Scientists Hack Plant's Internal Timepiece to Combat Global Warming

Scientists at Donald Danforth Plant Science Center are studying what happens in the plant's biological processes at different times to learn how to hack its internal clock and develop more resilient crops and faster-growing biofuels using genetics. For instance,commercial varieties of barley which have exhibited altered clock function are now under study. Scientists have also found a way to trick the clocks of sorghum plants to think into thinking it's constantly the season for growing and not the season for flowering. These non-flowering hybrids produce three times as much stem and leaf matter, which can be then converted into biofuel. Otherr esearch shows that soybean plants can increase yield if they are imbued with altered clock genes from other plants.

They measure how well a plant absorbs energy through a highly meticulous and complex conveyor belt system. The Center's facility for phenotyping can allow 1,200 individually potted plants to live on a constantly moving, 671-foot conveyor belt that provides them with everything they need.

Read more information about the study at http://danforthcenter.org/news-media/in-the-news/in-the-news-item/(the-week)-how-the-tick-tock-of-a-plant's-clock-could-help-fight-the-effects-of-global-warming.