C4 photosynthesis represents a striking example of convergent evolution, where multiple plant lineages have independently modified an ancestral C3 pathway to enhance carbon fixation efficiency. This ...

Over billions of years, plants mastered the art of photosynthesis, but some took it a step further. While most crops like rice still rely on the older, less efficient C3 process, others like corn and ...

An impressive body of evidence published this week reveals the answer to a mystery that has puzzled plant scientists for more than 30 years: the role of the molecule suberin in the leaves of some of ...

The RuBisCO enzyme, the most abundant protein on the planet, is an essential component of photosynthesis, but it isn’t terribly efficient, especially when it gets hot. Over time, some plants evolved a ...

Enhancing just three genes helps plants harvest more light, raising new hopes for developing crops that can keep up with food demands from a crowded planet. Genetically engineered tobacco plants, ...

Scientists have found how to relieve a bottleneck in the process by which plants transform sunlight into food, which may lead to an increase in crop production. They discovered that producing more of ...

Unlike us, plants don't need pantries full of food to stay alive; the Sun is their pantry. But, like us, they require fairly regular sustenance, which they create via photosynthesis. This seemingly ...

Cross sections of C3 rice (left) and C4 sorghum (right) shoots. Both grain crops evolved from a common ancestor, but sorghum evolved to photosynthesize more efficiently. LA JOLLA (November 20, ...