Research seeks solutions for climate change, hunger
Researchers at the University of Illinois are taking the basics of photosynthesis miles farther in Urbana-Champaign test plots and greenhouses — intervening in the process, through which plants use sunlight to produce energy, to create higher yields.
Last year, by altering the photosynthesis process in tobacco, researchers saw 15 percent yield increases, said Katazyna Glowacka, a postdoctoral researcher working on the project. The research team showed that plant growth and yield can be increased by altering a mechanism plants use to protect themselves from excess solar energy.
At a Food and Fuel Field Day in July, researchers invited guests to visit test plots where results like this were first documented last year and research is moving ahead full steam this year.
CIFOR