Photosynthesis research centre to increase crop yields

The Australian Research Council (ARC) Centre of Excellence (CoE) for Translational Photosynthesis, launched last week at The Australian National University (ANU), seeks to increase yields of major crops such as wheat and rice by improving the way that plants capture the Sun’s energy through photosynthesis. The centre is said to feature state-of-the-art plant science facilities and the most sophisticated suite of photosynthetic measurement technologies in Australia.

The director of the centre, Professor Murray Badger, noted that the photosynthetic process - by which light from the Sun is converted by plants into energy - is “actually a fairly inefficient one”. He stated, “If we look at sunlight falling on a leaf as being 100% of what’s available to be converted into useful biomass and sugars, then only about 4-6% of that incident light energy is actually converted through to those final sugars.”

The aim of the centre is to improve the efficiency of this process and transplant the solutions into crop species. As scientists have developed the technology to manipulate photosynthesis at a molecular level over the past 30 years, the tools now exist that could “initiate a new agricultural revolution through enhanced photosynthesis”, according to Professor Badger.

The centre will bring together world leaders in photosynthesis research from six institutions: ANU, the University of Queensland, the University of Sydney, the University of Western Sydney, CSIRO and the International Rice Research Institute in the Philippines. ARC CEO Professor Aidan Byrne noted that the centre has “established links that will enhance the prospects of translating genetic improvements into crops”.

The centre has received $22 million funding from the ARC, which it will spend on national priority research areas such as securing agricultural sustainability and developing plant varieties that are more resilient to climate change. Professor Badger said the centre will deliver outcomes “both for Australian and international agriculture, world food security and for collaboration with appropriate industry partners”.