A team of scientists from Donald Danforth Plant Science Center led by Thomas
Brutnell, has developed a new way of identifying genes that are important
for photosythesis in maize and rice. Their research will help identify
candidate genes for crop improvement, and revealed new pathways and
information about how plants fix carbon.

This research also made public a mathematical model that allows access to
datasets comparing C4 photosynthesis traits in plants like maize to C3
photosynthesis in plants like rice. C4 crops such as maize, are able to
withstand drought, heat, nitrogen and carbon dioxide limitations better than
C3 crops, such as rice, due to their ability to efficiently make use of
carbon dioxide and water that make carbohydrates and cell wall
polysaccharides; the sugars that are important to producing next-generation
biofuels.

"Our research focuses on understanding complex network interactions in
grasses with a goal of engineering C4 traits into C3 grasses which can be
translated into crops that impact the supply of food and fuel," said
Brutnell. He also said that the technologies developed by his team can be
used to identify control points for other processes, including nitrogen and
phosphate efficiency as well as a plant's response to environmental stresses
like heat and drought.

[www.danforthcenter.org]
<[www.danforthcenter.org]
ery-will-enhance-yield-and-quality-of-cereal-and-bioenergy-crops>