вЂњAnd in conferring chloroplasts more autonomy, we could allow each chloroplast to adapt its photosynthetic processes according to its individual functional and physiological needs, something that could lead to overall improved plant photosynthesis,вЂќ says Llorente. This method involves relocating the important genes into the chloroplastвЂ™s genome, so they can independently make decisions to boost productivity of photosynthesis вЂ“ thus вЂrewinding evolutionвЂ™ so the chloroplasts act like the original bacterium did back in the day. Elodea (an aquatic plant) at 100X magnifiction. вЂњOur approach, which we think could have quite a drastic impact, opens new ways to develop plants that are more resistant to pathogens and capable of improved photosynthesis,вЂќ says Llorente. When communication is interrupted, the chloroplasts tell the nucleus what resources they need, but the nucleus canвЂ™t give a tailored response вЂ“ instead, the nucleus takes a democratic approach and diverts resources elsewhere instead of prioritising the chloroplast. Achieving long-lasting protection against pathogens is also challenging because pathogens often adapt rapidly to overcome resistance.вЂќ Breeding crops with protective qualities is a time-consuming and expensive process. вЂњOne of them is that pathogens pose a constant threat to food security. вЂњAt the moment, we are up against several problems with modern-day agriculture,вЂќ says Llorente. Credit: Briardo Llorente/Sketching Science Reverting this process by relocating genes from the nucleus to the chloroplast could enable crop productivity and sustainability. A core process in plant evolution has been the transfer of chloroplast-encoded genes to the nuclear genome. Unfortunately, this also limits crop yield because pathogens can interrupt this cellular communication and cause disease. This resulted in chloroplasts that rely on communication with the nuclear genome вЂ“ where all the genetic information is stored вЂ“ to ask for more resources. Over evolution, the bacterium transferred many of its genes into the genome of its host. вЂњThis has to be accomplished in the face of global climate change causing increasingly severe environmental stresses and more frequent plant disease outbreaks affecting crop yields.вЂќ What are chloroplasts?Д¬hloroplasts вЂ“ organelle responsible for photosynthesis вЂ“ evolved from a light-eating bacterium and merged with another plant-ancestor cell more than a billion years ago. вЂњAchieving sustainable food security is one of the most significant challenges of our time,вЂќ says Llorente. This involves reversing the evolutionary processes that shaped critical organelle that convert light to energy. In a paper, published in Nature Communications, Dr Briardo Llorente and colleagues describe a way to move genes around to optimise photosynthesis and make super-productive plants. Plants convert light to energy through photosynthesis, and the more efficient this process is, the better they generally grow. In a bid to ensure food security through productive, disease-resistant plants, researchers from the ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology had proposed a radical solution: turn back the evolutionary clock. Early plants evolved from algae, fossils show.Alliance between plants and fungi led to living on land.

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