plants that capture more energy from the sun. On top of that, genetic engineering tools offer a shortcut to install photosynthesis upgrades that evolution never stumbled upon naturally.
Key Findings
Natural genetic variation in photosynthetic traits exists across physiological, developmental, and whole-canopy scales, representing largely untapped breeding material.
Molecular mechanisms linking photosynthetic efficiency to source-sink coordination (how plants move sugars from leaves to fruits and grains) are key levers for improving crop yield.
Synthetic biology and photosynthetic engineering offer complementary strategies to natural breeding, potentially enabling photosynthetic gains beyond what natural variation alone provides.
chevron_right Technical Summary
Scientists reviewed how plants' natural genetic differences in photosynthesis—the process that turns sunlight into food—can be tapped to breed more productive, climate-resilient crops, alongside new bioengineering tools to boost that efficiency further.
Abstract Preview
Because agriculture is confronted with escalating climatic and resource challenges, next-generation breeding requires innovative strategies to sustain and enhance crop productivity. As the foundati...
open_in_new Read full abstractAbstract copyright held by the original publisher.
Was this useful?
Want to tell us more? (optional)
Thanks for the note!
Something went wrong — please try again.
Too many submissions. Try again in an hour.
Chloroplast Genome Editing Eliminates Gluten Immunogenicity in Triticum aestivum
It could mean that people with celiac disease — roughly 1 in 100 worldwide — may one day safely eat bread made from real wheat, without sacrificing the taste...
Climate adaptation in plants refers to the physiological and evolutionary mechanisms through which plants adjust to changing environmental conditions, including temperature shifts, altered precipitation patterns, and seasonal variations. Understanding these processes is essential for plant science
arrow_forward Explore topic