Recent advances in understanding photosynthesis
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Updated: Mar 8, 2026

High-Throughput, In-Field Screening of Photosynthetic Efficiency in Crop Plants Using an Autonomous Robot
Published on: January 9, 2026
Ulf-Ingo Flügge1, Peter Westhoff2, Dario Leister3
1Cologne Biocenter, Botanical Institute II and Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
Abstract:
Photosynthesis is central to all life on earth, providing not only oxygen but also organic compounds that are synthesized from atmospheric CO 2 and water using light energy as the driving force. The still-increasing world population poses a serious challenge to further enhance biomass production of crop plants. Crop yield is determined by various parameters, inter alia by the light energy conversion efficiency of the photosynthetic machinery. Photosynthesis can be looked at from different perspectives: (i) light reactions and carbon assimilation, (ii) leaves and canopy structure, and (ii) source-sink relationships. In this review, we discuss opportunities and prospects to increase photosynthetic performance at the different layers, taking into account the recent progress made in the respective fields.
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