Mastering the dynamics of photosynthesis regulation

Added on 11 September 2022

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Today, the agricultural sector is facing increasing pressures: feed a growing world population while reducing environmental impact and preserving natural resources. Innovative technologies can improve resource management, e.g., by ensuring that photosynthetic organisms receive what they need for optimum health and productivity, avoiding unnecessary consumption.

The EU-funded project DREAM (dream-eic.eu) proposes science-based technologies that study plant needs and provide cultivation protocols to optimize indoor production.

Starting in 2022, the DREAM researchers will study and exploit the complex network of processes that regulate photosynthesis. Photosynthetic organisms respond to and cope with various environmental factors, including temperature, drought, CO2 concentration, and light quality and quantity. Thanks to recent scientific advances, the static and simplified view of photosynthesis regulation has given way to a more complex and dynamic one, in which plants and algae respond in non-trivial ways to external stresses. According to DREAM coordinator, Ludovic Jullien, Professor of Chemistry at Sorbonne Université and Ecole Normale Supérieure "Knowing and mastering the dynamics of photosynthesis regulation will help assess and optimise the demand of resources and energy in agriculture."