Engineered increase in mesophyll conductance improves photosynthetic efficiency in field trial

Researchers have engineered mesophyll conductance, which plays a key role in photosynthesis and refers to the ease with which CO2 can move through a leaf’s cells before ultimately becoming sugar to feed the plant.

“This is one of the few successful tests of concept showing that we can engineer an increase in mesophyll conductance and have it result in increased photosynthesis in the field,” said Coralie Salesse-Smith, lead author on an upcoming paper about the research in the Plant Biotechnology Journal.