Oxygenic photosynthesis is the most important biochemical process in Earth biosphere and likely very common on other habitable terrestrial planets, given the general availability of its input chemical ingredients and […]
Photosynthesis
Posted inPlant Biology
Mystery Of Photosynthetic Algae Evolution Finally Solved
An evolutionary mystery that had eluded molecular biologists for decades may never have been solved if it weren’t for the COVID-19 pandemic. “Being stuck at home was a blessing in […]
Posted inPlant Biology
Photosynthesis Could Be As Old As Life Itself
Researchers find that the earliest bacteria had the tools to perform a crucial step in photosynthesis, changing how we think life evolved on Earth. The finding also challenges expectations for […]
Posted inBiogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology
Non-classical Photosynthesis By Earth's Inorganic Semiconducting Minerals
Photosynthesis, the process by which plants and other organisms convert sunlight into chemical energy, has been a major player during the evolution of life and our planet’s atmosphere. Although most […]
Posted inPlant Biology, Press Release
Constraints on Aquatic Photosynthesis for Terrestrial Planets Around Other Stars
Aquatic photosynthesis plays a major role in carbon fixation and O2 production on Earth. In this paper, we analyze the prospects for oxygenic photosynthesis in aquatic environments on Earth-analogs around […]
Posted inHabitable Zones, Press Release
Photosynthesis On Exoplanets and Exomoons From Reflected Light
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 […]
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 […]