From David Cole
Michael Le Page suggests the release of genetically engineered “superphotosynthesising” plants to help kick-start evolution following a future mass extinction caused by human activity (24 April, p 38).
It seems reasonable to assume that wild plants have evolved a level of photosynthesis that makes optimal use of the resources such as water and minerals that are available from their environment. What is the basis for believing that an artificial superphotosynthesis trait could prosper and evolve further in the environment over geological timescales?
Michael Le Page writes:
• Evolution does not always find the most efficient solutions. The lungs of mammals are far inferior to those of birds, for instance. Evolution is also constrained by the past. The photosynthetic enzyme RuBisCo evolved when there was no oxygen around, and doesn’t work very well in the presence of oxygen. When levels of oxygen increased and this became a problem it was probably too late for evolution to change things. A number of studies suggest a little human intervention could produce some major improvements to photosynthesis.
Advertisement
Dunmow, Essex, UK
