All photosynthesis articles
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NewsLoss of kelp forests reverberates down to microbial level
As one moves north, Maine’s kelp forests are being overtaken by dense mats of carpet-like turf algae. The steady decline of kelp, and transition into this new state, is altering the ecosystem all the way down to the microbial level, according to a new study.
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NewsAdding iron to the ocean can remove CO2 – but at what cost to nature?
Adding iron to the ocean can cause plankton to absorb more CO2 from the atmosphere. However, the effect depends on where in the world the method is used, and it can have far-reaching consequences for marine ecosystems and food chains.
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NewsWith microbial help, sponges use photosynthesis, boosting productivity of tropical coral reefs
In marine environments, sponges tend to eat other organisms to get their nutrients. A new study demonstrates how sponges may also use photosynthesis, with the help of symbiotic microbes, and suggests sponge-rich ecosystems should be added to assessments of carbon sequestration.
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NewsHow cyanobacteria developed photosynthetic membranes over the course of evolution
New research analyses hundreds of cyanobacterial genomes to understand the origin of thylakoids, the internal membranes involved in photosynthesis.
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NewsNew study provides insights into the control of photosynthesis
Scientists have discovered a previously unknown regulatory mechanism in plant photosynthesis in the unicellular green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. It helps plants adapt to changes in light conditions. A crucial protein interaction at the interface between the two photosystems I and II controls the photosynthetic machinery.
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NewsArctic Ocean food chain disrupted as key tipping point passed
An irreversible shift in the chemical make-up of the Arctic Ocean driven by climate change is disrupting the region’s food chain, a study suggests. Widespread loss of Arctic sea ice has led to a sharp fall in levels of a key nutrient, affecting populations of plankton, fish, seabirds and marine mammals.
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NewsResearchers synthesize photosynthetic molecule found in bacteria
Researchers have successfully synthesized bacteriochlorophyll a, a photosynthetic pigment found in bacteria which absorbs infrared light. The work represents the first chemical synthesis of this molecule and could give scientists deeper insights into photosynthetic function and photosynthetic energy.
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NewsStolen chloroplasts maintained by host-made proteins offer clues to plant cell origins
The single-celled predator Rapaza viridis temporarily retains chloroplasts from prey algae and imports its own proteins into them, new research has shown.
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NewsFreshwater alga captures far-red light for photosynthesis by rearranging ordinary chlorophyll
To survive in areas where it is difficult to photosynthesize, some organisms adopt unique strategies. Researchers have found that a freshwater alga captures far-red light as an additional energy source by arranging ordinary chlorophyll in an extraordinary way.
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NewsFrom sea to soil: Molecular changes suggest how algae evolved into plants
A research team used cryo-electron microscopy to look at the three-dimensional structure and function of Lhcp, a unique prasinophyte LHC, from the microscopic alga Ostreococcus tauri. The team compared their results to LHCII, which is found in terrestrial plants.
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NewsStudy showcases resilience and rapid growth of ‘living rocks’
South Africa is home to some of the oldest evidence of life on Earth, contained in rocky, often layered outcroppings called microbialites. Like coral reefs, these complex “living rocks” are built up by microbes absorbing and precipitating dissolved minerals into solid formations. Source: Rachel Sipler, Bigelow Laboratory for ...
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NewsSwedish freshwater bacteria give new insights into bacterial evolution
Researchers analyzing the DNA of all known Caulobacterales species, including newly collected samples from Swedish and Finnish forest lakes, discovered that several freshwater species lacked more than a hundred genes typically linked to the group’s complex lifecycle.
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NewsMarine algae use unique pigment to shield photosynthesis from excess light
Researchers have discovered that marine algae have evolved unique pigments not only to capture the green-blue light available underwater but also to enhance their resilience against excessive sunlight.
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NewsAlgae and water fleas in lakes: Light color influences food webs
Phytoplankton are the basic food source for many aquatic organisms. A new study shows that the light spectrum is more important for these microalgae and for lake ecosystems than previously assumed.
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NewsScientists discover regulatory pathway behind cyanobacteria’s carbon-fixing factories
A new study illuminates a key regulatory pathway between cyanobacteria’s light-harvesting systems and the inner compartments where carbon fixation happens, helping us to understand how cyanobacteria balance their energy demands.
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NewsResearchers uncover a unique light-harvesting structure in marine algae
Scientists conducted a high-resolution analysis of a photosynthetic complex found in a marine alga, Chrysotila roscoffensis. The photosystem II–FCPII complex could shape the future of artificial photosynthesis.
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NewsCool science: Researchers craft tiny biological tools using frozen ethanol
Imagine drawing on something as delicate as a living cell — without damaging it. Researchers have made this groundbreaking discovery using an unexpected combination of tools: frozen ethanol, electron beams and purple-tinted microbes.
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NewsBiochemists discover self-repair function in key photosynthetic protein complex
Receiving too much light can damage the photosystem II protein complex shared by lineages of cyanobacteria, algae and land plants and erode the photosynthetic efficiency of plants. Biochemists have gleaned new details about how photosystem II repairs itself.
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NewsStudy yields evidence of oldest confirmed photosymbiosis in corals
Researchers have demonstrated, using nitrogen isotope analyses, that some extinct corals from the Middle Devonian period were already symbiotic. This represents geochemical evidence of the oldest confirmed photosymbiosis in corals.
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NewsScientists identify potential microbial habitats in Martian ice
Dusty ice exposed at the surface of Mars could provide the conditions necessary for the presence of photosynthetic life, according to a modelling study.