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Photosynthesis & Food Security

The Photosynthesis & Food Security theme works to improve and future-proof crop photosynthesis to support global food security.

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Gustavo Caetano-Anollés, professor in the Department of Crop Sciences
Researchers used the SoyFACE facility at U. of I. to expose soybeans to elevated ozone while excluding rainfall, finding both decreased yield. Photo by Duncan Martin.
Illinois Ph.D. student Ivan Sosa Marquez, left, plant biology professor Katy Heath and their colleagues identified clusters of genes in soil bacteria that enhance plant growth. Photo by Michelle Hassel. Study co-lead Amy Marshall-Colón, pictured, and postdoctoral researcher Rizwan Riaz conducted detailed statistical analyses and gene network modeling to identify which rhizobial genes correlated with more robust plant growth. Photo by Della Perrone
Stephen Long
In a review in the journal Science, Illinois researchers, from left, Carl Bernacchi, Stephen Long and Donald Ort describe the many field- and laboratory-tested approaches to increasing crop resilience in a warming world. Photos by Fred Zwicky and Craig Pessman
 CowPEAsy is an open-access interactive web tool that allows researchers to look at specific genes within three levels of the plant canopy during two points of the growing season.