Photosynthesis

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Various projects in the HPP - CSA photosynthesis lab

If you are interested in cutting-edge research on photosynthesis in plants (at leaf-plant scale) and related advanced measuring techniques for functional phenotyping on plants, and if you would like to work in an inspiring work environment where collaboration, ambition, scientific curiosity ...

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Dynamic leaf photosynthesis modelling in wheat: selecting the key dynamic parameters and methodologies to obtain them

In nature, photosynthesis of field crops depends on environmental conditions like temperature, humidity and irradiance. When these conditions are stable over time, the processes that ...

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Finding novel methods for high throughput phenotyping and monitoring of photosynthesis induction

After a rapid increase in light intensity, photosynthesis needs a few minutes to reach a new steady state. In most plants, the increase in photosynthesis can be limited by different processes ...

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CAM photosynthesis in orchids: unravelling the regulation of PEPC and developing a method for measuring mesophyll conductance

Phalaenopsis, like 7% of all vascular plants among which several important crop species for food, ornament and bioenergy production, has CAM photosynthesis. Different from C3 and C4 ...

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Investigating the effect of far-red light on leaf photosynthesis to increase production

Application of light-emitting diode technology has opened opportunities to optimize light spectrum for crop production greenhouses and vertical farms, but also pointed to interesting aspects of far red light on photosynthesis in ...

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Investigating the optimal Daily Light Integral for Bok Choy grown in vertical farms

At present energy (electricity) use and costs (both investment and running costs) are high in vertical farms. Improving the light use efficiency (yield per light input) would directly reduce both energy use and costs. One part of interest is ...

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Determining the open fraction of PSII reaction center from fluorescence measurements without saturating flashes

While cholorophyll fluorescence (CF) can provide many information on plant's performance, it can do so on a relatively small scale (single leaf) and requires specfic measurments protocol, like saturating flashes. In the optic of an adaptive ...

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How strongly does the time of day affect the dynamic response of photosynthesis to light intensity fluctuations?

In nature and in greenhouses, plants are often exposed to highly fluctuating light environments, causing their rates of photosynthesis to respond dynamically. Since faster responses of plants to light intensity fluctuations can result in ...

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Is there an optimal light recipe that suits CAM photosynthesis? 

Using a whole plant gas exchange chamber, it is possible to continuously monitor the four phases of CAM photosynthesis and study how different light recipes impact daily carbon gain. Combined with the recently acquired DUAL-PAM system that monitors both PSII and PSI operating ...

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Best practices for photosynthesis response curves

Photosynthesis drives plant growth, and is the basis for almost all life on Earth. To characterize the environmental dependencies of photosynthesis, scientists often obtain photosynthesis response curves, e.g. the response of photosynthetic CO2 uptake at a...

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Seeing the light -  How much light is intercepted by a leaf during the day?

Light is the primary signal and source of energy for plant growth and development. That is why, in both greenhouses and vertical farms, growers do their best to grow plants at an optimal light intensity. However, the actual amount of light hitting a given leaf is not constant, because...

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Questions or other ideas for thesis topics? Please contact the HPP student coordinator Katharina Hanika.