Photosynthesis is the set of light-driven biochemical processes by which phototrophic organisms convert electromagnetic energy into chemical energy, primarily storing it in carbohydrates synthesized from inorganic carbon. In oxygenic photosynthesis, chlorophyll-based reaction centers (photosystems I and II) located in thylakoid membranes couple photon absorption to charge separation, driving linear electron transport from water to NADP⁺, generating O₂, NADPH, and a proton motive force used for ATP synthesis via photophosphorylation. The resulting ATP and NADPH fuel the Calvin–Benson–Bassham cycle, which fixes CO₂ into organic molecules, integrating tightly regulated metabolic, redox, and signaling networks that respond to cellular and environmental conditions.
A new tool allows researchers to probe the metabolic processes occurring within the leaves, stems, and roots of a key citrus crop, the clementine. The big picture goal of this research is to improve the yields, flavor and ...
Molecular & Computational biology
Jul 14, 2025
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95
When sunlight hits clouds or other atmospheric particles, it scatters and becomes diffuse light. Unlike direct sunlight, diffuse light can reach deeper into shaded plant canopies, where plants have dense, layered leaves. ...
Plants & Animals
Jul 14, 2025
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21
Plant phototropism—directional growth in response to light—serves as a key adaptive mechanism, optimizing photosynthesis and development. Central to this process is phototropin 1 (phot1), a primary blue light photoreceptor ...
Plants & Animals
Jul 11, 2025
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24
Photosystem II (PSII) is the only biological machine capable of splitting water into oxygen using sunlight. It plays a fundamental role in global oxygen production and solar energy conversion. However, PSII is highly prone ...
Plants & Animals
Jul 8, 2025
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34
A set of breakthroughs from scientists at the Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) is offering a new understanding of how energy flows through one of nature's most important molecular ...
Plants & Animals
Jul 8, 2025
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43
During photosynthesis, an enzyme called rubisco catalyzes a key reaction—the incorporation of carbon dioxide into organic compounds to create sugars. However, rubisco, which is believed to be the most abundant enzyme on Earth, ...
Biotechnology
Jul 7, 2025
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154
For a decade, scientists have believed that plants sense temperature mainly through specialized proteins, and mainly at night when the air is cool. New research suggests that during the day, another signal takes over. Sugar, ...
Plants & Animals
Jul 1, 2025
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60
Plant architecture influences the microenvironment throughout the crop canopy. Plants with a more erect leaf architecture allow more light to reach lower canopy leaves.
Biotechnology
Jun 27, 2025
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18
Plants grow from something unexpected—carbon drawn in through tiny pores called stomata. At Stanford, researchers are studying how these structures form to understand plant growth.
Plants & Animals
Jun 26, 2025
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30
Experiments lead to a greater understanding, deeper insights, and sometimes they even bear fruit. That was certainly the case last summer at the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), where ...
Biotechnology
Jun 18, 2025
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