How scientists are helping plants get the most out of photosynthesis

By Jonathan Menary, Postdoctoral Researcher, Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, University of Oxford
Sebastian Fuller, Researcher of Implementation Science, University of Oxford
Stefan Schillberg, Executive Director, Fraunhofer IME

Photosynthesis is the starting point for almost every food chain, sustaining most life on Earth. You would be forgiven, then, for thinking nature has perfected the art of turning sunlight into sugar. But that isn’t exactly true. If you struggle with life goals, it might reassure you to know even plants haven’t yet reached their full potential.

Every evolved trait is a trade-off between the benefit it provides and its cost in energy. The plants we domesticated for food are only as good at converting…

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