Can we hack photosynthesis to feed the world? | Steve Long | Ted Talks Daily

Intro

In this episode of Ted Talks Daily, leading crop scientist Steve Long explores the potential of improving crop photosynthesis to address food scarcity and climate change. Long discusses the challenges of enhancing photosynthesis, the role of genetic modification, and the importance of human intervention in developing sustainable solutions for food security.

Main Takeaways

Improving Crop Photosynthesis

• Current productive crops are only achieving about one-fifth of their potential efficiency in photosynthesis.
• Enhancing the photosynthesis process in plants could help alleviate food scarcity and climate change.
• Genetic improvements in plants typically involve one or two genes, but photosynthesis involves over a hundred steps facilitated by different proteins and many genes.

Experimenting with Digital Twin of Photosynthesis

• Long’s team built a digital twin of the photosynthesis process to experimentally determine the most efficient distribution of proteins.
• After three years of building the system, their numerical integration failed, but a scientist from a computer center helped solve the problem.

Increasing Crop Yield through Genetic Modification

• Identifying the easiest change that can have a significant impact on crop yield is crucial.
• Long’s team made three different changes to photosynthesis, each increasing yield by over 20%.
• Increasing the concentration of a specific protein involved in photosynthesis led to higher yield, despite it being a small fraction of the leaf’s total protein.

Role of Carbon Dioxide and Human Intervention

• Carbon dioxide concentration impacts photosynthesis and crop yield.
• Adding carbon dioxide to crop environments can result in a bigger boost in yield.
• Human intervention is crucial in developing insect-resistant crops to ensure food security.
• Collaboration between plant biotechnologists and agricultural communities can lead to impactful solutions for food security.

Potential Benefits of Boosting Photosynthesis

• Boosting photosynthesis can alleviate food insufficiency for vulnerable populations.
• It can reduce the need for more land to produce food, thus protecting the environment.
• Enhanced photosynthesis has the potential to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
• A 21st-century green revolution is needed to address urgent environmental and food security challenges.

Summary

Improving Crop Photosynthesis

Steve Long highlights the inefficiency of current crop photosynthesis, which is only achieving about one-fifth of its potential efficiency. By enhancing the photosynthesis process in plants, it is possible to address food scarcity and climate change. However, improving photosynthesis involves complex genetic modifications since it encompasses over a hundred steps facilitated by different proteins and many genes.

Experimenting with Digital Twin of Photosynthesis

Long’s team has built a digital twin of the photosynthesis process to experimentally determine the most efficient distribution of proteins. After three years of development, they faced a numerical integration issue, which was resolved with the help of a scientist from a computer center. This digital twin approach provides valuable insights into optimizing photosynthesis for better crop yield.

Increasing Crop Yield through Genetic Modification

Identifying the easiest change that can have a significant impact on crop yield is crucial in genetic modification. Long’s team has made three different changes to photosynthesis, each resulting in yield increases of over 20%. One notable change involved increasing the concentration of a specific protein involved in photosynthesis, which had a significant positive impact on yield, despite being a small fraction of the leaf’s total protein.

Role of Carbon Dioxide and Human Intervention

Carbon dioxide concentration plays a vital role in crop evolution and impacts photosynthesis and yield. Adding carbon dioxide to crop environments can further boost yield. Human intervention is essential in developing insect-resistant crops to ensure food security, especially in regions like Nigeria. Collaboration between plant biotechnologists and agricultural communities is key to finding impactful solutions for food security.

Potential Benefits of Boosting Photosynthesis

Boosting photosynthesis offers several potential benefits. It can alleviate food insufficiency for vulnerable populations, reducing the risk of hunger and malnutrition. Additionally, by increasing crop yield, it helps reduce the need for expanding agricultural land, thus protecting the environment. Enhanced photosynthesis also holds the potential to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, contributing to mitigating climate change. A 21st-century green revolution is necessary to address the urgent environmental and food security challenges we face.

Conclusion

Steve Long’s exploration of improving crop photosynthesis highlights the potential to address food scarcity and climate change. By leveraging genetic modification, optimizing protein distribution, and understanding the role of carbon dioxide, we can boost crop yield and ensure food security for vulnerable populations. Collaboration and innovation are key to achieving a sustainable and environmentally friendly agricultural revolution.