Researchers successfully simulate photosynthesis and design a better leaf

User rating: 4.7 / 5 after 49 vote(s)

In a computer model researchers at Illinois were able to simulate the photosynthetic behavior of actual leaves. Here a gas exchange system measures the rate of carbon dioxide and electron transport in intact leaves. Credit: Don Hamerman
In a computer model, researchers at Illinois were able to simulate the photosynthetic behavior of actual leaves. Here, a gas exchange system measures the rate of carbon dioxide and electron transport in intact leaves. Credit: Don Hamerman

University of Illinois researchers have built a better plant, one that produces more leaves and fruit without needing extra fertilizer. The researchers accomplished the feat using a computer model that mimics the process of evolution. Theirs is the first model to simulate every step of the photosynthetic process.


Full story »
All News summaries from General Science news
All News summaries for November 09, 2007

Construction workers unearth mammoth bones in Minsk

4 minutes ago | User rating: not rated yet
Workers building a business centre in Minsk came across the bones of two mammoths thought to be between 25,000 and 45,000 years old, an official from Belarus' Academy of Sciences told AFP on Friday.

Women's access to credit affects efficiency in rural households

16 minutes ago | User rating: not rated yet
Rural strategies designed to induce economic growth often emphasize the need to improve access to capital for poor households. However, this approach implicitly assumes that family members pool all their resources and allocate ...

Colonial heritage metaphors used in US military conflicts

17 minutes ago | User rating: not rated yet
The historical reference to "Indian Country" presents a complex metaphor. For many Native Americans it signifies home, family, and territory; however, for others the term can refer to colonialism and Native American land ...

Limits on futures trading could boost gas prices, expert says

18 minutes ago | User rating: not rated yet
Proposals to reign in wallet-draining gasoline prices by curbing speculation in oil markets would likely increase costs at the pump instead of trimming them, a University of Illinois economist says.

Modified proteins add colour to research

45 minutes ago | User rating: not rated yet
(PhysOrg.com) -- The subtleties between shades of celery or wasabi green sounds like a debate for an interior designer, but University of Alberta PhD student Huiwang Ai has been exploring those differences ...
Goto Archive PhysOrg Forum Goto Archive Video Goto Archive Editorials Goto Archive Free Magazines Goto Archive Newsletter

News Archive