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SUMMARY:Improving Photosynthetic Efficiency and Biomass Yield in Plants and
  Algae
LOCATION:Anatomy/Zoology Building W118
TZID:America/Denver
DTSTART:20160101T000000
UID:2026-05-13-07-34-45@natsci.colostate.edu
DTSTAMP:20260513T073445
Description:One of the more environmentally sustainable ways to produce hig
 h energy density (oils) liquid transportation fuels is photosynthetic redu
 ction of carbon dioxide into carbohydrates and hydrocarbons and their subs
 equent conversion into fuels. Photosynthetic carbon capture from the atmos
 phere combined with bioenergy production (combustion) and subsequent carbo
 n capture and sequestration (BECCS) has also been proposed by the recent I
 ntergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Report as the most effective and 
 economical way to remediate atmospheric greenhouse gasses. To maximize car
 bon capture efficiency and energy-return-on-investment\, we must develop c
 ropping systems that have the greatest aerial biomass yields with the lowe
 st inputs. All photosynthetic organisms\, however\, convert only a fractio
 n (&lt\; 5%) of the solar energy they capture into harvestable chemical en
 ergy (reduced carbon or biomass). To increase aerial carbon capture rates 
 and biomass productivity it will be necessary to increase photosynthetic e
 fficiency in plants and algae. We will discuss metabolic engineering strat
 egies to improve photosynthetic efficiency and biomass productivity in alg
 al and plant systems\, often borrowing metabolic strategies from one photo
 synthetic system to transfer into another. These strategies include optimi
 zation of photosynthetic light-harvesting antenna size and the introductio
 n of algal inorganic carbon concentrating systems into plants to increase 
 carbon fixation efficiency and biomass yields. To date\, these strategies 
 have resulted into up to two fold increases in biomass productivity in alg
 ae and crop yields in outdoor field trials. 4:00 pm
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