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Related Concept Videos

The Calvin Benson Cycle01:46

The Calvin Benson Cycle

Ribulose 1,5- bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RuBisCo) is a critical enzyme that catalyzes carbon dioxide assimilation during photosynthesis. However, it is an inefficient enzyme, having an extremely slow catalytic rate. A typical enzyme can process about a thousand molecules per second; however, RuBisCo fixes only around three-carbon dioxides per second. Photosynthetic cells compensate for this slow rate by synthesizing very high amounts of RuBisCo, making it the most abundant single...
Bioreactor Controls-III01:22

Bioreactor Controls-III

Strain improvement is a foundational strategy in industrial microbiology aimed at maximizing microbial productivity, particularly because natural isolates typically yield commercially valuable products in very low concentrations. Although optimizing the culture medium and environmental conditions can improve yields, these adjustments are inherently limited by the organism’s genetic potential. As a result, the focus shifts toward genetic modifications to enhance biosynthetic capacity. The...
The Z-Scheme of Electron Transport in Photosynthesis01:34

The Z-Scheme of Electron Transport in Photosynthesis

The light reactions of photosynthesis assume a linear flow of electrons from water to NADP+. During this process, light energy drives the splitting of water molecules to produce oxygen. However, oxidation of water molecules is a thermodynamically unfavorable reaction and requires a strong oxidizing agent. This is accomplished by the first product of light reactions: oxidized P680 (or P680+), the most powerful oxidizing agent known in biology. The oxidized P680 that acquires an electron from the...
Photosystem I01:27

Photosystem I

Although structurally similar to photosystem II (PSII), photosystem I (PSI) is has a different electron supplier and electron acceptor.
Both these photosystems work in concert. An excited electron from PSII is relayed to PSI via an electron transport chain in the thylakoid membrane of the chloroplast, which is comprised of the carrier molecule plastoquinone, the dual-protein cytochrome complex, and plastocyanin. As electrons move between PSII and PSI, they lose energy and must be re-energized...
Photosystem II01:22

Photosystem II

The multi-protein complex photosystem II (PS II) harvests photons and transfers their energy through its bound pigments to its reaction center, and ultimately to photosystem I (PSI) through the electron transport chain. The pigments responsible for caputirng the light energy in photosystems include chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and carotenoids.
The pigment molecules are arranged across  two photosystem domains — the antenna complex and the reaction center. The main aim of the pigment molecules...
Oxygenic Photosynthesis01:26

Oxygenic Photosynthesis

Oxygenic photosynthesis is a fundamental process in which light energy is harnessed to drive the oxidation of water, leading to the production of molecular oxygen (O₂), adenosine triphosphate (ATP), and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH). This process is essential for sustaining aerobic life on Earth and is primarily carried out by cyanobacteria, algae, and plants. The core of oxygenic photosynthesis lies in the thylakoid membranes, where chlorophyll pigments facilitate light...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 15, 2026

High-Throughput, In-Field Screening of Photosynthetic Efficiency in Crop Plants Using an Autonomous Robot
07:12

High-Throughput, In-Field Screening of Photosynthetic Efficiency in Crop Plants Using an Autonomous Robot

Published on: January 9, 2026

Improving photosynthetic efficiency for greater yield.

Xin-Guang Zhu1, Stephen P Long, Donald R Ort

  • 1CAS-MPG Partner Institute for Computational Biology, SIBS, Shanghai, China. zhuxinguang@picb.ac.cn

Annual Review of Plant Biology
|March 3, 2010
PubMed
Summary

Improving crop photosynthesis is key to increasing food supply. New breeding and synthetic biology approaches could double crop yield potential by enhancing photosynthetic efficiency.

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Evaluation of Photosynthetic Behaviors by Simultaneous Measurements of Leaf Reflectance and Chlorophyll Fluorescence Analyses
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Evaluation of Photosynthetic Behaviors by Simultaneous Measurements of Leaf Reflectance and Chlorophyll Fluorescence Analyses
10:20

Evaluation of Photosynthetic Behaviors by Simultaneous Measurements of Leaf Reflectance and Chlorophyll Fluorescence Analyses

Published on: August 9, 2019

Area of Science:

  • Plant Science
  • Agricultural Science
  • Biotechnology

Background:

  • Past yield increases in major food crops relied minimally on photosynthetic efficiency.
  • Future yield potential hinges significantly on advancements in photosynthesis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine inefficiencies in crop photosynthesis from light capture to carbohydrate synthesis.
  • To explore how breeding and biology approaches can enhance photosynthetic efficiency for increased crop yield.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of photosynthetic energy transduction inefficiencies.
  • Application of classical breeding, systems biology, and synthetic biology.
  • Investigation of near-term strategies like canopy light interception and photorespiratory bypass.
  • Exploration of long-term strategies including engineering improved carboxylases and molecular optimization via modeling.

Main Results:

  • Identified key inefficiencies in photosynthetic energy transduction pathways.
  • Demonstrated potential for photorespiratory bypass to enhance productivity.
  • Highlighted opportunities for engineering more efficient carboxylases and optimizing photosynthetic components.
  • Projected that implemented changes could more than double crop yield potential.

Conclusions:

  • Enhancing photosynthetic efficiency is critical for future food security.
  • Integrating classical breeding with systems and synthetic biology offers novel pathways to boost crop productivity.
  • Strategic improvements in photosynthesis hold the potential to significantly increase global food supply.