Plant “pore key” increases growth

Researchers of the Institute of Transformative Bio-Molecules (ITbM) at Nagoya University in Japan have developed a technique to boost energy production in plants and enhance their growth. If applied to food crops and fuel plants, the technique could help in creating a sustainable low-carbon society.

Plants require carbon dioxide for energy production in a process called photosynthesis. They absorb the gas mainly through small pores, called stomata, located on the surface of their leaves. The size of these stomata limits carbon dioxide absorption,