US and UK Scientists Altering Crop Genes To Increase Yields

Professor Steve Long from the University of Illinois-Champaign (UIC) is conducting research on how crops can enhance their conversion efficiency in utilizing solar energy to produce greater yields of crops like corn and soybeans, as reported by Emma Woollacott for BBC News.

Professor Steve Long, from the University of Illinois-Champaign (UIC), has been stalwartly active in recent photosynthesis research that predicts two proteins could be slowing down light adjustment in crops, resulting in decreased productivity and efficiency. I Photo: RIPE

Long and his research team have harnessed the power of advanced computers to create a digital replica of the photosynthesis process. This digital model can manipulate the photosynthesis process in millions of different ways.

From this vast array of options, the software can pinpoint those modifications that will yield the most significant improvements.

Long explained, "We then introduce these modifications into crops, and if we observe enhanced performance in controlled environments, we proceed to conduct field trials at our experimental farm in a real-world setting."

Changes made to the photosynthesis mechanism in soybean plants have led to yield improvements of over 20% in controlled conditions, with field trials currently underway.

Wild Bioscience, a spinout from Oxford University, is also dedicated to improving the portion of each leaf capable of photosynthesis by increasing the expression of a gene found in wild plants.

This process involves sophisticated computational biology. Ross Hendron, a co-founder, stated, "What we're doing is attempting to reverse engineer the natural enhancements to photosynthesis that exist in the wild, so we can replicate them in crops."

Often, this gene is already present in the plant and can be activated in various regions. Oxford has already achieved a 20% increase in seed biomass.

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