Anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions to the atmosphere are causing reduction in the global ocean pH, also known as ocean acidification. This change alters the equilibrium of different forms of dissolved inorganic carbon in seawater that macroalgae use for their photosynthesis. In the Baltic Sea, benthic macroalgae live in a highly variable environment caused by seasonality and rapid cha...

Identification of potential cis-regulatory motifs controlling the development of C4 photosynthesis is a major focus of current research. In this study, we used time-series RNA-seq data collected from etiolated maize and rice leaf tissues sampled during a de-etiolation process to systematically characterize the expression patterns of C4-related genes and to further identify potential cis element...

This contribution discusses why we should consider developing artificial photosynthesis with the tandem approach followed by the Dutch BioSolar Cells consortium, a current operational paradigm for a global artificial photosynthesis project. We weigh the advantages and disadvantages of a tandem converter against other approaches, including biomass. Owing to the low density of solar energy per un...

To investigate the effect of quantum coherence on electronic energy transfer, which is the subject of current interest in photosynthesis, we solve the problem of transport for the simplest model of an aggregate of monomers interacting through dipole-dipole forces using both quantum and classical dynamics. We conclude that for realistic coupling strengths quantum and classical coherent transport...

Within the chloroplasts reactive oxygen species (ROS) are generated during photosynthesis and stressful conditions. Excessive ROS damages chloroplasts and reduces photosynthesis if not properly detoxified. In this current study, we document that chloroplasts produce melatonin, a recently-discovered plant antioxidant molecule. When N-acetylserotonin, a substrate for melatonin synthesis, was fed ...

Acclimation of photosynthesis to elevated CO2 has previously been shown to be more pronounced when N supply is poor. Is this a direct effect of N or an indirect effect of N by limiting the development of sinks for photoassimilate? This question was tested by growing a perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) in the field under elevated (60 Pa) and current (36 Pa) partial pressures of CO2 (pCO2) at l...

An UV-B-exclusion experiment was established in high arctic Zackenberg, Northeast Greenland, to investigate the possible effects of ambient UV-B on plant performance. During almost a whole growing season, canopy gas exchange and Chl fluorescence were measured on Vaccinium uliginosum (bog blueberry). Leaf area, biomass, carbon, nitrogen and UV-B-absorbing compounds were determined from a late se...

Photosynthesis is one of the most thermo-sensitive processes in plants. Although the severity of heat stress could be attenuated by grafting approach, the primary damaged site of photosynthesis system under heat stress and the regulatory mechanism of rootstock-mediated heat tolerance are poorly understood. In the current study, cucumber plants grafted onto their own roots and heat-tolerant luff...

We construct an ODE model for the fast fluorescence rise of photosynthesis by combining the current reaction scheme of the PS II two-electron-gate with a quasi steady-state description of the fast processes of excitation energy transfer and primary charge separation. The model is fitted to measured induction curves with a multiple shooting algorithm, and remarkably good approximations of the da...

UV radiation is a well-documented human carcinogen, indisputably linked to the current continued increased rate of skin cancer. UV radiation is also responsible for cutaneous synthesis of vitamin (vit) D3, a substance that is then sequentially hydroxylated in the liver and kidney to yield 1,25(OH)2 vit D, a hormone critical for calcium homeostasis and skeletal maintenance. Because the UV action...