Photosynthesis offers a convenient means of sustaining biospheres. We quantify the constraints for photosynthesis to be functional on the permanent nightside of tidally locked rocky exoplanets via reflected light from […]
Photosynthesis
Posted inOrigin & Evolution of Life, Press Release
Anoxygenic Photosynthesis And The Delayed Oxygenation Of Earth's Atmosphere
The emergence of oxygenic photosynthesis created a new niche with dramatic potential to transform energy flow through Earth’s biosphere. However, more primitive forms of photosynthesis that fix CO2 into biomass […]
Posted inHabitable Zones, Press Release
Photosynthesis on a Planet Orbiting an M Dwarf: Enhanced Effectiveness During Flares
On planets near M dwarfs, photosynthesis (PS) will occur with an effectiveness which depends on the supply of visible photons with wavelengths between 400 and 700 nm. In this paper, […]
Posted inPlant Biology, Press Release
A Better Understanding Of Photosynthesis On Earth
Arguably, the greatest fueler of life on our planet is photosynthesis, but understanding its labyrinthine chemistry, powered by sunlight, is challenging. Researchers recently illuminated some new steps inside the molecular […]
Posted inPlant Biology, Press Release
Origins of Photosynthesis in Plants Dated to 1.25 Billion Years Ago
The world’s oldest algae fossils are a billion years old, according to a new analysis by earth scientists at McGill University. Based on this finding, the researchers also estimate that […]
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Microbiology & Virology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Plant Biology, Press Release
Origin Of Photosynthesis In A Sun-loving Bacteria
Every day, enough sunlight hits the Earth to power the planet many times over — if only we could more efficiently capture all the energy. With today’s solar panels limited […]
Posted inGenomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Plant Biology, Press Release
Mechanism for Photosynthesis Already Existed in Primeval Microbe
Photosynthesis, creating oxygen and carbohydrates such as glucose from solar energy, water, and CO2, is indispensable for many species on this planet. However, it is unclear exactly how or when […]
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Press Release
How Plants and Bacteria See Light
Plants, bacteria and fungi react to light with light-sensitive proteins. Scientists from the University of Gothenburg and their Finnish colleagues from University of Jyväskylä have now determined the inner workings […]
Posted inBiosignatures & Paleobiology, Plant Biology, Press Release
Ancient Rocks Record First Evidence for Photosynthesis That Made Oxygen
A new study shows that iron-bearing rocks that formed at the ocean floor 3.2 billion years ago carry unmistakable evidence of oxygen. The only logical source for that oxygen is […]
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Plant Biology
Surface Flux Patterns on Planets in Circumbinary Systems, and Potential for Photosynthesis
Recently, the Kepler Space Telescope has detected several planets in orbit around a close binary star system. These so-called circumbinary planets will experience non-trivial spatial and temporal distributions of radiative […]