Improving photosynthesis through multidisciplinary efforts : The next frontier of photosynthesis research

The light-dependent release of oxygen from plants was first discovered in the 1770s by Joseph Priestley and Jan Ingenhousz. More recently, the enzyme-catalyzed pathway of carbon assimilation was characterized by Melvin Calvin, James Bassham, and Andrew Benson in 1950, and since then, photosynthesis has been intensively studied by hundreds and thousands of other pioneers. So far, the major components of photosynthesis in different systems and the regulations over these components have been gradually revealed. Now, photosynthesis research is entering a new era, with the ambitious goal of providing new green solutions for overcoming the challenges facing our society, such as ensuring the sustainable supply of food, fiber, and fuel, as well as improving the ecological stability of our planet. We can also conceive that one day we may also leave our planet to live on others, but certainly not without photoautotrophs! Developing photosynthetic systems, both natural and artificial, with greater efficiency in using resources, such as light, nitrogen, CO2, and water, to benefit human society and our planet, is becoming a new frontier of research and a hallmark of this exciting era of photosynthesis research.