Supertrees That Suck Up More Carbon Could Be Forest Climate Fix
Posted: Wed Sep 14, 2022 1:57 am
https://www.discovery.com/nature/supert ... limate-fix
Forestation and tree growth are perhaps the most powerful tool for reducing levels of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO2) in Earth’s atmosphere and tackling climate change. Now genetically modified (GM) ‘supertrees’ that grow faster and rapidly take up CO2 could be used to address the climate crisis.
Trees naturally absorb CO2 through photosynthesis, releasing oxygen as they grow, storing carbon in their trunks, branches, and roots for decades, or even centuries. Biotechnology firm Living Carbon says lab trials of its genetically altered poplars capture more carbon and grow 1.5 times faster than unmodified trees.
Engineering the poplar’s genes, with a technique used in tobacco plants, makes its photosynthesis more efficient, converting more carbon dioxide into sugars to create wood biomass. The Living Carbon team inserted genes from pumpkin and green algae that allow quicker growth and better carbon storage by lowering the rate of a process called photorespiration – which wastes energy and allows fixed carbon to re-enter the atmosphere as CO2.
Forestation and tree growth are perhaps the most powerful tool for reducing levels of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO2) in Earth’s atmosphere and tackling climate change. Now genetically modified (GM) ‘supertrees’ that grow faster and rapidly take up CO2 could be used to address the climate crisis.
Trees naturally absorb CO2 through photosynthesis, releasing oxygen as they grow, storing carbon in their trunks, branches, and roots for decades, or even centuries. Biotechnology firm Living Carbon says lab trials of its genetically altered poplars capture more carbon and grow 1.5 times faster than unmodified trees.
Engineering the poplar’s genes, with a technique used in tobacco plants, makes its photosynthesis more efficient, converting more carbon dioxide into sugars to create wood biomass. The Living Carbon team inserted genes from pumpkin and green algae that allow quicker growth and better carbon storage by lowering the rate of a process called photorespiration – which wastes energy and allows fixed carbon to re-enter the atmosphere as CO2.