Photosynthesis News and Research

RSS

Photosynthesis is a chemical process by which plants, some bacteria, and algae convert energy derived from sunlight to chemical energy. This is an important process for biological life on earth because it allows energy from sunlight to be harnessed and transferred into a form that can be utilized by organisms to fuel their activity.

Highly complementary, biologically relevant protein-protein interactions can evolve entirely by chance

Proteins are the key players for virtually all molecular processes within the cell. To fulfil their diverse functions, they have to interact with other proteins.

7 Apr 2023

Advancements and challenges of constructing artificial mitochondria and chloroplasts

Energy production in nature is the responsibility of chloroplasts and mitochondria and is crucial for fabricating sustainable, synthetic cells in the lab.

28 Mar 2023

AI-based design method synthesizes polymers that mimic blood plasma

Most life on Earth is based on polymers of 20 amino acids that have evolved into hundreds of thousands of different, highly specialized proteins. They catalyze reactions, form backbone and muscle and even generate movement.

20 Mar 2023

Is green leaf biomass a viable and sustainable source of protein?

In a recent study published in the journal Nutrients, researchers at North Carolina State University reviewed studies on underutilized sources of plant proteins and discussed strategies to enhance yields, extract nutrients and influence the demand and acceptance of new protein sources, especially green leaf biomass.

14 Mar 2023

Genetically engineering salt-resistant rice could help tackle food shortages caused by climate change

Genetically engineering rice to have better salt tolerance could allow it to be grown in places it would otherwise fail, new research from the University of Sheffield has found.

15 Jan 2023

Fluctuating oxygen levels could have accelerated the development of early animal life

Oxygen levels in the Earth's atmosphere are likely to have "fluctuated wildly" one billion years ago, creating conditions that could have accelerated the development of early animal life, according to new research.

14 Oct 2022

Review on COVID-19 biomedical waste-derived microplastic toxicity

In a new study, researchers reviewed existing literature on the biomedical waste source, elements, and the recent upsurge of microplastics during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.

11 Oct 2022

Researchers identify universal features shaping organelle gene retention

Mitochondria are compartments – so-called "organelles" -- in our cells that provide the chemical energy supply we need to move, think, and live.

16 Sep 2022

Evolution can favor flexible proteins, research suggests

When you think of proteins – the enzymes, signaling molecules, and structural components in every living thing – you might think of single strands of amino acids, organized like beads on a string.

26 Aug 2022

Genome arrangement of tree ferns offers insights into its evolution

Land plants evolved 470 million years ago from algae and have since reshaped our world. Throughout their evolution, ferns have undergone a series of changes that have helped them survive on land.

25 Jul 2022

Study sheds light on inhibition of awn elongation in sorghum

Over the years, the domestication of grasses like wheat, rice, barley, and sorghum for consumption has resulted in certain modifications to their morphology. One such modification is the partial or complete elimination of the 'awns', which are the bristle- or needle-like appendages extending from the tip of the lemma in grass spikelets.

15 Jun 2022

New analysis sheds light on diversity and ecological footprint of marine RNA viruses

Community- and "species"-level analysis on Global Ocean RNA sequences sampled from waters worldwide has shed light on the poorly understood diversity and ecological footprint of marine RNA viruses, according to a new report.

9 Jun 2022

Aging does not influence liver renewal, research shows

The liver has a unique ability to regenerate after damage. However, it was unknown whether this ability decreases as we age.

31 May 2022

Researchers develop new platform capable of mitochondrial DNA editing

Researchers from the Center for Genome Engineering within the Institute for Basic Science developed a new gene-editing platform called transcription activator-like effector-linked deaminases, or TALED.

25 Apr 2022

New study challenges the conventional view of when diverse life began

Diverse microbial life existed on Earth at least 3.75 billion years ago, suggests a new study led by UCL researchers that challenges the conventional view of when life began.

13 Apr 2022

Manipulating carotenoids can improve plant growth, stress tolerance and increase yield

Manipulating the content of carotenoids, such as ß-carotene, has been found to improve plant growth and increase yield and tolerance to abiotic stresses such as drought and salinity.

7 Mar 2022

Biologists reveal structure of newly discovered speargun-like molecular injection systems in bacteria

Biologists from ETH Zurich have discovered speargun-like molecular injection systems in two types of bacteria and have described their structure for the first time.

7 Mar 2022

ERGA aims to provide genomic data to inform research about Europe's biodiversity

To provide important genomic data to inform research about Europe's biodiversity, scientists from 48 different countries initiated the "European Reference Genome Atlas" (ERGA) in 2021.

28 Jan 2022

New imaging method reveals the inner workings of a family of light-sensing molecules

Using an innovative new imaging technique, researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine have revealed the inner workings of a family of light-sensing molecules in unprecedented detail and speed. The work could inform new strategies in the burgeoning field of optogenetics, which uses light pulses to alter the activity of individual neurons and other cells.

27 Jan 2022

Ocean living microbes make oxygen in the dark

There is more going on in the deep, dark ocean waters than you may think: Uncountable numbers of invisible microorganisms go about their daily lives in the water columns, and now researchers have discovered that some of them produce oxygen in an unexpected way.

6 Jan 2022