Researcher Tricks Plants to Develop as Though in Full Sun

A team from the University of Wisconsin-Madison led by Richard Vierstra revealed in a new report on the structure of the plant pythochrome, a critical molecule that determines germination, growth, food production, flowering, and aging in plants. The plant pytochrome, a light sensor, converts sunlight into chemical signals to make such processes work. By manipulating it, Vierstra's team found that they can alter the conditions that make plants grow and develop.

The team found that by making specific changes to the plant's light sensor, they can dupe it into staying in its active state longer. Vierstra says, "By mutating the phytochromes, we created plants that think they're in full sun, even when they're not."

For more details, read the news release available at: http://news.wisc.edu/23022.