The shared characteristics of all cells today indicate the simple makeup of the first living cells on Earth. All cells, from the simplest prokaryotes to complex and specialized eukaryotes, contain genetic information, proteins, and a membrane. These three elements were the primary components of the early protocells from which life on Earth arose. Especially important is the membrane, which encloses the genetic information and protein so that work can be performed in an organized manner, allowing for the fulfillment of the characteristics of life. The cell membrane is composed of phospholipids, with polar heads facing outwards and nonpolar tails oriented inwards in water, resulting in a sphere. The cell membrane quickly decomposes in environments rich in salt, and magnesium and iron ions. This is confusing because protocells are believed to have originated in the early salty oceans. The salt within the ocean water would have prevented the cell membranes surrounding protocells from forming. Furthermore, genetic information in the form of RNA requires magnesium and iron to work. The cell membrane must have been present for protocells to exist, but the environment of early protocells would have disintegrated that membrane. New findings outlined in “A New Clue to How Life Originated,” provide an explanation for this contradictory situation. Although cell membranes do disintegrate in the presence of salt, the presence of amino acids within the membrane allows the membrane to remain intact. Furthermore, with the presence of amino acids, the phospholipids within the membrane form a phospholipid bilayer. This bilayer is the primary component of modern cell membranes. More interesting is the unique relationship between the amino acids and membrane. As the amino acids allowed the membrane to remain intact, the fatty acids of the phospholipids condense the amino acids together. This would have resulted in the formation of the first proteins, carrying out the earliest processes of life. Amino acids and the membrane fostered each other’s growth, allowing for the formation of the cell. This discovery provides key insight into how early protocells assembled. Although scientists still debate exactly where early protocells arose, the amino acid theory holds true in all proposed locations. Scientists have found an answer as to how early protocells assembled. The question of how the different components within protocells, from amino acids to the building blocks of RNA, were able to form large and complex organic molecules, with intricate functions, still remains.
This week, I read the article “Discovery of a bottleneck relief may have a major impact in food crops”. This article talks about a new discovery that can increase the speed of photosynthesis. Scientists have been trying to improve photosynthesis for a while, but only in C3 species, which include wheat and rice. The ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis wanted to try and better photosynthesis in C4 species as well. C4 species are mostly leading crops in the agriculture world, so doing this would have a big worldwide impact on global crops. The lead researcher Dr Maria Ermakova said that when they increased the production of the Rieske FeS protein in C4 species, it increased the process of photosynthesis by 10%. The Rieske protein was compared to a hose in which the electrons flow through. There is a certain pressure in this “hose” that slows down and controls how fast the electrons move. “By over expressing this protein, we have discovered how to release the pressure of the hose, so more electrons can flow, accelerating the photosynthetic process,” said Dr Ermakova. With this new discovery, crop production all over the world will be improved. Professor Robert Furbank said that even though this discovery alone took 30 years, they are still working to fully understand the protein complex. Hopefully in another 30 years, they will have discovered something new that will improve photosynthesis by another 20%.
The origin of life is a difficult topic to grasp in Biology. Not only did it happen billions of years ago, but there are also numerous theories of how it occurred. This article titled A New Clue to How Life Originated proposes a relevant answer to the age old question and supplies evidence to back it up. We all know that all living things are composed of cells and that the building blocks of cells are the four macromolecules; proteins, lipids, nucleic acids, and carbohydrates. However, according to the article, the first life differed greatly from today’s cells, and looked similar to a tiny hot sun. These early cells are called protocells and contained three parts: RNA, protein, and a membrane. A funny quote from the article described the first cells as “little bags of garbage.” Compared to the cells of today, I would agree that protocells are trashy. Since carbohydrates are not discussed in the article, I can assume that protocells lacked sugars. Without carbohydrates, I am unsure how the first cells got their energy or communicated with other cells. Yet, there remains a problem with the three part protocells, consisting of RNA and protein surrounded by a membrane. We know the first life appeared in oceans with salt water. Except, salt ions destabilize the lipid based membrane, which would cause the cell’s contents to leak out into space. In addition, the membrane is vulnerable to magnesium and iron ions, which are required to form RNA. The solution to this dilemma was recently uncovered by Caitlin Cornell and Sarah Keller. They discovered that the tiny suns under a microscope, which were actually mixtures of fatty acids and amino acids, maintained membrane shape and function in the presence of salt. This observation shows the importance of the relationship between proteins and lipids. The components of proteins and lipids, amino acids and fatty acids respectively, provided stability and resistance against detrimental ions to each other. I find this connection between the molecules fascinating. It shows the complexity and intricacy of cells and how it was present since the beginning of life. After all, the parts of a cell could not survive on their own, since it the relationship and interactions between the molecules that make a cell alive.
I read the article, “A New Clue to the Origins of Life.” The article highlighted the three fundamental components of life: RNA, proteins, and a membrane. These components compose a protocell, an early precursor of life. Scientists recently found a connection between the proteins and membrane. The membrane would disintegrate when exposed to salt and magnesium ions. Amino acids, which make up proteins, stick to the fatty acids in the membrane to stabilize it. Thus, RNA is able to get the ions it needs and have a membrane to protect it. Just like the scientists that made the discovery, I was surprised by the biological phenomenon that the components of life provide the conditions for each other to exist. Cornell’s discovery was almost an accident, which shows the versatility of biology. Someone could go in trying to learn about something, but veer off track and make a new discovery. Not only are scientists looking towards the future, they’re also still trying to understand our beginnings as living beings.
This week I read the article “A New Clue to How Life Originated”, a piece written by The Atlantic. I found myself extremely interested in evolution when we learned about it in biology class freshman year. However, the curriculum only covered evolution in terms of species, so I chose this article as an introduction to cellular evolution. It describes how all cells, no matter how minimalist nor complex, always contain DNA, RNA, proteins, and lipids (the membrane). Even the earliest cell (the “protocell”) was very likely to be made up of these components. The DNA was needed to pass on genetic information and run the cell, the RNA to contain information to make proteins, the proteins to carry out all the cellular processes, and the lipid-containing plasma membrane to keep it all together in one whole sac. Scientists knew that cells need all of these in order to function, but how the tiny building blocks of life managed to operate with all of them without falling apart was beyond them. The cell membrane is formed by fatty acids with a polar, hydrophilic head and a non-polar, hydrophobic head. These properties allow the molecules to arrange in a way where the heads are facing outwards (to the water) and the tails are facing inwards (away from the water). This arrangement is perfectly stable unless it’s around salt, which is weird considering life began in the oceans, and also that salt is a requirement in the diets of land-dwelling organisms. Not to mention, magnesium ions, among other molecules, destabilize the enclosing function of lipids, but RNA molecules need these ions. However, two scientists—Caitlin Cornell and Sarah Keller found that fatty acids are immune to falling apart to salt and magnesium ions if they’re near amino acids—which make up proteins. I find it so interesting yet eerie in a way how all the things needed to sustain life on a cellular level are all scratching each other’s backs in turn for a scratch back—amino acids provide a resistance to salt and magnesium ions for the fatty acids so that the RNA molecules can safely get the salt and magnesium they need without disturbing the membrane. This article enlightened me more on the complexity of biology, and more specifically, of cells. Even the simplest of cellular biology, such as the chemical building blocks of cells, holds so much intricacy within itself.
Recent scientific research discovered a key component to increase rates of photosynthesis for plants. Because photosynthesis enables plants to produce their food, elevating photosynthesis rates allows for larger crop production. Consequently, the influx of agriculture around the world may aid the rapid global growing human population. Scientists found producing more of the Rieske FeS protein in plants correlates to faster photosynthesis rates; in fact, research concludes the rates of photosynthesis have risen by ten percent. The Rieske FeS protein hastens the movement of electrons in plants ultimately contributing to more efficient light-dependent and light-independent reactions which are fundamental processes in photosynthesis. Specifically, speeding electron movement quickens the rate at which electrons move from protein-to-protein in the electron transport chain during the light-dependent reaction. The processes that utilize the electron transport chain such as photosystems I and II create NADPH and ATP which are essential in continuing photosynthesis during the Calvin Cycle. Faster electron movement in the electron transport chain, furthermore, speeds chemiosmosis which conclusively phosphorylates ADP and phosphate to ATP, used later in the light-independent reaction. Because the Rieske FeS protein accelerates electron movement, which drives the fast movement of electrons in the electron transport chain, it allows photosynthesis to occur at faster rates. This research, however, has been primarily focussed on plants using the C3 pathway which the majority of plants on Earth use. More research is needed on the effects of expressing the Rieske FeS protein on the rate of photosynthesis in C4 plants due to their unique process of photosynthesis.
This week I read the article “A New Clue to How Life Originated” by Ed Yong. Evolution has always interested me, and this article made me want to learn more about cellular evolution. The article highlights the formation of the “protocell” and how amino acids allowed these cells to develop in destabilizing conditions. Some researchers believe that life began in shallow volcanic pools, while others believe that life began in deep underwater vents. To start, all cells are made up of DNA, RNA, proteins, and lipids. DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) encodes genetic information and can be replicated. RNA (ribonucleic acid) acts as a messenger and carries instructions from DNA. Proteins are polymers of amino acids and have numerous functions in the cell. Proteins can act as enzymes, receptors, transport molecules, or regulatory proteins. Cell membranes are built from phospholipid fatty acids that contain a hydrophilic head and a hydrophobic tail. Hydrophilic means that the molecule can withstand water, and hydrophobic means that the molecule will decompose in water. As structure related to function, the structure of the phospholipid arranged themselves in water with the head facing out to the water and the tails facing onwards towards each other. Molecules such as magnesium, iron, and salt, can destabilize this membrane. Then how could life have arisen in oceans full of salty water? This question was answered by Caitlin Cornell and Sarah Keller. When looking into a microscope, they accidentally discovered bright spheres inside the cell. These spheres were in fact amino acids and fatty acids. This meant that the cell can remain intact with magnesium, iron, and salt, within the presence of amino acids. The amino acids and fatty acids had almost a symbiotic relationship, in which the amino acids gave the fatty acids stability by sticking to them, and the fatty acids concentrated the amino acids, encouraging them to synthesize into proteins. This relationship is interesting, because this would have meant that the first proteins were made with the help of fatty acids, and those proteins would have carried out the first processes of life. This discovery was a key observation into how the protocell was developed and assembled. It is fascinating how the connection between these two molecules facilitated the beginning of life.
The origin of life has always been a mystery to biologists. However, the article titled, “A Clue to How Life Originated” provides an answer with evidence to support it. Although all cells are composed of the four macromolecules, which are carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids, this article suggests that the earliest form of cells contained a membrane, proteins, and RNA. However, there is a problem with this structure. When iron and magnesium are exposed to a cell membrane, it collapses and releases its contents. At the same time, the RNA inside of the membrane needs iron and magnesium requires these ions to function properly. Additionally, the membrane will destabilize when it is exposed to salt, which is abundant in oceans that life originated within. The solution to this paradox was recently uncovered at the University of Washington. They were able to find out that the compartments within the cell are able to withstand salt and magnesium ions. This is due to the fact that they are actually mixtures of amino acids and fatty acids, allowing the amino acids to prevent the catastrophic effects that salt and magnesium have on the membrane. Meanwhile, the fatty acids were able to concentrate the amino acid together, encouraging them to condense and form proteins. This fascinated me as even the most basic cells were still highly complex and allow parts that cannot survive in certain environments alone to survive together as a cell.
I was most interested in the article, “A New Clue to How Life Originated” because it talks about the mystery of how life arose. We know now that all cells are composed of DNA which encodes the genetic information and RNA which encodes information for constructing proteins. Proteins are important because they carry out the vital tasks that a cells needs. Furthermore, they are all surrounded and kept together in one sac by fatty acid membranes. Even a protocell also contained all these parts, and they existed before bacteria, animals, and plants existed. Their membranes were made of fatty acids, and they were important because they kept the components of the protocell which was the RNA and protein together instead of floating around. Since the fatty acids in the membranes have hydrophilic heads and hydrophobic tails they become spheres when placed in water. The spheres take in the RNA and proteins which creates the protocells. However, what does not make sense is that life arose from salty oceans but salt causes the spheres to collapse, and ions like magnesium which is important for RNA also causes it to collapse. Luckily, scientists Caitlyn Cornell and Sarah Keller discovered that the spheres can survive in the presence of salt and ions like magnesium with the help of amino acids. The amino acids give stability to the fatty acids in the membrane, and holds the sphere in place. Therefore, it is amazing to see that the membranes of the protocell and the proteins work together to help each other to exist. This partnership allows for life to grow and become what it is today. Additionally, Cornell discovered that these amino acids can change these fatty acid spheres like adding another layer of fatty acids which looks like the membranes in our cells. Therefore, it is intriguing to learn more about how life first started on Earth and how the early protocells lead to the complex cells today. Knowing the interactions that amino acids have with fatty acid membranes and with RNA helps the world understand how these protocells arose in salty oceans and with the presence of ions. There are still many more questions about this topic, and I am excited to learn about new discoveries and research made in the future.
This week, I decided to read the article, “Discovery of a bottleneck relief may have a major impact in food crops”, which discusses a discovery that escalates the rates of photosynthesis for C4 crop species. Recent researchers have spent the majority of their time to improve photosynthesis in C3 crop species, such as wheat and rice. Now, scientists have decided to enhance photosynthesis for C4 crop species, as these plants are a key component for world agriculture. The scientists have succeeded to enhance C4 photosynthesis by producing more of the Rieske FeS protein, which is heavily significant in environments with high radiance, where C4 plants grow. By increasing the production of this particular protein, the rate of photosynthesis by 10%. Additionally, researchers figured that by over-expressing the Rieske FeS protein, more electrons were able to flow. Moving on, researchers are still clueless about multitudes of things regarding his protein. With more research, scientists are assured that they will get better results. Maybe in the next ten to twenty years, scientists will elevate the rate from 10 percent to about 40 or 50 percent. Overall, this article was quite intriguing and informative.
I read the article "Discovery of a bottleneck relief may have a major impact in food crops." This article talks about the new discovery that scientists have made which can increase the process of photosynthesis which in turn increases crop production. I thought it was interesting that producing more protein that controls the electron flow rate during photosynthesis could speed up the process by 10 percent. Efforts were made to improve photosynthesis in plants that use C3 photosynthesis however not much effort was made for enhancing C4 photosynthesis until now.
The article I chose to read this week is based on the findings of Dr. Maria Ermakova, a researcher from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis; the title of it is "Discovery of a bottleneck relief may have a major impact in food crops." It was discovered that producing more of the protein, controlling the rate in which electrons flow during photosynthesis, would accelerate the process of photosynthesis. This in turn would lead to a huge increase in crop production. When increasing this protein's (Rieske FeS) production, photosynthesis also increases by 10%. Dr. Ermakova explains the process as follows:"'The Rieske FeS protein belongs to a complex which is like a hose through which electrons flow, so the energy can be used by the carbon engine of the plant. By overexpressing this protein, we have discovered how to release the pressure of the hose, so more electrons can flow, accelerating the photosynthetic process.'” She has said that this is the first time scientists have made more of this protein inside the C4 photosynthesis pathway. Most of the endeavors to accelerate photosynthesis have been done in plants using C3 photosynthesis. C4 photosynthesis is found in many productive crops grown in the world today such as corn (maize) and sorghum. Therefore changing the rate of electron transport enhances photosynthesis, especially in C4, and it's crucial to understand this process more thoroughly. The Rieske protein is especially important in environments of high radiance. It is necessary for more research to be done overexpressing the Rieseke protein in C4 plants. Scientists are hopeful to increase the 10% they achieved into something more to cultivate more production of these crops.
This week, I read the article "Discovery of a bottleneck relief may have a major impact in food crops." Scientists have discovered that producing a higher amount of the Rieske FeS protein in plants can control how electrons flow during photosynthesis and can lead to an abundance of crops. Dr. Maria Ermakova from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis stated that after increasing the production of this protein, photosynthesis increased by 10%. Dr. Ermakova says that this is the first time that scientists have produced more of the Rieske FeS protein in plants that use the C4 photosynthesis pathway. Until now, scientists have mainly just been trying to improve photosynthesis in species using the C3 pathway, like rice and wheat, and not much has been done to improve C4 species, making this a vital discovery.
The article about photosynthesis showed me how biology is being applied to solve real-world problems. With the Earth’s population continuing to rise, the agricultural industry is struggling to keep up. There’s only so many crops farmers can plant in a limited space, so it’s vital for scientists to look for other solutions. By speeding up photosynthesis, crops will be more readily available, but I don’t believe it will be enough. This article reminded of a really fascinating video I found on YouTube about urban farming. The video was about Elon Musk’s brother, who started an urban farming company, called Square Roots, in Brooklyn. (Here is a link to the video if you’re interested: https://youtu.be/VxRNoSSkLkE ). Articles like these get me super excited for the future. The other article was also very exciting. The fact that the protocell’s membrane and its proteins were basically feeding each other was amazing. It’s almost frightening how little we know about how life first came to be and how it evolved into what it is today. It seems like when one question is answered, two more take its place. Hopefully Keller will discover even more about what happens once a protocell is formed.
For this week’s assignment I chose to read about the “Discovery of a bottleneck relief may have a major impact in food crops” In this article it talks about how “scientists have found how to relieve a bottleneck in the process by which plants transform sunlight into food.” They say it might lead to a boost in the amount of crops made. Scientists have found out that if more proteins that control how electrons flow in the process of photosynthesis are created, the whole process of making crops will be much faster. The production of faster crops can make the lives of farmers much easier. They will have less stress, and more time to spend with their families. Researcher Dr. Ermakova, who works at The Australian National University (ANU) Centre Node said, “The Rieske FeS protein belongs to a complex which is like a hose through which electrons flow, so the energy can be used by the carbon engine of the plant. By overexpressing this protein, we have discovered how to release the pressure of the hose, so more electrons can flow, accelerating the photosynthetic process,” This discovery is pretty shocking, because it’s “the first time that scientists have generated more of the Rieske FeS protein inside plants that use the C4 photosynthesis pathway.” The production of faster crops can have a big change in today’s world for millions of people.
I decided to read the article, “Discovery of a bottleneck relief may have a major impact in food crops”. It talked about the discovery of a protein that let more electrons flow to make photosynthesis happen faster. The protein is called the Reiske FeS protein, and it helped increase photosynthesis by ten percent. It puts more electrons into circulation to make more photosynthesis. Electrons are key to photosynthesis in the electron transport chain. They create enough energy to make photosynthesis happen after being excited by a photon. More electrons means faster photosynthesis. Faster photosynthesis means that plants obtain energy faster and grow faster. For food crops, this means a bigger harvest. By increasing the amount of the Reiske FeS protein in plants, more food will be in production to feed hungry consumers.
The origin of life is a topic of mystery. In the article “A New Clue to the Origins of Life,” college student Caitlin Cornell and her supervisor Sarah Keller made an accidental discovery that, as said in the title, gave them insight into the origins of life. Sarah Keller began her research to address the fact that nobody seemed to know how exactly RNA, membranes, and proteins assembled to create protocols. What was discovered instead was the relationship between amino acids and fatty-acids. Cornell discovered that when magnesium or salt ions came in contact with a fatty-acid, the fatty-acid disintegrated. But when amino acids were added to the fatty-acids, magnesium and salt had no effect. This was such a great discovery because Keller and Cornell found the benefits of amino acids without them, fatty-acid membranes couldn’t exist when magnesium was present, and therefore RNA could not function. This discovery uncovered the answer to the paradox that is the coexistence of fatty-acid spheres, magnesium, and RNA.
The article I chose to read this week was titled “A New Clue to the Origins of Life.” Caitlin Cornell and Sarah Keller of the University of Washington found a piece of the puzzle to the question of the origins of life. This topic has been a long standing debate among the scientific community, specifically about how early cells might have developed. No one understood how the holy trinity of cells -RNA and proteins in a membrane- came together, however Cornell found the answer. They came together based on need. The membrane is made of fatty acids with a hydrophobic tail and a hydrophilic head. These conditions made the molecules organize themselves in a way that created a hollow sphere where the tails where out of water and the heads where in water. However, since life began in the ocean, no one knew how it was possible that this structure held together in the salty ocean water. Cornell and Keller found that if the structure was in the presence of amino acids found in proteins, the salt and magnesium ions wouldn’t be able to break it apart. To prove this theory, Cornell conduced her own experiment and found that the membrane did not break apart when magnesium ions were added if amino acids where added first. This discovery opens the door to many new questions to answer. For example, how do the individual building blocks bind together to create the larger molecules?
After reading the two articles, I had found the article, “Discovery of a bottleneck relief may have a major impact in food crops,” the most interesting. It mainly focuses on the discoveries made by scientists about the increase in photosynthesis resulting in more crops. As stated in the article, they discovered that producing more of a protein that controls the rate in which electrons flow during photosynthesis, speeds up the whole process. When scientist tested the effect of the Rieske FeS protein, they had observed a 10% increase of photosynthesis. Majority of the efforts to improve and increase photosynthesis have been done in species that use C3 photosynthesis as stated in the article. These include wheat and rice. On the other hand, C4 species already the productive and widespread crops they are have not played a role in enhancing photosynthesis. There isn’t still much research that has to be done as scientists fail to fully understand the protein complex as it has many other components.
I was interested by the article titled “Discovery of a bottleneck relief may have a major impact in food crops” because it was about an impactful study on how scientists have discovered an approach to speed up the process of photosynthesis. The Rieske FeS protein was found to increase photosynthesis by 10%. The protein is part of a complex through which electrons flow so that energy can be utilized by the plant’s carbon engine. The electron concentration could be increased by overexpressing Rieske FeS so that photosynthesis could be accelerated. To this point, most research on this subject has been applied on plants using C3 pathways, however C4 species hold more significance in agriculture. The protein was especially helpful in areas with high radiance in which C4 plants thrive. Scientists are now prepared to transform this into crop and track how it affects the biomass. This discovery could help the worldwide community in increasing crop production. Over the past 30 years, we have gained a lot of knowledge on C4 plants, however this is the first time where we have been able to improve them. Researchers now hope to bring together the entire FeS protein complex to further the fast generation of electrons. This aids cells during the light dependent reactions which take place in the electron transport chain. It is necessary for these energized particles to move between proteins located on the cell membrane so gradients can be maintained, synthesizing ATP and the byproduct oxygen. I think that this breakthrough discovery is truly remarkable. It holds the potential to completely revolutionize our agricultural industry and can help preserve our future by allowing us to feed more mouths. Speeding up photosynthesis in plants can in turn speed up cellular respiration in animals since these two crucial processes work hand in hand.
For this week’s assignment, I chose to read the “Discovery of a bottleneck relief may have a major impact in food crops.” As we all know, plants are essential for survival on the planet. They produce precious oxygen, which runs all the living things on Earth, including plants themselves. To do this, plants undergo the process of photosynthesis. What if humans could speed up that process? Humans have been able to do so, in plants that undergo C3 photosynthesis, but not C4 or CAM. This article is about the discovery of advantages using the Rieske FeS protein. This isn’t an additional protein, but the addition of a protein that was already present in plants. This protein helps regulate electron flow during photosynthesis. Scientists then tried adding the protein during photosynthesis, and found that it increases the process by 10%! Here is how it happens: as mentioned previously, the protein is used to regulate electrons. The protein is part of a larger structure that works “like a hose through which electrons flow.” Adding this protein resulted in decreasing the pressure of this hose, therefore making photosynthesis much faster. With faster photosynthesis, there are many benefits. For example, the plant will then be more capable of survival in the environment, passing on better traits to its offspring. More importantly, increased photosynthesis means increased oxygen production, and more carbon consumption. This will help the environment greatly, eating up the excess carbon humans are producing at an excessive rate. C3 plants have already been altered to increase photosynthesis, but now that we’ve discovered how C4 plants are able to do this, we are one step closer to saving our environment.
I read the second article, "Discovery of a bottleneck relief may have a major impact in food crops." This was a very interesting article. It talked about how scientists may have discovered how to alleviate a bottleneck in the way that plants use sunlight to make food, leading to a growth in crop production. They found that increased production of the Rieske FeS protein affects an increase of photosynthesis by 10%. That protein is significant for environments that have a high radiance, where C4 plants grow. Professor von Caemmerer finds this to be exciting because there is an effect can be tested for the biomass in a food crop. After solving complex challenges faced in trying to improve crop production, the next steps are to assemble the whole protein FeS complex. There are still many parts that need to be addressed about this protein complex. Photosynthesis is a very intriguing topic, and this article made me even more interested to learn more about it.
This week I read “A New Clue to How Life Originated”. I always was interested in how the universe and life originated from absolutely nothing, so when I saw this article posted I immediately clicked on it. Cells are made up of either DNA or RNA, proteins, and a fatty acid membrane, early “protocells” were no different. The fatty acid membrane of cells were vital to protocells for two main reasons. Life arose in oceans, so the salt would dramatically destabilize the fatty acid. Additionally, ions such as magnesium and iron cause the membranes to collapse, which is a very big problem since RNA requires those ions. While Caitlin Cornell of Washington University was studying capability of fatty acids as membranes, she noticed that something that looked like little suns in space. After showing her supervisor, Sarah Keller, the duo concluded that the little suns were in fact mixtures of amino acids and fatty acids maintaining their spherical shape in the presence of salt. They discovered that the spheres can withstand salt and these certain ions if they’re in the presence of amino acids. The fatty acids and amino acids provide the conditions to exist for each other. The discovery was also in part thanks to Roy Black who suggested that the membrane might’ve been key to the cells, rounding up proteins and RNA. Cornell decided to test that suggestion by incubating fatty acids with three different amino acids. That’s when she discovered the “suns”. She noticed that the membranes automatically formed hollow spheres that dissolved if alone in salt or magnesium, but stayed the same if they were with the amino acids. Although much about early cells is unknown, it’s really interesting reading about the incredible advances scientists and researchers are making to uncover how all life in the universe came to be.
This week, I read, “A New Clue to the Origins of Life,” This article interested me a lot because it explained a solution to how early cells originated. All cells contain three fundamental elements, no matter how big, small, specialized or simple they are. These characteristics include having molecules like DNA or RNA that can be copied and carry the encoding information of the cell, particular proteins that provide as workers to carry out important tasks, and along with that, they are encircled with a membrane made of fatty acids. Going back in time to before animals, plants, and bacteria existed, the precursor of all life, also called a protocell, most likely contained these fundamental elements. Membranes were crucial to hold in all other molecules in a cell so that they wouldn’t just float away. They were the reason a group of lifeless, disordered chemicals could become humans, elephants, bacteria, and trees. “Life, at its core, is about creating compartments.” Early cell membranes were made with fatty acids, each with a hydrophilic head and a hydrophobic tail, that formed hollow spheres when placed in water. From there, they could easily form compartments that enclosed RNA as well as proteins. All of this mainly works for two reasons. One, the first life was found in salty oceans, and salt immensely destabilizes fatty-acid spheres. Along with that, ions like magnesium and iron cause some spheres to collapse. That’s problematic since RNA needs these ions. The answer to this problem is that spheres can withstand both magnesium as well as salt and magnesium ions, as long as there are amino acids around. Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins. It’s so cool that two of the most crucial components of life, the cell’s membrane and proteins provided the conditions for each other to live. Overall, it’s really cool to see that details of life’s origin are still being discovered and investigated. One day we might have answers to even the most minuscule details of life.
This week I read the article "A New Clue to How Life Originated" by Ed Yong, it talks about how scientists have recently uncovered clues to how the first cell (protocell) was created. All the cells in our bodies and in the world have 3 common features, Molecules the contain information for the cells (DNA and RNA), molecules the perform tasks in the cell (proteins), and a cellular membrane made from phospholipids. Scientists believe the shared elements between cells indicates that the protocell also contains these 3 elements. The cell membrane is built from a bipolar group of fatty acids, the head of the fatty acids would like the water while the tails would not. So, when they are ou in the water the fatty acids from into a circle shape with the heads facing outwards and the tails facing inwards where there is no water. These circles can contain RNA and proteins for making protocells in them, but then there came a problem. Most life first began in the salty oceans, and salt destabilizes the fatty acid spheres. RNA requires magnesium and iron ions to function, but these ions also cause the sphere to collapse. bUt recently 2 scientists from the University of Washington discovered a way that the cells protect themselves from these factors, they found out that amino acids help support the fatty acids in holding their shape in the presence of salt and ions.
This week I read the article “Discovery of a bottleneck relief may have a major impact in food crops”, I was interested in the topic of improving the process of photosynthesis. The protein Rieske FeS found in plants helps speed up photosynthesis in plants by ten percent. The idea of a protein that can speed up this process, was very intriguing to me, because the byproduct of photosynthesis is oxygen. If the process of photosynthesis is speed up then this would mean that there would be more products, and byproducts, so for example there would be more oxygen for the atmosphere and glucose for the plant. I also found it interesting that the scientists found that the protein worked in C3 plants, and scientists still have to do more research on the C4 plants. After reading this article I questioned if this occurred because of the differences in C3 and C4 plants. C4 plants are more effective than C3 plants since they can undergo carbon fixation in mesophyll cells and bundle sheath cells, whereas C3 plants can only undergo carbon fixation in mesophyll cells. Also, C3 plants do not have chloroplasts in the bundle sheath cells. Do these differences in the carbon fixation route have any effect on the usage of the Rieske FeS protein During photosynthesis? Since C4 plants are more efficient in the means of carbon fixation is there a completely different protein that helps speed up the process of photosynthesis in these plants? Scientists worked on the protein with C3 and C4 plants, what if they worked with CAM plants as well? CAM plants separate the process between day and night so does this have anything to do with not using the protein on the CAM plants? Those were some things that I found interesting in this weeks article.
Tanush Saini- This week I read, ‘’Discovery of a bottleneck relief may have a major impact in food crops’’. I approached this article as the link read, ‘’speeding up photosynthesis’’, this made me curious to how photosynthesis could be sped up. The article speaks about the key to speeding up photosynthesis is in a protein that increases the flow of electrons in the electron transport chain. This protein is known as Rieske FeS, and Rieske FeS could change the lives of farmers. This is because increasing the rate of photosynthesis increases the speed of and output of crops, benefiting farmers who sell their crops. The only problem is that this protein doesn’t seem to affect those plants that follow the c4 pathway of photosynthesis. As a result of this more research is needed to speed up photosynthesis in crops like corn.
After reading the two articles, I found "Discovery of a bottleneck relief may have a major impact in food crops," the most intriguing. This article talks about scientists who found a way to increase the production of plants. They would produce the Rieske FeS protein, which increases the flow of electrons during photosynthesis. This protein would increase photosynthesis by 10 percent, allowing crops to transform sunlight into food much faster than previously. This discovery was the "first time that scientists have generated more of the Rieske FeS protein inside plants that use the C4 photosynthesis pathway." The other times the scientists tried to improve photosynthesis in plants that used the C3 pathway. This discovery is life-changing for farmers who grow corn, sugarcane, and maize because they C4 photosynthesis pathway. They will be able to produce the Rieske FeS protein at a higher rate, thus increasing the production of corn, sugarcane, and maize.
I decided to read "A New Clue to How Life Originated" because it sounds important. Turns out, it truly is great work and many scientists agree as aswell. Cells that make up all living things have three must-have elements; RNA and proteins, in a membrane. Life rose in salty oceans which quickly destabilizes fatty-acid spheres and ions such as magnesium and iron cause this phere to collapse. That's an issue because RNA, a must-have element, needs these ions.Caitlin Cornell accidentally figured out how the first cells were able to sustain livability by accident. She figured out that a protocell's membrane (the precursor of all life) and its proteins "provided the conditions for each other to exist" by fatty acids which adds support and is said to help amino acids form into proteins. The discovery of how important the role of amino acids in a cell is astonishing and yet confusing because we still don't know why their presence makes such an impact.This is only the first step however because now we have to find out how these blocks bond to form the larger molecules, which will take extensive research.
The creation of glucose through light dependent and independent processes is the journey of electrons, carbon molecules, hydrogen ions and much more. This photosynthetic process is vital for a plant to create glucose for breaking down in cellular respiration, which provides energy and food. This leads to a mass production of crops, and the reactions all start with a water molecule releasing electrons into the photo systems and transport chains of the chloroplast. These electrons have proven to be significant in order to create the concentration gradient of hydrogen ions for production of ATP, but a complex of proteins gives power for the electron flow. One of the most essential is the Rieske FeS protein, which is a principal aspect of controlling the rate at which electrons flow in photosynthetic processes. The article “Discovery of a bottleneck relief may have a major impact in food crops” reflects upon speeding up photosynthesis through over-expressing Rieske FeS, which would lead to a 10 percent increase in the speed. By accelerating this reaction, mass producing crops will comes with ease, and an improvement to C4 plants would be celebrated upon. Scientists have studied C4 plants for years, but this is one of the first improvements in such plants , which are vital to the agricultural part of our world. Accelerating electron transport through the increase of this protein would be helpful in areas of high radiance where C4 plants grow, and only 10 percent enhancement has been done so far. There is described to be potential for much more when the FeS complex is complete, which will truly bring our agriculture to another level due to the international collaborations on this project. C4 plants will be mass produced, just as C3 plants, and a surplus of crops will be all over the globe.
I chose to read the article "Discovery of a bottleneck relief may have a major impact in food crops" because photosynthesis is a topic that interests me. The article explains that in order to find a method to speed up the process of photosynthesis, scientists tested what would happen if production of the Rieske FeS protein in plants was increased. The lead researcher Dr. Maria Ermakova discovered that it increased photosynthesis by 10 percent. The Rieske FeS protein controls the rate at which electrons flow during photosynthesis, so increasing its production increased the amount of electrons that were able to flow. I found it very interesting that this was the first time scientists were able to generate more of the Rieske FeS protein in plants that use the C4 photosynthesis pathway (such as maize and sorghum). According to the article, scientists have mostly been focusing on increasing the rate of photosynthesis in plants that use the C3 pathway, like wheat and rice, because further research needed to be conducted on C4 plants. The information in this article made me realize how beneficial this discovery can truly be. Increased photosynthesis can lead to crops being grown at a faster rate therefore increasing production. The article also explains how more research will be conducted on C4 plants and the FeS protein complex over time. I was impressed to learn that this discovery was made in collaboration with researchers from the University of Essex because it highlights that difficult problems can be solved more easily through international collaborations. I hope that scientists will learn more about the FeS protein complex in the future to enhance photosynthesis even further as Professor Robert Furbank (Director of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis) believes they can.
For this week, I chose to read the article discussing speeding up the process of photosynthesis in plants. With nature, ecosystems, and plant life, in general, being hot topics of media outlets as of recently, I wanted to further my knowledge of how plants affect our lives in small and big ways. To start, photosynthesis is the process in which plants convert sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water into glucose and oxygen. Glucose is their source of food and they release oxygen into the atmosphere for other organisms, especially humans. The premeditated burning of plants and crops does seem malicious at first glance, but natural burnings of forests, grass plains, and other plant-dominated areas are good. Fires would burn dead plants which seep into the soil and these fires could also give an ecosystem new life. Potentially increasing the rate of photosynthesis is so beneficial in that it would increase oxygen production, which would combat the growing global warming trend, and it would lead to more bountiful crops due to the increase in glucose production. In the article, the scientists increased the production of the Rieske FeS protein and they soon found that photosynthesis increased by 10 percent. Dr. Ermakova explains that increasing the production of this protein lead to an increase in electron flow, which is vital in photosynthesis. It's later explained that enhancements to photosynthesis were only done to species that perform C3 photosynthesis. The experiment explained throughout the article used C4 crops, like maize, sorghum, and sugar cane. These crops already have a high production rate, but to further that allows scientists and potentially farmers further understand C4 photosynthesis and how to grow the best yield.
I have always been very interested in the growth of plants and the fruits and vegetables that they produce. The article, “Discovery of a bottleneck relief may have a major impact in food crops,” introduced the concept that an increase in a certain protein can stimulate advances in photosynthesis. This protein, Rieske FeS, increases the flow of electrons necessary in the process of photosynthesis. The Rieske protein has been known to increase the rate of photosynthesis in C3 crop species, which includes wheat and rice. After being studied by the ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis (CoETP) in collaboration with researchers involved with the Realizing Increased Photosynthetic Efficiency (RIPE) project, scientists have found that the protein has also made substantial improvements on C4 crop species, which includes corn and a type of cereal grain called sorghum. Although increasing this protein in high-demand crops will help resolve issues concerning supply and demand economics, the process of altering natural growth develops concern. If the science community continues to alter plants, the quality and healthiness of these products may start to diminish. Mass production is necessary to feed the mouths around the world, so the need for more efficient crop production grows. However, it is possible that as humans continue to alter nature’s products, the earth may begin to reject the growth of certain crops. I feel as though we, as humans, focus too much on finding means of modifying the natural world to fit our needs and desires, rather than appreciating what the earth provides for us. The Rieske protein may help increase crop production, but altering these plants might not be the best solution to the bottleneck problems.
The article that I read this week was “A New Clue to How Life Originated” by Ed Yong. In it, Sarah Keller wanted to address a problem posed by her colleague Roy Black on “how exactly the protocell trinity—RNA, proteins, and membranes—actually assembled in the first place.'' No one really knew how this happened and was explained merely by a “random event” up until now. Keller’s student, Caitlin Cornell, set out to find an answer by incubating a fatty acid with three different amino acids. Without amino acids, the fatty acids assembled into hollow spheres, with the hydrophobic tails pointing inward and the hydrophilic heads on the outside, which disintegrated when salt or magnesium ions were added. However, life first came about in oceans, so after Cornell added amino acids, they did not disintegrate when salt or magnesium ions were added. This effectively brings together the relationship that amino acids prevent membranes containing the RNA from dissolving in magnesium, and the RNA is able to use magnesium to function. This recent discovery now poses even bigger questions such as “how the individual building blocks bond to form larger molecules”. This article caught my attention and resonated with me because it demonstrates how much we still have yet to learn about the complex question of how life originated. The article also illustrates how much is still not known about fundamental biological concepts or is just mere speculation. Additionally, this concept shows how various fields in science can cross over to each other such as, in this case, chemistry creating the “richness of biology”.
This week I decided to read, “Discovery of a bottleneck relief may have a major impact in food crops.” Scientists have found how to relieve a bottleneck in the process by which plants transform sunlight into food, which may lead to an increase in crop production. It has been discovered that producing more of a certain protein can accelerate the whole process. The Rieske FeS protein belongs to a complex, so the energy can be used by the carbon engine of the plant. The release of this protein makes the photosynthesis process faster. Dr. Ermakova published this finding explaining that for the first time, scientists generated more of the Rieske FeS protein inside plants that use the C4 photosynthesis pathway. Until now, most of the testing to speed up photosynthesis was done for plants or species that use the C3 pathway, but now the testing is going towards enhancing C4 species. They results illustrate that the change of rate of electron transport enhances photosynthesis in the C4 model, especially in “Setaria viridis”, a close relative of maize. Additionally, this protein is important in high radiance environments, the best place for C4 plants to grow. University of Essex reasercher, Patricia Lopez- Calcagno, claims that this situation was a great example for the need of international collaboration to solve complex challenges in crop production. Previously, scientists have tested C4 plants; however, it made the plants worse. Now, this is a true instance where the C4 plants and farmers can be benefited greatly. Scientists are now preparing for the next step which is to assemble the whole protein FeS complex. There are still many components to this protein that researchers do not fully understand. So far, they have been able to reach 10 percent improvement, but they claim they can do so much better than that.
The article that I read this week was “A New Clue to How Life Originated” by Ed Yong. This article was very informative as well as interesting. All cells contain DNA, RNA, and a membrane. The cell’s membrane is made of phospholipids which have hydrophilic heads and hydrophobic tails. These fatty acid molecules would assemble themselves into hollow spheres, with the water-hating tails pointing inward and the water-loving heads on the surface. Life arose from salty oceans which is incredibly interesting since salt destabilizes the fatty acid spheres. Other ions like magnesium and iron also cause the spheres to collapse which is a problem since RNA requires these Ions. Caitlin Cornell and Sarah Keller found out that these fatty acid spheres can withhold the presence of magnesium and salt when they in the presence of amino acids. This discovery sparks an interest in me because two of the essential components of life, a protocell’s membrane and its proteins, provide the conditions for each other to exist.
This week, I read the article which explained the findings of Caitlin Cornell. Cornell was attempting to understand the fundamental elements of cells, RNA, proteins, and a fatty acid membrane, found in the first and most simple cell called the protocell. The article details about the fatty acid hydrophilic head-hydrophobic tail structures of early cell membranes. Although it is believed that life first arose in salty oceans, the structure of early cells has suggested this is impossible because salt, magnesium, and iron, which are essential for rna, destabilize fatty acids. Cornell therefore set out to answer this contradiction and found that the presence of amino acids in salty water does not destabilize or collapse fatty acids of the cell membrane. Both amino acids, the building blocks of proteins, and fatty acids seemed to be inseparable through the investigation, and this suggests that membranes could promote protein synthesis. Cornell also observed that fatty acids transformed into another layer of fatty acids, just like our cells, within the presence of amino acids. This investigation could potentially provide evidence for the highly debated question of whether life began in shallow volcanic pools or in underwater vents, although it could work on both sides. It could also answer how larger molecules that make up more complex organs or systems came to be. Overall, understanding the past could help scientists understand more about the current state of cells and their functions. This article was very interesting to me because it made me realize that cells are relatively simple in structure with 3 fundamental parts, yet are so complex in function and purpose. It is also interesting to realize the importance of every single part of the cell, no matter how small, because they all work together to form the building blocks of life.
As the population of Earth ever so increases, the need for effective ways to increase crop production if in high demand. In the article, “Discovery of a bottleneck relief may have a major impact in food crops”, it is discussing how there have been new finding that may help improve the production of crops. Photosynthesis is a process which plants use to convert sunlight into food that the plant consumes. This process is constricted by protein which controls the flow of electrons. Scientists were able to increase the rate at which electrons transfer, therefore increasing the rate at which photosynthesis occurs. Since the rate of photosynthesis increases, it would lead to higher crop production. The protein involved in the flow of electrons is Reiske FeS protein, and by overexpressing the protein, it resulted in a 10 percent increase in photosynthesis. This modification was made in plants that us the C4 photosynthesis pathway, which is a major improvement as most of the work related to the modification had been done on plants with the C3 photosynthesis. Plants, such as Setaria viridis, have shown promising improvements as this can be applied to other plants, such as maize and sorghum , which are also relatives. This modification has only been seen to improve photosynthesis in C3 plants in high radiant environments while there has to be further research on C4 plants. By enabling plants to produce quicker, it is allowing the possibility of sustaining the growing population of earth, which only improves the quality of life and availability of produce for all.
I read the article, “ A new clue to how life originated.” It was very interesting and I learned a lot. There are three elements in a cell of all living things. First there is DNA, then proteins and lastly there is a membrane. It we go back to the beginning of all life we would probably find a cell with all three of those elements. Membranes are very important to life because without them everything would just float all over the place. It wouldn’t be organized. There would be no barrier between molecules. Membranes are built from fatty acids. With hydrophilic heads and hydrophobic tails. Life first started in salty water but salt destabilizes the fatty acids and there are a couple ions that make the fatty acids collapse. Two scientists have found out that the fatty acid spheres can still work with the ions and salt due to amino acids, which makeup proteins. This means that the proteins and the membranes helped each other survive. Fatty acids stuck to the amino acids and this made them stable. Scientists were very fascinated by how these two elements of a cell helped each other that much. A scientist named Cornell tested this out by combining a fatty acid with three different proteins and found out that they did work together. If the spheres did not have the amino acids they would not be able to stay stable with the salt and ions. In conclusion, I loved reading this article and I learned a lot about the interaction between amino acids and fatty acid spheres.
Caitlin’s Cornell and her supervisor as the University of Washington found the answer to a rather difficult question; how can life arise in an environment that uses ingredients it needs in order to destroy materials that it requires to survive? Every cell has always contained DNA and RNA, proteins, and fatty acids. Fatty acids make up cell membranes that create compartments. Though, life had first risen in salty environments and salt destabilizes fatty acids causing the spheres to collapse, which was troublesome for RNA. Scientists were faced with an important question; how can life survive in these conditions? Caitlin and her supervisor, Sarah Keller, discovered that the spheres can survive these harsh circumstances is long as they have amino acids. She discovered that protecell’s membrane and its proteins provide conditions so that both can exist. The amino acids provide stability which allows the membrane to survive. When amino acids are present, there are two layers in the spheres, which leads to a more biological shape. This article was really fascinating. I never thought about the origin of a cell in depth. This article was well structured. It not only taught me about protocells by connecting my current understanding of cells to the topic I was trying to learn about. Particularly, I thought it was interesting that the specific materials that were required were the ingredients that were causing the collapse of the membrane. I was also fascinated by the connection between the fatty acids and proteins and how they ensure the existence of one another. Their relationship is astounding because it shows how all of these molecules create a cell.
This week, I chose to read the article, “Discovery of a bottleneck relief may have a major impact on food crops.” In order to increase crop production, scientists at the ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis have found a way to increase the production of the Rieske FeS protein which in turn speeds up the photosynthesis process in plants. The photosynthetic cycle starts with electrons from the chlorophyll. The energy in sunlight electronically excites the chlorophyll molecule and one of its electrons is released. The energized electrons are used to make NADPH and power ATP production. Scientists have researched and come to the conclusion that the Rieske FeS protein controls the rate at which electrons flow during photosynthesis. If the amount of this protein a plant has is increased, the process by which plants transform sunlight into food will be accelerated. Until now, this protein has been used to improve photosynthesis in C3 plants and for the first time, scientists are generating more of it inside plants using the C4 pathway. C4 plants are known to naturally photosynthesize at a higher rate than C3 plants under normal light and temperature situations and this high productivity is the reason not a lot has been done to enhance C4 photosynthesis. Scientists have been researching how these plants work by breaking them down bit by bit but this protein is the first step to actually improving the process. This discovery could increase the production of major food crops such as sorghum, wheat and rice.
The Arc Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis released an article regarding the potential to accelerate photosynthesis. Such a process would be done by producing more of a protein (named the Rieske FeS Protein) that controls electron flow speed during the process. Such an ability can potentially increase food production which could signify more success in the agricultural industry and potentially even decreased crop prices. Producing more of the Rieske FeS protein would release pressure in its hose like structure allowing more electrons to pass through whose energy can be used by the plant. Speeding up photosynthesis has rarely been done in C4 crop species until now compared with the more extensive experimentation with it in C3 plants. These studies have lead to the formation of the Realizing Increased Photosynthetic Efficiency Project. It is claimed that the future of this research consists of assembling FeS complexes.
For this weeks reading I chose “A New Clue to How Life Originated.” The evolutionary history of life on Earth traces the processes by which living and fossil organisms evolved, from the earliest existence of life to the present. For years, the knowledge of the basic building block of life (cells) has continued to be an unfathomed field for all scientists. With ever so changing evolutions in the human and additional animal species, the question of “how life started?” has never ceased to puzzle scientists. This article takes another step into deciphering how life really started. Cells make up all living things, and despite their endless variations they all serve the same purpose, and understanding what a cell is, is crucial to learning how life truly starts. Important genetic sequences like DNA and RNA codes is what gives the biological blueprints to how all life on earth functions. However, according to the article, the biological gift of life started with something very simple “before animals and plants and even bacteria existed, and you’d find that the precursor of all life—what scientists call a “protocell”—likely had this same trinity of parts: RNA and proteins, in a membrane. As the physicist Freeman Dyson once said, “Life began with little bags of garbage.” The evolution of life over the millions of years on this planet is incredible, yet its absolutely amazing to see at this microscopic level how life could’ve stared. The most important finding of this scientific discovery in my opinion was learning that even at the smallest building block of life, there is still something more under it that has an even greater impact than we even know.
The article "A New Clue to How Life Originated" is interesting. The beginning of the article explains that life began with RNA and proteins in a membrane. I don't understand if the article is implying that this protocell was how life started or simply an older version of the now evolved cell. I believe the latter makes more sense because RNA and proteins in a membrane is too complex a structure to occur accidentally. It's too orderly in an environment that naturally sways towards disorder (entropy). The article even goes on to explain how the membrane is a crucial part of this cell with both hydrophobic and hydrophilic parts. This far stretched possibility was only the beginning. Not only does the membrane protect the RNA and protein, but the amino acids in the protein protects the membrane from both the salt and magnesium ions which normally makes the membrane unstable. In the article this codependent relationship is described as magical. This is true but unfortunate because it is based on the guess that RNA, proteins, and fatty acids formed and met coincidentally. The unlikeliness of such a perfect accident is too great.
The article, “Discovery of a bottleneck relief may have a major impact in food crops,” was quite informative and interesting. It discusses how scientists have discovered a way to relieve a bottleneck in photosynthesis. A bottleneck is one process in a chain of process and has the capacity to delay the entire system. Therefore, in photosynthesis, scientists have found a way to increase crop production by over-expressing the Rieske FeS protein. By increasing the production of this protein, which controls the rate of electron flow during photosynthesis, they can speeding up the entire process by 10 percent. The lead researcher, Dr. Ermakova, explains that they have uncovered a way to reduce the process of the complex that the Rieske FeS belongs to, so more electrons can flow through the hose and escalate the photosynthetic process as a whole. Before now, there has been more progress and focus on the acceleration of the C3 photosynthesis, not on C4 crop species. The C4 process required the research that was already conducted with C3 plants, which was to test of if the increase in production of the Rieske protein would result in an overall acceleration in photosynthesis. The research explained in the article was the result of a collaboration with the University of the Essex in the UK. With their help, the scientists were able to discover the more about the C4 photosynthetic process, of how changing the rate of electron transport enhances the production in the C4 model species Setaria viridis. It is certainly a great improvement in the research considering the C4 crop species include maize and sorghum which drive the agriculture and food industry. Scientists have uncovered most of the information on C4 plants for this study by breaking them apart and examining them. Their next step is to assemble all the different components that creates the Rieske FeS complex. The goal that is set for the future is to accelerate the rate of photosynthesis by a percentage higher than 10. The 10% was achieved by over-expressing the protein, but to achieve a higher percentage would probably be reached by other means that can be uncovered with further research. This advancement would certainly would be helpful if there was a drastic decrease in crop production due to change in climate or other environmental factors.
This week I read the article “Discovery of a bottleneck relief may have a major impact in food crops.” This article introduced a scientific breakthrough in the process known as photosynthesis. It has been discovered that the increased production of a certain protein in plants that controls the rate at which electrons flow during photosynthesis can speed up the whole process. Scientists have found that increasing the production of this protein can increase the speed of photosynthesis by ten percent. By over expressing the Rieske FeS protein, scientists have discovered how to release the pressure of the part that allows electrons to flow during photosynthesis. Although the efforts to improve photosynthesis have been mainly concentrated in species that use C3 photosynthesis, the results scientists have seen with plants that go through C3 photosynthesis show that increasing the rate of electron transport will improve photosynthesis in C4 species’. The Rieske protein is very important in places with high levels of light, where C4 plants typically grow. Research has shown the effects of this protein in C3 plants, but more research needs to be conducted in C4 plants.
The article I chose to read this week was “Discovery of a bottleneck relief may have a major impact in food crops”. Scientists know the production of certain crops need to be increased because of the increasing demand of them. The Rieske FeS protein “belongs to a complex which is like a hose through which electrons flow, so the energy can be used by the carbon engine of the plant”. So, scientists overexpress this protein so more electrons can flow and the photosynthetic process can speed up. In the past, scientists increased the protein production in C3 plants. Examples of C3 plants are wheat and rice. This process caused the C3 plants crop production to increase a lot. Now, scientists applied the exact same process to C4 plants in an attempt to increase their production as well. Some examples of C4 plants are maize and sorghum. The results were the same as the C3 plants: increase in crop production. These results help give us a better understanding of the C4 plants since we knew so little about them before. The scientists hope to learn more about the C4 plants so they can have a higher increase of crop production in the future. If they are able to do so it will be very helpful to us because there is so much demand for crops and less supply of them. But, we might have to wait a long time because scientists took 30 years just to make this discovery about C4 plants.
“Discovery of a bottleneck relief may have a major impact in food crops” was the article I chose to read this week. Scientists found a way to speed up the process of photosynthesis by making more of a protein that controls the electron flow. This method is being used in specific plants that use C3 photosynthesis which includes crops such as wheat and rice. Researchers from the University of Essex alongside the collaboration of other international researchers were the ones responsible for all the studying that has gone into speeding up the process of photosynthesis. I find it interesting how scientists are able to find ways to greatly improve situations rather than just solving a problem. For instance, I do not believe that crop growth is too slow that it causes a problem. However, despite that new methods of crop growth is still being found to make the process quicker which only helps people and plants in many ways. Even though the crops they want to grow quicker are already abundant, finding ways to speed up the process for some plants may lead to the process of photosynthesis being sped up in other crops.
This week, I chose to focus on the article titled “Discovery of a bottleneck relief may have a major impact in food crops". As soon as I saw that the article was related to photosynthesis, I was intrigued. It was a topic I was familiar with and therefore, wanted to read more about. This particular article discusses advancements in photosynthesis. Specifically, scientists have found a way to relieve a bottleneck in the process of photosynthesis, which could lead to a possible increase in crop production. The scientists discovered that an increase in production of a certain protein that controls the electron flow rate, can accelerated the process of photosynthesis. This was shown through the results of experiments carried out by researchers. Lead researcher Maria Ermakova from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Transitional Photosynthesis (CoETP) said that she and other researchers “tested the effect of increasing the production of the Rieske FeS protein, and found it increases photosynthesis by 10 percent”. When I read this, I wondered how this specific protein controlled the electron flow rate. As I read more, I learned about the Rieske FeS protein and its function. Dr. Ermakova explained, "The Rieske FeS protein belongs to a complex which is like a hose through which electrons flow, so the energy can be used by the carbon engine of the plant. By overexpressing this protein, we have discovered how to release the pressure of the hose, so more electrons can flow, accelerating the photosynthetic process". This is a major advancement since this is the first time that scientists have increased the production of this protein inside plants that use the C4 photosynthesis pathway. Plants such as maize and sorghum, that use the C4 pathway, are increasingly important since they are a few of the most productive crops in the world. In the future, this discovery could help so many people all over the world struggling with starvation or poverty, who are not able to get food. An increase in crop production is not only an advancement in science, but in society as a whole. This discovery and future discoveries like these show that the world of science is never fully known and there is always room for innovation and advancement.
This week I read the article “A New Clue to How Life Originated”. This article, as the name suggests mentions a new clue to how life originated. In this article, scientists were confused how protocells (which first arose in salty water) we able to be created since one of the components needed for them (fatty-acids) were destabilized by magnesium and iron (which was needed for the amino acids) and is destabilized by the salty water. However what scientists discovered that was the clue was that if the fatty-acids aligned themselves in a sphere with amino acids inside them, they would survive. This is because (for an unknown reason) the amino acids would trigger another layer of fatty acids. What’s more, the amino acids that once were inside fatty-acid spheres like this one were able to stabilize the sphere in the presence of salt, and the spheres were still able to provide the ions necessary to make the amino acids into proteins.
This week I read “A New Clue to How Life Originated” by Ed Yong. The article addresses the solution of a long-standing puzzle about early cells. The study of life’s origin has been around for nearly 3.5 billion years. According to the reading, life is about building compartments essential for life to arise. A cell is the smallest anatomical and functional unit of an organism. Much like a protocell, the precursor of all life, cells carry three fundamental components— RNA, protein and a membrane. RNA holds molecules that encode genetic information while protein molecules perform notable tasks. On the other hand, a cell membrane, constructed from fatty acids encloses both the RNA and the proteins, restricting the molecules from drifting away. A membrane is composed mainly of phospholipid, which is comprised of— hydrophilic, negatively-charged polar heads facing outwards and hydrophobic, uncharged-nonpolar tails facing inwards. Strangely, life first appeared in the salty oceans, and magnesium, iron and salt ions sabotages the fatty acid spheres. The mystery is how could life possibly have arisen when the compartments it demands were demolished. Previously mentioned riddle was solved by Caitlin Cornell and Sarah Keller. They discovered that the miniature golden speck under the microscope was the fusion of amino acid and fatty acids, maintaining their globular form in the presence of sodium chloride. Fatty acids provide amino acids stability and in return, fatty acids concentrate the amino acids, assisting them to fuse into proteins. I find it amazing how two relevant components of life, the membrane, and its protein are required to depend on each other in order to exist. This article reveals why the cooperation of both amino acids and fatty acid spheres is vital. Overall, the amino acids allow the membranes to survive in the presence of magnesium. This discovery directs to a new question, how do a particular building block mold into larger molecules?
Photosynthesis and cellular respiration are two intertwined processes that are necessary in order for all life on Earth to exist. Without even realizing, humans are constantly involved in photosynthesis. As a result of cellular respiration preformed by humans, carbon dioxide is produced and is used during photosynthesis in animals. Photosynthesis produces oxygen for cellular respiration, causing there to be a continuous cycle. The article “Discovery of a bottleneck reliefs may have a major impact on food crops” states that scientists have recently discovered a method to speeding up the process of photosynthesis by increasing the rate at which electrons are flowing. Rieske FeS is the protein that controls the rate at which the electrons are flowing and it can increase photosynthesis by about 10%. Through the use of this protein electrons are easily able to pass through a larger hose structure and the remaining energy can be used by the carbon engine. This is the first time that this protein has been used in plants with a C4 photosynthesis pathway as it has always been tested in plants such as wheat and rice with C3 passage ways. Plants with C4 passage was included maize and sorghum which are important figures in the agricultural world. While increasing the quantities of this protein has been previously preformed on C3 plants, not much research was preformed on C4 plants until now. This success is a result of an international collaboration, which indicates that often times these associations can assist in solving numerous complex issues. While scientists have understood the mechanics of C4 plants, this is the first time they have ever been able to assist or improve the plants. The goal now is to assemble an entire protein FeS complex. With numerous other parts. Scientists are only at 10% enhancement however they strive to accomplish much more than just that.
This week I read "A New Clue to How Life Originated". Caitlin Cornell showed large bright spots she saw in her microscope to her supervisor, Sarah Keller. This was an exciting event, as it associates with questions scientists have asked about the origin of life. All cells have DNA and its counterpart RNA, proteins, encompassed in a membrane. Something interesting the article pointed out is that all life first arose in salty oceans. Salt and certain ions destroy the fatty-acid membranes of cells, which places the cells in a problematic state. As the article asked, I wondered how then could life form in salty environments. However, Caitlin Cornell and Sarah Keller supported that the membranes withstood salt and magnesium ions, as long as they're in the presence of amino acids. This fascinating information that they learned helps us understand why fatty acids and amino support each other's stability in cells even 3.5 billion years after the first cells formed. The article opened my eyes to how important research is, and how we will always have questions to answer in relation to biology.
I found the article "A New Clue to How Life Originated" to be very interesting. The main components of a basic cell, the DNA or RNA, proteins and membrane, have been known for years. These basic parts come together to form the most basic cells needed to create life. What this article discussed was how these cells were able to sustain themselves and then form into a cell. What I found so interesting was how these components individually could not survive in the environment they are created. The components would be destroyed. The scientists in the article had found that the membrane of the cell and its proteins work together to allow the cell to exist. The amino acids attach to the membrane which stabilizes the fatty acids. The amino acids then turn into proteins allowing the cell to truly develop. Like many bodily processes and functions, the true formation of these components is unknown. This research gives us a better understanding of how these cells work and could potentially have a bigger role in medicine and in understanding the basics of cell life.
Today I would like to comment on the article “Discovery of a bottleneck relief may have a major impact in food crops”, which discusses about how the Rieske FeS protein my help quicken photosynthesis. The article explains that Rieske FeS is part of a compound that allows the plant to direct electrons to the area it is needed it. By increasing more of the protein, we are reducing the pressure,allowing more electrons to flow through, which speeds up the process. Increasing the concentration of the Rieske FeS led to a ten percent increase in photosynthesis. This idea,however, has only been tested in the C3 plants, which have reduced rates of photosynthesis compared with C4 plants. C4 plants, including maize and sorghum, play a key role in world agriculture. If increasing the protein increases photosynthesis in C4 crops, it could change world agriculture.
I read the article, "Discovery of a bottleneck relief may have a major impact in food crops." I found this interesting because the author hints at speeding up photosynthesis as something that could have been recognized a while back. It states that an increased flow of electrons can speed up the process. In order to do this, a protein called Rieske FeS must be used. This protein is like a hose that allows electrons to flow through it. Scientists have been using C3 but have realized with this that it does not work with C4 plants, or at least more research needs to be done regarding that. C4 plants are actually crop related plants like corn and this would be most benefitting if it did work with these plants. On the other hand, this discovery can be life-changing for all farmers but just needs a little bit more looking into.
This week, I decided to read the article, “A New Clue to How Life Originated,” by Ed Yong. I’ve always thought that cells were so fascinating and this article has certainly proved it. It’s really interesting how a whole group of microscopic cells that contain DNA, RNA, proteins, and a membrane, when put together can create and sustain life. Especially that it would all fall apart if one piece, the membrane in this case, was missing like the gears of a watch would without all the gears. Another thing I found interesting was that in order for a cell to exist it must contain both proteins and a membrane. Does that mean when cells began to form, they were made at the same time, or did one eventually evolve after a while? Also, if the cells Caitlin Cornell was researching were modern cells, could evolution have played a role in her research? What if these cells differ from early cells? - Aashvi Parikh
This week I read the article “Discovery of a bottleneck relief may have a major impact in food crops.” This article introduced a scientific breakthrough in the process known as photosynthesis. This method is being used in specific plants that use C3 photosynthesis which includes crops such as wheat and rice. Scientists have found that increasing the production of this protein can increase the speed of photosynthesis by ten percent. By over expressing the Rieske FeS protein, scientists have discovered how to release the pressure of the part that allows electrons to flow during photosynthesis. It is very interesting that scientists can come up with ways to improve situations rather than actually try to solve the problem. In the future, this discovery could benefit many people all over the world struggling with starvation or poverty. By increasing crop production not only are plants becoming more abundant but it is also helping society survive.
The article that I chose to comment one this week was “A New Clue to How Life Originated”. Cells all have three essential parts, nucleic acids which are DNA and RNA, and they encode an organism’s genetic information. Next, they have proteins, which have function that help to cell keep moving on, and lastly, there is the plasma membrane, made up with a double layer of phospholipids. Scientists believe that a protocell, the first cell of life, would have these three fundamental parts. If the first cell was to originated from water, the cell membranes would have to be able to withstand the salt in the ocean, but it wouldn’t be able to. However, scientists Caitlin Cornell and Sarah Keller say that these membranes would have been able to withstand the saltwater, because in the presence of amino acids, the phospholipids were able to hold its shape. This experiment was partially on accident as well, because they were first about to solve a problem presented by a colleague, by stumbled upon this discovery. Now, they are studying to see how the protocell can combine to form larger molecules.
This week I chose the article “Discovery of a bottleneck relief may have a major impact in food crops” because of my great interest of photosynthesis since last year. The author discusses how by increasing the production of a protein that affects electron flow in photosynthesis, is able to speed up the entire process. The protein is called Rieske FeS which is described to be part of the complex that acts like a house that electrons travel through. By having this protein expressed more than usual it can allow more electrons to flow through the complex making the overall process of photosynthesis become faster. This makes sense as more electrons going through, allow the synthesis of energy carrier molecules in the light dependent reactions to become faster. These energy carrier molecules will then be used in the Calvin cycle. It is also noted that this has been the most successful way of increasing the rate of C4 plants’ photosynthesis pathways. This is interesting because most of the research and work to improve the rate of photosynthesis have been towards plants that have C3 examples. For example, two plants that use C3 photosynthesis are wheat and rice. The article clearly includes some of the world's most productive crops, that are an important part of agriculture, are maize and sorghum. These plants use C4 photosynthesis. The experiments on which the results were concluded in fact used a C4 species plant called Setaria Viridiana, which is actually a relative close to maize and sorghum. Hopefully scientists will soon test the effect on photosynthesis rate on sorghum. Research and work such as this is crucial in today’s world in being able to speed the growing of crops that affect people throughout the world.
This week I read the article, "Discovery in the bottleneck relief may have a major increase in crop production." The scientists behind this article found a method to increase crop phyotosynthesis by 10 percent. This is by the use of the plant producing more protien which controls the rate of electron flow in photosynthesis. Electron flow in phototsynthesis creates a gradient that powers ATP production in the protien ATP Synthase. An increased photosynthesis will directly yield larger crop production thus producing more food. An increased food supply will be necessery in the near future as the human populkation skyroketed by an exponential amount recently. Thgi sprotien may provide the solution for the growing problem of over population. The protien responsible for this is the Rieske Res protien that controls electron flow acting as a dampener. If this protien is overexpressed the 'hose's pressure' is relesed yielding greater electron flow. This breakthrough is the first time done in a C4 pathway as before it was done in c3 pathway's as said by the article.
This week I read the article, “Discovery of a bottleneck relief may have a major impact in food crops. This article explains photosynthesis and how it could be sped up. Photosynthesis is a process in which plants and other organisms use sunlight to synthesize food from carbon dioxide and H2O (water). Photosynthesis is one of the most necessary processes in the entire world. Photosynthesis allows plants to produce oxygen for humans to breathe. Without, photosynthesis our oxygen which we need to breathe does not get created. This would be extremely problematic as oxygen is necessary for survival of not just humans, but all living species on Earth. In this article, it discusses speeding up photosynthesis to benefit plants and crops. Until now, the major efforts to improve photosynthesis have been done in plants that use C3 photosynthesis, such as wheat and rice. With sped up photosynthesis, agriculture would boom and there would be constant surpluses as a result. This could be vital for the world and this topic needs to be explored further in order to improve other areas of life.
Crop growers and distributors around the world have been trying chemicals and treatments to plant life in order to make them grow faster and larger. Scientists have found an alternate method to increasing the speed of growth in crops. They have experimented and discovered that an increase in proteins in a plant help to control the rate of electron flow during photosynthesis. Test specifically pointed out that an increase in the Rieske Fes protein leads to a 10% increase during photosynthesis. This protein has a hose- like complex which allows electron flow. This protein is helpful and important to use in environments with high reliance, where C4 plants are found. This is important because it allows crop growers of C3 plants to increase growth and rate of photosynthesis.
I found the article, “Discovery of a Bottleneck Relief may have a Major Impact in Food Crops”, fascinating. Scientists have discovered that that increasing a protein known as Rieske FeS can accelerate the process in photosynthesis. By over-expressing this protein more electrons can flow resulting in an accelerated process of photosynthesis. Up until this point a majority of efforts to accelerate the process of photosynthesis has been done in plants that use C3 photosynthesis not C4. However, C4 crop species play a key role in world agriculture, and are already some of the most productive crops in the world. The discovery of the capabilities of Rieske FeS has enabled scientists to accelerate the process of synthesis in C4 plants. I am interested to see how the acceleration of photosynthesis in these plants can allow scientists to keep of the demand for food on an overpopulated planet. I hope it’s helpful in sustaining the population.
As someone who has taken environmental science, i was exited to read the article,"Discovery of a bottleneck relief may have a major impact in food crops." The article talks about how scientists have found a way to increase photosynthesis. They discovered that producing more of a protein that controls the rate in which electrons flow during photosynthesis, accelerates the whole process. This protein, Rieske FeS, belongs to a complex which is like a hose through which electrons flow, so the energy can be used by the carbon engine of the plant. By over-expressing the protein, pressure in the hose can be released causing more electrons to flow, in turn accelerating the photosynthetic process.
I found the article “Discovery of a bottleneck relief may have a major impact in food crops.” Interesting because it claimed that it found a way to “speed up photosynthesis”. I read about a year ago that a way to speed up photosynthesis would be to have a sudden influx of hydrogen ions. In this article a protein increased the fellow of electrons in plants. This is revolutionary mainly because of the breakthrough after many years of using the C4 pathway. While ten percent may seem small it may be the start of an exponential growth in increasing photosynthesis for plants. Which this new technology world hunger could potentially be a thing of the past.
Scientists can manipulate proteins within plants to help us achieve desirable traits. Recently, some scientists discovered a way to increase the amount of photosynthesis. They increased photosynthesis by 10 percent when they increased the production of the Rieske FeS protein. By overexpressing the protein, it allows more electrons to be released, speeding up photosynthesis. This is the first time that scientists had created more Rieske FeS protein inside plants that use the C4 photosynthesis pathway since most work is usually done on plants that use the C3 photosynthesis pathway. Some of the most productive plants are C4 but still more research is dedicated to C3 plants since they are more widely understood. These proteins that are able to manipulated by scientists can help increase food production to solve a growing increase in food demand, a problem that will become more serious as our population increases. Eventually, we may be able to increase photosynthesis production more in C4 plants to help solve our increasing food demand, but we have currently taken our first step in increasing photosynthesis output with the Rieske FeS protein.
The article “Discovery of a bottleneck relief may have a major impact in food crops” signifies that producing more of a protein that controls the rate of electrons can increase the process of photosynthesis. The Rieske FeS protein found in photosynthesis is compared to a hose, where overexpressing it can lead to more pressure and therefore faster water. Similarly, if the Rieske FeS protein is multiplied, then the process of photosynthesis can also be done faster. The article mentions that in the past, this type of experimentation to increase photosynthesis was done in C3 plants, such as wheat and rice. However, this study used C4 plants like maize and sorghum, which has shown significantly better results. This study has been a great example of what can be needed to improve crop production. Professor Robert Furbank, Director of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis and one of the authors of the study, says that in past years, they have worked with C4 plants and ruined them. However, this is the first study where C4 plants have shown growth.
I read the article "Discovery of a bottleneck relief may have a major impact in food crops," in which scientists may have found out a way to increase crop production by accelerating the process of photosynthesis. By increasing the production of the Rieske FeS protein it increases photosynthesis by 10%. By over expressing the protein scientists have figured out a way to increase the number of electrons that flow. Which accelerates the photosynthetic process. Until now efforts to improve photosynthesis have only been done on species that use C3 photosynthesis. These as crops such as wheat and rice. But with the C4 species play a key role in agriculture. This is what scientists are trying to improve. The Rieske protein is important in environments with high radiance, where C4 plants grow. Over expressing this protein to C3 plans improves photosynthesis, but for now more research is needed to make conclusion about C4 plants. This research was a result of an international collaboration with researches in the university of Essex in the UK, they were a part of the RIPE project. Their next goal is to assemble the whole protein FeS complex which has many other components.
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The shared characteristics of all cells today indicate the simple makeup of the first living cells on Earth. All cells, from the simplest prokaryotes to complex and specialized eukaryotes, contain genetic information, proteins, and a membrane. These three elements were the primary components of the early protocells from which life on Earth arose. Especially important is the membrane, which encloses the genetic information and protein so that work can be performed in an organized manner, allowing for the fulfillment of the characteristics of life. The cell membrane is composed of phospholipids, with polar heads facing outwards and nonpolar tails oriented inwards in water, resulting in a sphere. The cell membrane quickly decomposes in environments rich in salt, and magnesium and iron ions. This is confusing because protocells are believed to have originated in the early salty oceans. The salt within the ocean water would have prevented the cell membranes surrounding protocells from forming. Furthermore, genetic information in the form of RNA requires magnesium and iron to work. The cell membrane must have been present for protocells to exist, but the environment of early protocells would have disintegrated that membrane. New findings outlined in “A New Clue to How Life Originated,” provide an explanation for this contradictory situation. Although cell membranes do disintegrate in the presence of salt, the presence of amino acids within the membrane allows the membrane to remain intact. Furthermore, with the presence of amino acids, the phospholipids within the membrane form a phospholipid bilayer. This bilayer is the primary component of modern cell membranes. More interesting is the unique relationship between the amino acids and membrane. As the amino acids allowed the membrane to remain intact, the fatty acids of the phospholipids condense the amino acids together. This would have resulted in the formation of the first proteins, carrying out the earliest processes of life. Amino acids and the membrane fostered each other’s growth, allowing for the formation of the cell. This discovery provides key insight into how early protocells assembled. Although scientists still debate exactly where early protocells arose, the amino acid theory holds true in all proposed locations. Scientists have found an answer as to how early protocells assembled. The question of how the different components within protocells, from amino acids to the building blocks of RNA, were able to form large and complex organic molecules, with intricate functions, still remains.
This week, I read the article “Discovery of a bottleneck relief may have a major impact in food crops”. This article talks about a new discovery that can increase the speed of photosynthesis. Scientists have been trying to improve photosynthesis for a while, but only in C3 species, which include wheat and rice. The ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis wanted to try and better photosynthesis in C4 species as well. C4 species are mostly leading crops in the agriculture world, so doing this would have a big worldwide impact on global crops. The lead researcher Dr Maria Ermakova said that when they increased the production of the Rieske FeS protein in C4 species, it increased the process of photosynthesis by 10%. The Rieske protein was compared to a hose in which the electrons flow through. There is a certain pressure in this “hose” that slows down and controls how fast the electrons move. “By over expressing this protein, we have discovered how to release the pressure of the hose, so more electrons can flow, accelerating the photosynthetic process,” said Dr Ermakova. With this new discovery, crop production all over the world will be improved. Professor Robert Furbank said that even though this discovery alone took 30 years, they are still working to fully understand the protein complex. Hopefully in another 30 years, they will have discovered something new that will improve photosynthesis by another 20%.
The origin of life is a difficult topic to grasp in Biology. Not only did it happen billions of years ago, but there are also numerous theories of how it occurred. This article titled A New Clue to How Life Originated proposes a relevant answer to the age old question and supplies evidence to back it up. We all know that all living things are composed of cells and that the building blocks of cells are the four macromolecules; proteins, lipids, nucleic acids, and carbohydrates. However, according to the article, the first life differed greatly from today’s cells, and looked similar to a tiny hot sun. These early cells are called protocells and contained three parts: RNA, protein, and a membrane. A funny quote from the article described the first cells as “little bags of garbage.” Compared to the cells of today, I would agree that protocells are trashy. Since carbohydrates are not discussed in the article, I can assume that protocells lacked sugars. Without carbohydrates, I am unsure how the first cells got their energy or communicated with other cells.
Yet, there remains a problem with the three part protocells, consisting of RNA and protein surrounded by a membrane. We know the first life appeared in oceans with salt water. Except, salt ions destabilize the lipid based membrane, which would cause the cell’s contents to leak out into space. In addition, the membrane is vulnerable to magnesium and iron ions, which are required to form RNA. The solution to this dilemma was recently uncovered by Caitlin Cornell and Sarah Keller. They discovered that the tiny suns under a microscope, which were actually mixtures of fatty acids and amino acids, maintained membrane shape and function in the presence of salt. This observation shows the importance of the relationship between proteins and lipids. The components of proteins and lipids, amino acids and fatty acids respectively, provided stability and resistance against detrimental ions to each other. I find this connection between the molecules fascinating. It shows the complexity and intricacy of cells and how it was present since the beginning of life. After all, the parts of a cell could not survive on their own, since it the relationship and interactions between the molecules that make a cell alive.
I read the article, “A New Clue to the Origins of Life.” The article highlighted the three fundamental components of life: RNA, proteins, and a membrane. These components compose a protocell, an early precursor of life. Scientists recently found a connection between the proteins and membrane. The membrane would disintegrate when exposed to salt and magnesium ions. Amino acids, which make up proteins, stick to the fatty acids in the membrane to stabilize it. Thus, RNA is able to get the ions it needs and have a membrane to protect it. Just like the scientists that made the discovery, I was surprised by the biological phenomenon that the components of life provide the conditions for each other to exist. Cornell’s discovery was almost an accident, which shows the versatility of biology. Someone could go in trying to learn about something, but veer off track and make a new discovery. Not only are scientists looking towards the future, they’re also still trying to understand our beginnings as living beings.
This week I read the article “A New Clue to How Life Originated”, a piece written by The Atlantic. I found myself extremely interested in evolution when we learned about it in biology class freshman year. However, the curriculum only covered evolution in terms of species, so I chose this article as an introduction to cellular evolution. It describes how all cells, no matter how minimalist nor complex, always contain DNA, RNA, proteins, and lipids (the membrane). Even the earliest cell (the “protocell”) was very likely to be made up of these components. The DNA was needed to pass on genetic information and run the cell, the RNA to contain information to make proteins, the proteins to carry out all the cellular processes, and the lipid-containing plasma membrane to keep it all together in one whole sac. Scientists knew that cells need all of these in order to function, but how the tiny building blocks of life managed to operate with all of them without falling apart was beyond them. The cell membrane is formed by fatty acids with a polar, hydrophilic head and a non-polar, hydrophobic head. These properties allow the molecules to arrange in a way where the heads are facing outwards (to the water) and the tails are facing inwards (away from the water). This arrangement is perfectly stable unless it’s around salt, which is weird considering life began in the oceans, and also that salt is a requirement in the diets of land-dwelling organisms. Not to mention, magnesium ions, among other molecules, destabilize the enclosing function of lipids, but RNA molecules need these ions. However, two scientists—Caitlin Cornell and Sarah Keller found that fatty acids are immune to falling apart to salt and magnesium ions if they’re near amino acids—which make up proteins. I find it so interesting yet eerie in a way how all the things needed to sustain life on a cellular level are all scratching each other’s backs in turn for a scratch back—amino acids provide a resistance to salt and magnesium ions for the fatty acids so that the RNA molecules can safely get the salt and magnesium they need without disturbing the membrane. This article enlightened me more on the complexity of biology, and more specifically, of cells. Even the simplest of cellular biology, such as the chemical building blocks of cells, holds so much intricacy within itself.
Recent scientific research discovered a key component to increase rates of photosynthesis for plants. Because photosynthesis enables plants to produce their food, elevating photosynthesis rates allows for larger crop production. Consequently, the influx of agriculture around the world may aid the rapid global growing human population. Scientists found producing more of the Rieske FeS protein in plants correlates to faster photosynthesis rates; in fact, research concludes the rates of photosynthesis have risen by ten percent. The Rieske FeS protein hastens the movement of electrons in plants ultimately contributing to more efficient light-dependent and light-independent reactions which are fundamental processes in photosynthesis. Specifically, speeding electron movement quickens the rate at which electrons move from protein-to-protein in the electron transport chain during the light-dependent reaction. The processes that utilize the electron transport chain such as photosystems I and II create NADPH and ATP which are essential in continuing photosynthesis during the Calvin Cycle. Faster electron movement in the electron transport chain, furthermore, speeds chemiosmosis which conclusively phosphorylates ADP and phosphate to ATP, used later in the light-independent reaction. Because the Rieske FeS protein accelerates electron movement, which drives the fast movement of electrons in the electron transport chain, it allows photosynthesis to occur at faster rates. This research, however, has been primarily focussed on plants using the C3 pathway which the majority of plants on Earth use. More research is needed on the effects of expressing the Rieske FeS protein on the rate of photosynthesis in C4 plants due to their unique process of photosynthesis.
This week I read the article “A New Clue to How Life Originated” by Ed Yong. Evolution has always interested me, and this article made me want to learn more about cellular evolution. The article highlights the formation of the “protocell” and how amino acids allowed these cells to develop in destabilizing conditions. Some researchers believe that life began in shallow volcanic pools, while others believe that life began in deep underwater vents. To start, all cells are made up of DNA, RNA, proteins, and lipids. DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) encodes genetic information and can be replicated. RNA (ribonucleic acid) acts as a messenger and carries instructions from DNA. Proteins are polymers of amino acids and have numerous functions in the cell. Proteins can act as enzymes, receptors, transport molecules, or regulatory proteins. Cell membranes are built from phospholipid fatty acids that contain a hydrophilic head and a hydrophobic tail. Hydrophilic means that the molecule can withstand water, and hydrophobic means that the molecule will decompose in water. As structure related to function, the structure of the phospholipid arranged themselves in water with the head facing out to the water and the tails facing onwards towards each other. Molecules such as magnesium, iron, and salt, can destabilize this membrane. Then how could life have arisen in oceans full of salty water? This question was answered by Caitlin Cornell and Sarah Keller. When looking into a microscope, they accidentally discovered bright spheres inside the cell. These spheres were in fact amino acids and fatty acids. This meant that the cell can remain intact with magnesium, iron, and salt, within the presence of amino acids. The amino acids and fatty acids had almost a symbiotic relationship, in which the amino acids gave the fatty acids stability by sticking to them, and the fatty acids concentrated the amino acids, encouraging them to synthesize into proteins. This relationship is interesting, because this would have meant that the first proteins were made with the help of fatty acids, and those proteins would have carried out the first processes of life. This discovery was a key observation into how the protocell was developed and assembled. It is fascinating how the connection between these two molecules facilitated the beginning of life.
The origin of life has always been a mystery to biologists. However, the article titled, “A Clue to How Life Originated” provides an answer with evidence to support it. Although all cells are composed of the four macromolecules, which are carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids, this article suggests that the earliest form of cells contained a membrane, proteins, and RNA. However, there is a problem with this structure. When iron and magnesium are exposed to a cell membrane, it collapses and releases its contents. At the same time, the RNA inside of the membrane needs iron and magnesium requires these ions to function properly. Additionally, the membrane will destabilize when it is exposed to salt, which is abundant in oceans that life originated within. The solution to this paradox was recently uncovered at the University of Washington. They were able to find out that the compartments within the cell are able to withstand salt and magnesium ions. This is due to the fact that they are actually mixtures of amino acids and fatty acids, allowing the amino acids to prevent the catastrophic effects that salt and magnesium have on the membrane. Meanwhile, the fatty acids were able to concentrate the amino acid together, encouraging them to condense and form proteins. This fascinated me as even the most basic cells were still highly complex and allow parts that cannot survive in certain environments alone to survive together as a cell.
I was most interested in the article, “A New Clue to How Life Originated” because it talks about the mystery of how life arose. We know now that all cells are composed of DNA which encodes the genetic information and RNA which encodes information for constructing proteins. Proteins are important because they carry out the vital tasks that a cells needs. Furthermore, they are all surrounded and kept together in one sac by fatty acid membranes. Even a protocell also contained all these parts, and they existed before bacteria, animals, and plants existed. Their membranes were made of fatty acids, and they were important because they kept the components of the protocell which was the RNA and protein together instead of floating around. Since the fatty acids in the membranes have hydrophilic heads and hydrophobic tails they become spheres when placed in water. The spheres take in the RNA and proteins which creates the protocells. However, what does not make sense is that life arose from salty oceans but salt causes the spheres to collapse, and ions like magnesium which is important for RNA also causes it to collapse. Luckily, scientists Caitlyn Cornell and Sarah Keller discovered that the spheres can survive in the presence of salt and ions like magnesium with the help of amino acids. The amino acids give stability to the fatty acids in the membrane, and holds the sphere in place. Therefore, it is amazing to see that the membranes of the protocell and the proteins work together to help each other to exist. This partnership allows for life to grow and become what it is today. Additionally, Cornell discovered that these amino acids can change these fatty acid spheres like adding another layer of fatty acids which looks like the membranes in our cells. Therefore, it is intriguing to learn more about how life first started on Earth and how the early protocells lead to the complex cells today. Knowing the interactions that amino acids have with fatty acid membranes and with RNA helps the world understand how these protocells arose in salty oceans and with the presence of ions. There are still many more questions about this topic, and I am excited to learn about new discoveries and research made in the future.
This week, I decided to read the article, “Discovery of a bottleneck relief may have a major impact in food crops”, which discusses a discovery that escalates the rates of photosynthesis for C4 crop species. Recent researchers have spent the majority of their time to improve photosynthesis in C3 crop species, such as wheat and rice. Now, scientists have decided to enhance photosynthesis for C4 crop species, as these plants are a key component for world agriculture. The scientists have succeeded to enhance C4 photosynthesis by producing more of the Rieske FeS protein, which is heavily significant in environments with high radiance, where C4 plants grow. By increasing the production of this particular protein, the rate of photosynthesis by 10%. Additionally, researchers figured that by over-expressing the Rieske FeS protein, more electrons were able to flow. Moving on, researchers are still clueless about multitudes of things regarding his protein. With more research, scientists are assured that they will get better results. Maybe in the next ten to twenty years, scientists will elevate the rate from 10 percent to about 40 or 50 percent. Overall, this article was quite intriguing and informative.
I read the article "Discovery of a bottleneck relief may have a major impact in food crops." This article talks about the new discovery that scientists have made which can increase the process of photosynthesis which in turn increases crop production. I thought it was interesting that producing more protein that controls the electron flow rate during photosynthesis could speed up the process by 10 percent. Efforts were made to improve photosynthesis in plants that use C3 photosynthesis however not much effort was made for enhancing C4 photosynthesis until now.
The article I chose to read this week is based on the findings of Dr. Maria Ermakova, a researcher from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis; the title of it is "Discovery of a bottleneck relief may have a major impact in food crops." It was discovered that producing more of the protein, controlling the rate in which electrons flow during photosynthesis, would accelerate the process of photosynthesis. This in turn would lead to a huge increase in crop production. When increasing this protein's (Rieske FeS) production, photosynthesis also increases by 10%. Dr. Ermakova explains the process as follows:"'The Rieske FeS protein belongs to a complex which is like a hose through which electrons flow, so the energy can be used by the carbon engine of the plant. By overexpressing this protein, we have discovered how to release the pressure of the hose, so more electrons can flow, accelerating the photosynthetic process.'” She has said that this is the first time scientists have made more of this protein inside the C4 photosynthesis pathway. Most of the endeavors to accelerate photosynthesis have been done in plants using C3 photosynthesis. C4 photosynthesis is found in many productive crops grown in the world today such as corn (maize) and sorghum. Therefore changing the rate of electron transport enhances photosynthesis, especially in C4, and it's crucial to understand this process more thoroughly. The Rieske protein is especially important in environments of high radiance. It is necessary for more research to be done overexpressing the Rieseke protein in C4 plants. Scientists are hopeful to increase the 10% they achieved into something more to cultivate more production of these crops.
This week, I read the article "Discovery of a bottleneck relief may have a major impact in food crops." Scientists have discovered that producing a higher amount of the Rieske FeS protein in plants can control how electrons flow during photosynthesis and can lead to an abundance of crops. Dr. Maria Ermakova from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis stated that after increasing the production of this protein, photosynthesis increased by 10%. Dr. Ermakova says that this is the first time that scientists have produced more of the Rieske FeS protein in plants that use the C4 photosynthesis pathway. Until now, scientists have mainly just been trying to improve photosynthesis in species using the C3 pathway, like rice and wheat, and not much has been done to improve C4 species, making this a vital discovery.
The article about photosynthesis showed me how biology is being applied to solve real-world problems. With the Earth’s population continuing to rise, the agricultural industry is struggling to keep up. There’s only so many crops farmers can plant in a limited space, so it’s vital for scientists to look for other solutions. By speeding up photosynthesis, crops will be more readily available, but I don’t believe it will be enough. This article reminded of a really fascinating video I found on YouTube about urban farming. The video was about Elon Musk’s brother, who started an urban farming company, called Square Roots, in Brooklyn. (Here is a link to the video if you’re interested: https://youtu.be/VxRNoSSkLkE ). Articles like these get me super excited for the future. The other article was also very exciting. The fact that the protocell’s membrane and its proteins were basically feeding each other was amazing. It’s almost frightening how little we know about how life first came to be and how it evolved into what it is today. It seems like when one question is answered, two more take its place. Hopefully Keller will discover even more about what happens once a protocell is formed.
For this week’s assignment I chose to read about the “Discovery of a bottleneck relief may have a major impact in food crops” In this article it talks about how “scientists have found how to relieve a bottleneck in the process by which plants transform sunlight into food.” They say it might lead to a boost in the amount of crops made. Scientists have found out that if more proteins that control how electrons flow in the process of photosynthesis are created, the whole process of making crops will be much faster. The production of faster crops can make the lives of farmers much easier. They will have less stress, and more time to spend with their families. Researcher Dr. Ermakova, who works at The Australian National University (ANU) Centre Node said, “The Rieske FeS protein belongs to a complex which is like a hose through which electrons flow, so the energy can be used by the carbon engine of the plant. By overexpressing this protein, we have discovered how to release the pressure of the hose, so more electrons can flow, accelerating the photosynthetic process,” This discovery is pretty shocking, because it’s “the first time that scientists have generated more of the Rieske FeS protein inside plants that use the C4 photosynthesis pathway.” The production of faster crops can have a big change in today’s world for millions of people.
I decided to read the article, “Discovery of a bottleneck relief may have a major impact in food crops”. It talked about the discovery of a protein that let more electrons flow to make photosynthesis happen faster. The protein is called the Reiske FeS protein, and it helped increase photosynthesis by ten percent. It puts more electrons into circulation to make more photosynthesis. Electrons are key to photosynthesis in the electron transport chain. They create enough energy to make photosynthesis happen after being excited by a photon. More electrons means faster photosynthesis. Faster photosynthesis means that plants obtain energy faster and grow faster. For food crops, this means a bigger harvest. By increasing the amount of the Reiske FeS protein in plants, more food will be in production to feed hungry consumers.
The origin of life is a topic of mystery. In the article “A New Clue to the Origins of Life,” college student Caitlin Cornell and her supervisor Sarah Keller made an accidental discovery that, as said in the title, gave them insight into the origins of life. Sarah Keller began her research to address the fact that nobody seemed to know how exactly RNA, membranes, and proteins assembled to create protocols. What was discovered instead was the relationship between amino acids and fatty-acids. Cornell discovered that when magnesium or salt ions came in contact with a fatty-acid, the fatty-acid disintegrated. But when amino acids were added to the fatty-acids, magnesium and salt had no effect. This was such a great discovery because Keller and Cornell found the benefits of amino acids without them, fatty-acid membranes couldn’t exist when magnesium was present, and therefore RNA could not function. This discovery uncovered the answer to the paradox that is the coexistence of fatty-acid spheres, magnesium, and RNA.
The article I chose to read this week was titled “A New Clue to the Origins of Life.” Caitlin Cornell and Sarah Keller of the University of Washington found a piece of the puzzle to the question of the origins of life. This topic has been a long standing debate among the scientific community, specifically about how early cells might have developed. No one understood how the holy trinity of cells -RNA and proteins in a membrane- came together, however Cornell found the answer. They came together based on need. The membrane is made of fatty acids with a hydrophobic tail and a hydrophilic head. These conditions made the molecules organize themselves in a way that created a hollow sphere where the tails where out of water and the heads where in water. However, since life began in the ocean, no one knew how it was possible that this structure held together in the salty ocean water. Cornell and Keller found that if the structure was in the presence of amino acids found in proteins, the salt and magnesium ions wouldn’t be able to break it apart. To prove this theory, Cornell conduced her own experiment and found that the membrane did not break apart when magnesium ions were added if amino acids where added first. This discovery opens the door to many new questions to answer. For example, how do the individual building blocks bind together to create the larger molecules?
After reading the two articles, I had found the article, “Discovery of a bottleneck relief may have a major impact in food crops,” the most interesting. It mainly focuses on the discoveries made by scientists about the increase in photosynthesis resulting in more crops. As stated in the article, they discovered that producing more of a protein that controls the rate in which electrons flow during photosynthesis, speeds up the whole process. When scientist tested the effect of the Rieske FeS protein, they had observed a 10% increase of photosynthesis. Majority of the efforts to improve and increase photosynthesis have been done in species that use C3 photosynthesis as stated in the article. These include wheat and rice. On the other hand, C4 species already the productive and widespread crops they are have not played a role in enhancing photosynthesis. There isn’t still much research that has to be done as scientists fail to fully understand the protein complex as it has many other components.
I was interested by the article titled “Discovery of a bottleneck relief may have a major impact in food crops” because it was about an impactful study on how scientists have discovered an approach to speed up the process of photosynthesis. The Rieske FeS protein was found to increase photosynthesis by 10%. The protein is part of a complex through which electrons flow so that energy can be utilized by the plant’s carbon engine. The electron concentration could be increased by overexpressing Rieske FeS so that photosynthesis could be accelerated. To this point, most research on this subject has been applied on plants using C3 pathways, however C4 species hold more significance in agriculture. The protein was especially helpful in areas with high radiance in which C4 plants thrive. Scientists are now prepared to transform this into crop and track how it affects the biomass. This discovery could help the worldwide community in increasing crop production. Over the past 30 years, we have gained a lot of knowledge on C4 plants, however this is the first time where we have been able to improve them. Researchers now hope to bring together the entire FeS protein complex to further the fast generation of electrons. This aids cells during the light dependent reactions which take place in the electron transport chain. It is necessary for these energized particles to move between proteins located on the cell membrane so gradients can be maintained, synthesizing ATP and the byproduct oxygen. I think that this breakthrough discovery is truly remarkable. It holds the potential to completely revolutionize our agricultural industry and can help preserve our future by allowing us to feed more mouths. Speeding up photosynthesis in plants can in turn speed up cellular respiration in animals since these two crucial processes work hand in hand.
For this week’s assignment, I chose to read the “Discovery of a bottleneck relief may have a major impact in food crops.” As we all know, plants are essential for survival on the planet. They produce precious oxygen, which runs all the living things on Earth, including plants themselves. To do this, plants undergo the process of photosynthesis. What if humans could speed up that process? Humans have been able to do so, in plants that undergo C3 photosynthesis, but not C4 or CAM. This article is about the discovery of advantages using the Rieske FeS protein. This isn’t an additional protein, but the addition of a protein that was already present in plants. This protein helps regulate electron flow during photosynthesis. Scientists then tried adding the protein during photosynthesis, and found that it increases the process by 10%! Here is how it happens: as mentioned previously, the protein is used to regulate electrons. The protein is part of a larger structure that works “like a hose through which electrons flow.” Adding this protein resulted in decreasing the pressure of this hose, therefore making photosynthesis much faster. With faster photosynthesis, there are many benefits. For example, the plant will then be more capable of survival in the environment, passing on better traits to its offspring. More importantly, increased photosynthesis means increased oxygen production, and more carbon consumption. This will help the environment greatly, eating up the excess carbon humans are producing at an excessive rate. C3 plants have already been altered to increase photosynthesis, but now that we’ve discovered how C4 plants are able to do this, we are one step closer to saving our environment.
I read the second article, "Discovery of a bottleneck relief may have a major impact in food crops." This was a very interesting article. It talked about how scientists may have discovered how to alleviate a bottleneck in the way that plants use sunlight to make food, leading to a growth in crop production. They found that increased production of the Rieske FeS protein affects an increase of photosynthesis by 10%. That protein is significant for environments that have a high radiance, where C4 plants grow. Professor von Caemmerer finds this to be exciting because there is an effect can be tested for the biomass in a food crop. After solving complex challenges faced in trying to improve crop production, the next steps are to assemble the whole protein FeS complex. There are still many parts that need to be addressed about this protein complex. Photosynthesis is a very intriguing topic, and this article made me even more interested to learn more about it.
This week I read “A New Clue to How Life Originated”. I always was interested in how the universe and life originated from absolutely nothing, so when I saw this article posted I immediately clicked on it. Cells are made up of either DNA or RNA, proteins, and a fatty acid membrane, early “protocells” were no different. The fatty acid membrane of cells were vital to protocells for two main reasons. Life arose in oceans, so the salt would dramatically destabilize the fatty acid. Additionally, ions such as magnesium and iron cause the membranes to collapse, which is a very big problem since RNA requires those ions. While Caitlin Cornell of Washington University was studying capability of fatty acids as membranes, she noticed that something that looked like little suns in space. After showing her supervisor, Sarah Keller, the duo concluded that the little suns were in fact mixtures of amino acids and fatty acids maintaining their spherical shape in the presence of salt. They discovered that the spheres can withstand salt and these certain ions if they’re in the presence of amino acids. The fatty acids and amino acids provide the conditions to exist for each other. The discovery was also in part thanks to Roy Black who suggested that the membrane might’ve been key to the cells, rounding up proteins and RNA. Cornell decided to test that suggestion by incubating fatty acids with three different amino acids. That’s when she discovered the “suns”. She noticed that the membranes automatically formed hollow spheres that dissolved if alone in salt or magnesium, but stayed the same if they were with the amino acids. Although much about early cells is unknown, it’s really interesting reading about the incredible advances scientists and researchers are making to uncover how all life in the universe came to be.
This week, I read, “A New Clue to the Origins of Life,” This article interested me a lot because it explained a solution to how early cells originated. All cells contain three fundamental elements, no matter how big, small, specialized or simple they are. These characteristics include having molecules like DNA or RNA that can be copied and carry the encoding information of the cell, particular proteins that provide as workers to carry out important tasks, and along with that, they are encircled with a membrane made of fatty acids. Going back in time to before animals, plants, and bacteria existed, the precursor of all life, also called a protocell, most likely contained these fundamental elements. Membranes were crucial to hold in all other molecules in a cell so that they wouldn’t just float away. They were the reason a group of lifeless, disordered chemicals could become humans, elephants, bacteria, and trees. “Life, at its core, is about creating compartments.” Early cell membranes were made with fatty acids, each with a hydrophilic head and a hydrophobic tail, that formed hollow spheres when placed in water. From there, they could easily form compartments that enclosed RNA as well as proteins. All of this mainly works for two reasons. One, the first life was found in salty oceans, and salt immensely destabilizes fatty-acid spheres. Along with that, ions like magnesium and iron cause some spheres to collapse. That’s problematic since RNA needs these ions. The answer to this problem is that spheres can withstand both magnesium as well as salt and magnesium ions, as long as there are amino acids around. Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins. It’s so cool that two of the most crucial components of life, the cell’s membrane and proteins provided the conditions for each other to live. Overall, it’s really cool to see that details of life’s origin are still being discovered and investigated. One day we might have answers to even the most minuscule details of life.
This week I read the article "A New Clue to How Life Originated" by Ed Yong, it talks about how scientists have recently uncovered clues to how the first cell (protocell) was created. All the cells in our bodies and in the world have 3 common features, Molecules the contain information for the cells (DNA and RNA), molecules the perform tasks in the cell (proteins), and a cellular membrane made from phospholipids. Scientists believe the shared elements between cells indicates that the protocell also contains these 3 elements. The cell membrane is built from a bipolar group of fatty acids, the head of the fatty acids would like the water while the tails would not. So, when they are ou in the water the fatty acids from into a circle shape with the heads facing outwards and the tails facing inwards where there is no water. These circles can contain RNA and proteins for making protocells in them, but then there came a problem. Most life first began in the salty oceans, and salt destabilizes the fatty acid spheres. RNA requires magnesium and iron ions to function, but these ions also cause the sphere to collapse. bUt recently 2 scientists from the University of Washington discovered a way that the cells protect themselves from these factors, they found out that amino acids help support the fatty acids in holding their shape in the presence of salt and ions.
This week I read the article “Discovery of a bottleneck relief may have a major impact in food crops”, I was interested in the topic of improving the process of photosynthesis. The protein Rieske FeS found in plants helps speed up photosynthesis in plants by ten percent. The idea of a protein that can speed up this process, was very intriguing to me, because the byproduct of photosynthesis is oxygen. If the process of photosynthesis is speed up then this would mean that there would be more products, and byproducts, so for example there would be more oxygen for the atmosphere and glucose for the plant. I also found it interesting that the scientists found that the protein worked in C3 plants, and scientists still have to do more research on the C4 plants. After reading this article I questioned if this occurred because of the differences in C3 and C4 plants. C4 plants are more effective than C3 plants since they can undergo carbon fixation in mesophyll cells and bundle sheath cells, whereas C3 plants can only undergo carbon fixation in mesophyll cells. Also, C3 plants do not have chloroplasts in the bundle sheath cells. Do these differences in the carbon fixation route have any effect on the usage of the Rieske FeS protein During photosynthesis? Since C4 plants are more efficient in the means of carbon fixation is there a completely different protein that helps speed up the process of photosynthesis in these plants? Scientists worked on the protein with C3 and C4 plants, what if they worked with CAM plants as well? CAM plants separate the process between day and night so does this have anything to do with not using the protein on the CAM plants? Those were some things that I found interesting in this weeks article.
Tanush Saini-
This week I read, ‘’Discovery of a bottleneck relief may have a major impact in food crops’’. I approached this article as the link read, ‘’speeding up photosynthesis’’, this made me curious to how photosynthesis could be sped up. The article speaks about the key to speeding up photosynthesis is in a protein that increases the flow of electrons in the electron transport chain. This protein is known as Rieske FeS, and Rieske FeS could change the lives of farmers. This is because increasing the rate of photosynthesis increases the speed of and output of crops, benefiting farmers who sell their crops. The only problem is that this protein doesn’t seem to affect those plants that follow the c4 pathway of photosynthesis. As a result of this more research is needed to speed up photosynthesis in crops like corn.
After reading the two articles, I found "Discovery of a bottleneck relief may have a major impact in food crops," the most intriguing. This article talks about scientists who found a way to increase the production of plants. They would produce the Rieske FeS protein, which increases the flow of electrons during photosynthesis. This protein would increase photosynthesis by 10 percent, allowing crops to transform sunlight into food much faster than previously. This discovery was the "first time that scientists have generated more of the Rieske FeS protein inside plants that use the C4 photosynthesis pathway." The other times the scientists tried to improve photosynthesis in plants that used the C3 pathway. This discovery is life-changing for farmers who grow corn, sugarcane, and maize because they C4 photosynthesis pathway. They will be able to produce the Rieske FeS protein at a higher rate, thus increasing the production of corn, sugarcane, and maize.
I decided to read "A New Clue to How Life Originated" because it sounds important. Turns out, it truly is great work and many scientists agree as aswell. Cells that make up all living things have three must-have elements; RNA and proteins, in a membrane. Life rose in salty oceans which quickly destabilizes fatty-acid spheres and ions such as magnesium and iron cause this phere to collapse. That's an issue because RNA, a must-have element, needs these ions.Caitlin Cornell accidentally figured out how the first cells were able to sustain livability by accident. She figured out that a protocell's membrane (the precursor of all life) and its proteins "provided the conditions for each other to exist" by fatty acids which adds support and is said to help amino acids form into proteins. The discovery of how important the role of amino acids in a cell is astonishing and yet confusing because we still don't know why their presence makes such an impact.This is only the first step however because now we have to find out how these blocks bond to form the larger molecules, which will take extensive research.
The creation of glucose through light dependent and independent processes is the journey of electrons, carbon molecules, hydrogen ions and much more. This photosynthetic process is vital for a plant to create glucose for breaking down in cellular respiration, which provides energy and food. This leads to a mass production of crops, and the reactions all start with a water molecule releasing electrons into the photo systems and transport chains of the chloroplast. These electrons have proven to be significant in order to create the concentration gradient of hydrogen ions for production of ATP, but a complex of proteins gives power for the electron flow. One of the most essential is the Rieske FeS protein, which is a principal aspect of controlling the rate at which electrons flow in photosynthetic processes. The article “Discovery of a bottleneck relief may have a major impact in food crops” reflects upon speeding up photosynthesis through over-expressing Rieske FeS, which would lead to a 10 percent increase in the speed. By accelerating this reaction, mass producing crops will comes with ease, and an improvement to C4 plants would be celebrated upon. Scientists have studied C4 plants for years, but this is one of the first improvements in such plants , which are vital to the agricultural part of our world. Accelerating electron transport through the increase of this protein would be helpful in areas of high radiance where C4 plants grow, and only 10 percent enhancement has been done so far. There is described to be potential for much more when the FeS complex is complete, which will truly bring our agriculture to another level due to the international collaborations on this project. C4 plants will be mass produced, just as C3 plants, and a surplus of crops will be all over the globe.
I chose to read the article "Discovery of a bottleneck relief may have a major impact in food crops" because photosynthesis is a topic that interests me. The article explains that in order to find a method to speed up the process of photosynthesis, scientists tested what would happen if production of the Rieske FeS protein in plants was increased. The lead researcher Dr. Maria Ermakova discovered that it increased photosynthesis by 10 percent. The Rieske FeS protein controls the rate at which electrons flow during photosynthesis, so increasing its production increased the amount of electrons that were able to flow. I found it very interesting that this was the first time scientists were able to generate more of the Rieske FeS protein in plants that use the C4 photosynthesis pathway (such as maize and sorghum). According to the article, scientists have mostly been focusing on increasing the rate of photosynthesis in plants that use the C3 pathway, like wheat and rice, because further research needed to be conducted on C4 plants. The information in this article made me realize how beneficial this discovery can truly be. Increased photosynthesis can lead to crops being grown at a faster rate therefore increasing production. The article also explains how more research will be conducted on C4 plants and the FeS protein complex over time. I was impressed to learn that this discovery was made in collaboration with researchers from the University of Essex because it highlights that difficult problems can be solved more easily through international collaborations. I hope that scientists will learn more about the FeS protein complex in the future to enhance photosynthesis even further as Professor Robert Furbank (Director of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis) believes they can.
For this week, I chose to read the article discussing speeding up the process of photosynthesis in plants. With nature, ecosystems, and plant life, in general, being hot topics of media outlets as of recently, I wanted to further my knowledge of how plants affect our lives in small and big ways. To start, photosynthesis is the process in which plants convert sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water into glucose and oxygen. Glucose is their source of food and they release oxygen into the atmosphere for other organisms, especially humans. The premeditated burning of plants and crops does seem malicious at first glance, but natural burnings of forests, grass plains, and other plant-dominated areas are good. Fires would burn dead plants which seep into the soil and these fires could also give an ecosystem new life. Potentially increasing the rate of photosynthesis is so beneficial in that it would increase oxygen production, which would combat the growing global warming trend, and it would lead to more bountiful crops due to the increase in glucose production. In the article, the scientists increased the production of the Rieske FeS protein and they soon found that photosynthesis increased by 10 percent. Dr. Ermakova explains that increasing the production of this protein lead to an increase in electron flow, which is vital in photosynthesis. It's later explained that enhancements to photosynthesis were only done to species that perform C3 photosynthesis. The experiment explained throughout the article used C4 crops, like maize, sorghum, and sugar cane. These crops already have a high production rate, but to further that allows scientists and potentially farmers further understand C4 photosynthesis and how to grow the best yield.
I have always been very interested in the growth of plants and the fruits and vegetables that they produce. The article, “Discovery of a bottleneck relief may have a major impact in food crops,” introduced the concept that an increase in a certain protein can stimulate advances in photosynthesis. This protein, Rieske FeS, increases the flow of electrons necessary in the process of photosynthesis. The Rieske protein has been known to increase the rate of photosynthesis in C3 crop species, which includes wheat and rice. After being studied by the ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis (CoETP) in collaboration with researchers involved with the Realizing Increased Photosynthetic Efficiency (RIPE) project, scientists have found that the protein has also made substantial improvements on C4 crop species, which includes corn and a type of cereal grain called sorghum. Although increasing this protein in high-demand crops will help resolve issues concerning supply and demand economics, the process of altering natural growth develops concern. If the science community continues to alter plants, the quality and healthiness of these products may start to diminish. Mass production is necessary to feed the mouths around the world, so the need for more efficient crop production grows. However, it is possible that as humans continue to alter nature’s products, the earth may begin to reject the growth of certain crops. I feel as though we, as humans, focus too much on finding means of modifying the natural world to fit our needs and desires, rather than appreciating what the earth provides for us. The Rieske protein may help increase crop production, but altering these plants might not be the best solution to the bottleneck problems.
The article that I read this week was “A New Clue to How Life Originated” by Ed Yong. In it, Sarah Keller wanted to address a problem posed by her colleague Roy Black on “how exactly the protocell trinity—RNA, proteins, and membranes—actually assembled in the first place.'' No one really knew how this happened and was explained merely by a “random event” up until now. Keller’s student, Caitlin Cornell, set out to find an answer by incubating a fatty acid with three different amino acids. Without amino acids, the fatty acids assembled into hollow spheres, with the hydrophobic tails pointing inward and the hydrophilic heads on the outside, which disintegrated when salt or magnesium ions were added. However, life first came about in oceans, so after Cornell added amino acids, they did not disintegrate when salt or magnesium ions were added. This effectively brings together the relationship that amino acids prevent membranes containing the RNA from dissolving in magnesium, and the RNA is able to use magnesium to function. This recent discovery now poses even bigger questions such as “how the individual building blocks bond to form larger molecules”. This article caught my attention and resonated with me because it demonstrates how much we still have yet to learn about the complex question of how life originated. The article also illustrates how much is still not known about fundamental biological concepts or is just mere speculation. Additionally, this concept shows how various fields in science can cross over to each other such as, in this case, chemistry creating the “richness of biology”.
This week I decided to read, “Discovery of a bottleneck relief may have a major impact in food crops.” Scientists have found how to relieve a bottleneck in the process by which plants transform sunlight into food, which may lead to an increase in crop production. It has been discovered that producing more of a certain protein can accelerate the whole process. The Rieske FeS protein belongs to a complex, so the energy can be used by the carbon engine of the plant. The release of this protein makes the photosynthesis process faster. Dr. Ermakova published this finding explaining that for the first time, scientists generated more of the Rieske FeS protein inside plants that use the C4 photosynthesis pathway. Until now, most of the testing to speed up photosynthesis was done for plants or species that use the C3 pathway, but now the testing is going towards enhancing C4 species. They results illustrate that the change of rate of electron transport enhances photosynthesis in the C4 model, especially in “Setaria viridis”, a close relative of maize. Additionally, this protein is important in high radiance environments, the best place for C4 plants to grow. University of Essex reasercher, Patricia Lopez- Calcagno, claims that this situation was a great example for the need of international collaboration to solve complex challenges in crop production. Previously, scientists have tested C4 plants; however, it made the plants worse. Now, this is a true instance where the C4 plants and farmers can be benefited greatly. Scientists are now preparing for the next step which is to assemble the whole protein FeS complex. There are still many components to this protein that researchers do not fully understand. So far, they have been able to reach 10 percent improvement, but they claim they can do so much better than that.
The article that I read this week was “A New Clue to How Life Originated” by Ed Yong. This article was very informative as well as interesting. All cells contain DNA, RNA, and a membrane. The cell’s membrane is made of phospholipids which have hydrophilic heads and hydrophobic tails. These fatty acid molecules would assemble themselves into hollow spheres, with the water-hating tails pointing inward and the water-loving heads on the surface. Life arose from salty oceans which is incredibly interesting since salt destabilizes the fatty acid spheres. Other ions like magnesium and iron also cause the spheres to collapse which is a problem since RNA requires these Ions. Caitlin Cornell and Sarah Keller found out that these fatty acid spheres can withhold the presence of magnesium and salt when they in the presence of amino acids. This discovery sparks an interest in me because two of the essential components of life, a protocell’s membrane and its proteins, provide the conditions for each other to exist.
This week, I read the article which explained the findings of Caitlin Cornell. Cornell was attempting to understand the fundamental elements of cells, RNA, proteins, and a fatty acid membrane, found in the first and most simple cell called the protocell. The article details about the fatty acid hydrophilic head-hydrophobic tail structures of early cell membranes. Although it is believed that life first arose in salty oceans, the structure of early cells has suggested this is impossible because salt, magnesium, and iron, which are essential for rna, destabilize fatty acids. Cornell therefore set out to answer this contradiction and found that the presence of amino acids in salty water does not destabilize or collapse fatty acids of the cell membrane. Both amino acids, the building blocks of proteins, and fatty acids seemed to be inseparable through the investigation, and this suggests that membranes could promote protein synthesis. Cornell also observed that fatty acids transformed into another layer of fatty acids, just like our cells, within the presence of amino acids. This investigation could potentially provide evidence for the highly debated question of whether life began in shallow volcanic pools or in underwater vents, although it could work on both sides. It could also answer how larger molecules that make up more complex organs or systems came to be. Overall, understanding the past could help scientists understand more about the current state of cells and their functions. This article was very interesting to me because it made me realize that cells are relatively simple in structure with 3 fundamental parts, yet are so complex in function and purpose. It is also interesting to realize the importance of every single part of the cell, no matter how small, because they all work together to form the building blocks of life.
As the population of Earth ever so increases, the need for effective ways to increase crop production if in high demand. In the article, “Discovery of a bottleneck relief may have a major impact in food crops”, it is discussing how there have been new finding that may help improve the production of crops. Photosynthesis is a process which plants use to convert sunlight into food that the plant consumes. This process is constricted by protein which controls the flow of electrons. Scientists were able to increase the rate at which electrons transfer, therefore increasing the rate at which photosynthesis occurs. Since the rate of photosynthesis increases, it would lead to higher crop production. The protein involved in the flow of electrons is Reiske FeS protein, and by overexpressing the protein, it resulted in a 10 percent increase in photosynthesis. This modification was made in plants that us the C4 photosynthesis pathway, which is a major improvement as most of the work related to the modification had been done on plants with the C3 photosynthesis. Plants, such as Setaria viridis, have shown promising improvements as this can be applied to other plants, such as maize and sorghum , which are also relatives. This modification has only been seen to improve photosynthesis in C3 plants in high radiant environments while there has to be further research on C4 plants. By enabling plants to produce quicker, it is allowing the possibility of sustaining the growing population of earth, which only improves the quality of life and availability of produce for all.
I read the article, “ A new clue to how life originated.” It was very interesting and I learned a lot. There are three elements in a cell of all living things. First there is DNA, then proteins and lastly there is a membrane. It we go back to the beginning of all life we would probably find a cell with all three of those elements. Membranes are very important to life because without them everything would just float all over the place. It wouldn’t be organized. There would be no barrier between molecules. Membranes are built from fatty acids. With hydrophilic heads and hydrophobic tails. Life first started in salty water but salt destabilizes the fatty acids and there are a couple ions that make the fatty acids collapse. Two scientists have found out that the fatty acid spheres can still work with the ions and salt due to amino acids, which makeup proteins. This means that the proteins and the membranes helped each other survive. Fatty acids stuck to the amino acids and this made them stable. Scientists were very fascinated by how these two elements of a cell helped each other that much. A scientist named Cornell tested this out by combining a fatty acid with three different proteins and found out that they did work together. If the spheres did not have the amino acids they would not be able to stay stable with the salt and ions. In conclusion, I loved reading this article and I learned a lot about the interaction between amino acids and fatty acid spheres.
Caitlin’s Cornell and her supervisor as the University of Washington found the answer to a rather difficult question; how can life arise in an environment that uses ingredients it needs in order to destroy materials that it requires to survive? Every cell has always contained DNA and RNA, proteins, and fatty acids. Fatty acids make up cell membranes that create compartments. Though, life had first risen in salty environments and salt destabilizes fatty acids causing the spheres to collapse, which was troublesome for RNA. Scientists were faced with an important question; how can life survive in these conditions? Caitlin and her supervisor, Sarah Keller, discovered that the spheres can survive these harsh circumstances is long as they have amino acids. She discovered that protecell’s membrane and its proteins provide conditions so that both can exist. The amino acids provide stability which allows the membrane to survive. When amino acids are present, there are two layers in the spheres, which leads to a more biological shape.
This article was really fascinating. I never thought about the origin of a cell in depth. This article was well structured. It not only taught me about protocells by connecting my current understanding of cells to the topic I was trying to learn about. Particularly, I thought it was interesting that the specific materials that were required were the ingredients that were causing the collapse of the membrane. I was also fascinated by the connection between the fatty acids and proteins and how they ensure the existence of one another. Their relationship is astounding because it shows how all of these molecules create a cell.
This week, I chose to read the article, “Discovery of a bottleneck relief may have a major impact on food crops.” In order to increase crop production, scientists at the ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis have found a way to increase the production of the Rieske FeS protein which in turn speeds up the photosynthesis process in plants. The photosynthetic cycle starts with electrons from the chlorophyll. The energy in sunlight electronically excites the chlorophyll molecule and one of its electrons is released. The energized electrons are used to make NADPH and power ATP production. Scientists have researched and come to the conclusion that the Rieske FeS protein controls the rate at which electrons flow during photosynthesis. If the amount of this protein a plant has is increased, the process by which plants transform sunlight into food will be accelerated. Until now, this protein has been used to improve photosynthesis in C3 plants and for the first time, scientists are generating more of it inside plants using the C4 pathway. C4 plants are known to naturally photosynthesize at a higher rate than C3 plants under normal light and temperature situations and this high productivity is the reason not a lot has been done to enhance C4 photosynthesis. Scientists have been researching how these plants work by breaking them down bit by bit but this protein is the first step to actually improving the process. This discovery could increase the production of major food crops such as sorghum, wheat and rice.
The Arc Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis released an article regarding the potential to accelerate photosynthesis. Such a process would be done by producing more of a protein (named the Rieske FeS Protein) that controls electron flow speed during the process. Such an ability can potentially increase food production which could signify more success in the agricultural industry and potentially even decreased crop prices. Producing more of the Rieske FeS protein would release pressure in its hose like structure allowing more electrons to pass through whose energy can be used by the plant. Speeding up photosynthesis has rarely been done in C4 crop species until now compared with the more extensive experimentation with it in C3 plants. These studies have lead to the formation of the Realizing Increased Photosynthetic Efficiency Project. It is claimed that the future of this research consists of assembling FeS complexes.
For this weeks reading I chose “A New Clue to How Life Originated.” The evolutionary history of life on Earth traces the processes by which living and fossil organisms evolved, from the earliest existence of life to the present. For years, the knowledge of the basic building block of life (cells) has continued to be an unfathomed field for all scientists. With ever so changing evolutions in the human and additional animal species, the question of “how life started?” has never ceased to puzzle scientists. This article takes another step into deciphering how life really started. Cells make up all living things, and despite their endless variations they all serve the same purpose, and understanding what a cell is, is crucial to learning how life truly starts. Important genetic sequences like DNA and RNA codes is what gives the biological blueprints to how all life on earth functions. However, according to the article, the biological gift of life started with something very simple “before animals and plants and even bacteria existed, and you’d find that the precursor of all life—what scientists call a “protocell”—likely had this same trinity of parts: RNA and proteins, in a membrane. As the physicist Freeman Dyson once said, “Life began with little bags of garbage.” The evolution of life over the millions of years on this planet is incredible, yet its absolutely amazing to see at this microscopic level how life could’ve stared. The most important finding of this scientific discovery in my opinion was learning that even at the smallest building block of life, there is still something more under it that has an even greater impact than we even know.
The article "A New Clue to How Life Originated" is interesting. The beginning of the article explains that life began with RNA and proteins in a membrane. I don't understand if the article is implying that this protocell was how life started or simply an older version of the now evolved cell. I believe the latter makes more sense because RNA and proteins in a membrane is too complex a structure to occur accidentally. It's too orderly in an environment that naturally sways towards disorder (entropy). The article even goes on to explain how the membrane is a crucial part of this cell with both hydrophobic and hydrophilic parts. This far stretched possibility was only the beginning. Not only does the membrane protect the RNA and protein, but the amino acids in the protein protects the membrane from both the salt and magnesium ions which normally makes the membrane unstable. In the article this codependent relationship is described as magical. This is true but unfortunate because it is based on the guess that RNA, proteins, and fatty acids formed and met coincidentally. The unlikeliness of such a perfect accident is too great.
The article, “Discovery of a bottleneck relief may have a major impact in food crops,” was quite informative and interesting. It discusses how scientists have discovered a way to relieve a bottleneck in photosynthesis. A bottleneck is one process in a chain of process and has the capacity to delay the entire system. Therefore, in photosynthesis, scientists have found a way to increase crop production by over-expressing the Rieske FeS protein. By increasing the production of this protein, which controls the rate of electron flow during photosynthesis, they can speeding up the entire process by 10 percent. The lead researcher, Dr. Ermakova, explains that they have uncovered a way to reduce the process of the complex that the Rieske FeS belongs to, so more electrons can flow through the hose and escalate the photosynthetic process as a whole. Before now, there has been more progress and focus on the acceleration of the C3 photosynthesis, not on C4 crop species. The C4 process required the research that was already conducted with C3 plants, which was to test of if the increase in production of the Rieske protein would result in an overall acceleration in photosynthesis. The research explained in the article was the result of a collaboration with the University of the Essex in the UK. With their help, the scientists were able to discover the more about the C4 photosynthetic process, of how changing the rate of electron transport enhances the production in the C4 model species Setaria viridis. It is certainly a great improvement in the research considering the C4 crop species include maize and sorghum which drive the agriculture and food industry. Scientists have uncovered most of the information on C4 plants for this study by breaking them apart and examining them. Their next step is to assemble all the different components that creates the Rieske FeS complex. The goal that is set for the future is to accelerate the rate of photosynthesis by a percentage higher than 10. The 10% was achieved by over-expressing the protein, but to achieve a higher percentage would probably be reached by other means that can be uncovered with further research. This advancement would certainly would be helpful if there was a drastic decrease in crop production due to change in climate or other environmental factors.
This week I read the article “Discovery of a bottleneck relief may have a major impact in food crops.” This article introduced a scientific breakthrough in the process known as photosynthesis. It has been discovered that the increased production of a certain protein in plants that controls the rate at which electrons flow during photosynthesis can speed up the whole process. Scientists have found that increasing the production of this protein can increase the speed of photosynthesis by ten percent. By over expressing the Rieske FeS protein, scientists have discovered how to release the pressure of the part that allows electrons to flow during photosynthesis. Although the efforts to improve photosynthesis have been mainly concentrated in species that use C3 photosynthesis, the results scientists have seen with plants that go through C3 photosynthesis show that increasing the rate of electron transport will improve photosynthesis in C4 species’. The Rieske protein is very important in places with high levels of light, where C4 plants typically grow. Research has shown the effects of this protein in C3 plants, but more research needs to be conducted in C4 plants.
The article I chose to read this week was “Discovery of a bottleneck relief may have a major impact in food crops”. Scientists know the production of certain crops need to be increased because of the increasing demand of them. The Rieske FeS protein “belongs to a complex which is like a hose through which electrons flow, so the energy can be used by the carbon engine of the plant”. So, scientists overexpress this protein so more electrons can flow and the photosynthetic process can speed up. In the past, scientists increased the protein production in C3 plants. Examples of C3 plants are wheat and rice. This process caused the C3 plants crop production to increase a lot. Now, scientists applied the exact same process to C4 plants in an attempt to increase their production as well. Some examples of C4 plants are maize and sorghum. The results were the same as the C3 plants: increase in crop production. These results help give us a better understanding of the C4 plants since we knew so little about them before. The scientists hope to learn more about the C4 plants so they can have a higher increase of crop production in the future. If they are able to do so it will be very helpful to us because there is so much demand for crops and less supply of them. But, we might have to wait a long time because scientists took 30 years just to make this discovery about C4 plants.
“Discovery of a bottleneck relief may have a major impact in food crops” was the article I chose to read this week. Scientists found a way to speed up the process of photosynthesis by making more of a protein that controls the electron flow. This method is being used in specific plants that use C3 photosynthesis which includes crops such as wheat and rice. Researchers from the University of Essex alongside the collaboration of other international researchers were the ones responsible for all the studying that has gone into speeding up the process of photosynthesis. I find it interesting how scientists are able to find ways to greatly improve situations rather than just solving a problem. For instance, I do not believe that crop growth is too slow that it causes a problem. However, despite that new methods of crop growth is still being found to make the process quicker which only helps people and plants in many ways. Even though the crops they want to grow quicker are already abundant, finding ways to speed up the process for some plants may lead to the process of photosynthesis being sped up in other crops.
This week, I chose to focus on the article titled “Discovery of a bottleneck relief may have a major impact in food crops". As soon as I saw that the article was related to photosynthesis, I was intrigued. It was a topic I was familiar with and therefore, wanted to read more about. This particular article discusses advancements in photosynthesis. Specifically, scientists have found a way to relieve a bottleneck in the process of photosynthesis, which could lead to a possible increase in crop production. The scientists discovered that an increase in production of a certain protein that controls the electron flow rate, can accelerated the process of photosynthesis. This was shown through the results of experiments carried out by researchers. Lead researcher Maria Ermakova from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Transitional Photosynthesis (CoETP) said that she and other researchers “tested the effect of increasing the production of the Rieske FeS protein, and found it increases photosynthesis by 10 percent”. When I read this, I wondered how this specific protein controlled the electron flow rate. As I read more, I learned about the Rieske FeS protein and its function. Dr. Ermakova explained, "The Rieske FeS protein belongs to a complex which is like a hose through which electrons flow, so the energy can be used by the carbon engine of the plant. By overexpressing this protein, we have discovered how to release the pressure of the hose, so more electrons can flow, accelerating the photosynthetic process". This is a major advancement since this is the first time that scientists have increased the production of this protein inside plants that use the C4 photosynthesis pathway. Plants such as maize and sorghum, that use the C4 pathway, are increasingly important since they are a few of the most productive crops in the world. In the future, this discovery could help so many people all over the world struggling with starvation or poverty, who are not able to get food. An increase in crop production is not only an advancement in science, but in society as a whole. This discovery and future discoveries like these show that the world of science is never fully known and there is always room for innovation and advancement.
This week I read the article “A New Clue to How Life Originated”. This article, as the name suggests mentions a new clue to how life originated. In this article, scientists were confused how protocells (which first arose in salty water) we able to be created since one of the components needed for them (fatty-acids) were destabilized by magnesium and iron (which was needed for the amino acids) and is destabilized by the salty water. However what scientists discovered that was the clue was that if the fatty-acids aligned themselves in a sphere with amino acids inside them, they would survive. This is because (for an unknown reason) the amino acids would trigger another layer of fatty acids. What’s more, the amino acids that once were inside fatty-acid spheres like this one were able to stabilize the sphere in the presence of salt, and the spheres were still able to provide the ions necessary to make the amino acids into proteins.
This week I read “A New Clue to How Life Originated” by Ed Yong. The article addresses the solution of a long-standing puzzle about early cells. The study of life’s origin has been around for nearly 3.5 billion years. According to the reading, life is about building compartments essential for life to arise. A cell is the smallest anatomical and functional unit of an organism. Much like a protocell, the precursor of all life, cells carry three fundamental components— RNA, protein and a membrane. RNA holds molecules that encode genetic information while protein molecules perform notable tasks. On the other hand, a cell membrane, constructed from fatty acids encloses both the RNA and the proteins, restricting the molecules from drifting away. A membrane is composed mainly of phospholipid, which is comprised of— hydrophilic, negatively-charged polar heads facing outwards and hydrophobic, uncharged-nonpolar tails facing inwards. Strangely, life first appeared in the salty oceans, and magnesium, iron and salt ions sabotages the fatty acid spheres. The mystery is how could life possibly have arisen when the compartments it demands were demolished. Previously mentioned riddle was solved by Caitlin Cornell and Sarah Keller. They discovered that the miniature golden speck under the microscope was the fusion of amino acid and fatty acids, maintaining their globular form in the presence of sodium chloride. Fatty acids provide amino acids stability and in return, fatty acids concentrate the amino acids, assisting them to fuse into proteins. I find it amazing how two relevant components of life, the membrane, and its protein are required to depend on each other in order to exist. This article reveals why the cooperation of both amino acids and fatty acid spheres is vital. Overall, the amino acids allow the membranes to survive in the presence of magnesium. This discovery directs to a new question, how do a particular building block mold into larger molecules?
Photosynthesis and cellular respiration are two intertwined processes that are necessary in order for all life on Earth to exist. Without even realizing, humans are constantly involved in photosynthesis. As a result of cellular respiration preformed by humans, carbon dioxide is produced and is used during photosynthesis in animals. Photosynthesis produces oxygen for cellular respiration, causing there to be a continuous cycle. The article “Discovery of a bottleneck reliefs may have a major impact on food crops” states that scientists have recently discovered a method to speeding up the process of photosynthesis by increasing the rate at which electrons are flowing. Rieske FeS is the protein that controls the rate at which the electrons are flowing and it can increase photosynthesis by about 10%. Through the use of this protein electrons are easily able to pass through a larger hose structure and the remaining energy can be used by the carbon engine. This is the first time that this protein has been used in plants with a C4 photosynthesis pathway as it has always been tested in plants such as wheat and rice with C3 passage ways. Plants with C4 passage was included maize and sorghum which are important figures in the agricultural world. While increasing the quantities of this protein has been previously preformed on C3 plants, not much research was preformed on C4 plants until now. This success is a result of an international collaboration, which indicates that often times these associations can assist in solving numerous complex issues. While scientists have understood the mechanics of C4 plants, this is the first time they have ever been able to assist or improve the plants. The goal now is to assemble an entire protein FeS complex. With numerous other parts. Scientists are only at 10% enhancement however they strive to accomplish much more than just that.
This week I read "A New Clue to How Life Originated". Caitlin Cornell showed large bright spots she saw in her microscope to her supervisor, Sarah Keller. This was an exciting event, as it associates with questions scientists have asked about the origin of life. All cells have DNA and its counterpart RNA, proteins, encompassed in a membrane. Something interesting the article pointed out is that all life first arose in salty oceans. Salt and certain ions destroy the fatty-acid membranes of cells, which places the cells in a problematic state. As the article asked, I wondered how then could life form in salty environments. However, Caitlin Cornell and Sarah Keller supported that the membranes withstood salt and magnesium ions, as long as they're in the presence of amino acids. This fascinating information that they learned helps us understand why fatty acids and amino support each other's stability in cells even 3.5 billion years after the first cells formed. The article opened my eyes to how important research is, and how we will always have questions to answer in relation to biology.
I found the article "A New Clue to How Life Originated" to be very interesting. The main components of a basic cell, the DNA or RNA, proteins and membrane, have been known for years. These basic parts come together to form the most basic cells needed to create life. What this article discussed was how these cells were able to sustain themselves and then form into a cell. What I found so interesting was how these components individually could not survive in the environment they are created. The components would be destroyed. The scientists in the article had found that the membrane of the cell and its proteins work together to allow the cell to exist. The amino acids attach to the membrane which stabilizes the fatty acids. The amino acids then turn into proteins allowing the cell to truly develop. Like many bodily processes and functions, the true formation of these components is unknown. This research gives us a better understanding of how these cells work and could potentially have a bigger role in medicine and in understanding the basics of cell life.
Today I would like to comment on the article
“Discovery of a bottleneck relief may have a major impact in food crops”, which discusses about how the Rieske FeS protein my help quicken photosynthesis. The article explains that Rieske FeS is part of a compound that allows the plant to direct electrons to the area it is needed it. By increasing more of the protein, we are reducing the pressure,allowing more electrons to flow through, which speeds up the process. Increasing the concentration of the Rieske FeS led to a ten percent increase in photosynthesis. This idea,however, has only been tested in the C3 plants, which have reduced rates of photosynthesis compared with C4 plants. C4 plants, including maize and sorghum, play a key role in world agriculture. If increasing the protein increases photosynthesis in C4 crops, it could change world agriculture.
I read the article, "Discovery of a bottleneck relief may have a major impact in food crops." I found this interesting because the author hints at speeding up photosynthesis as something that could have been recognized a while back. It states that an increased flow of electrons can speed up the process. In order to do this, a protein called Rieske FeS must be used. This protein is like a hose that allows electrons to flow through it. Scientists have been using C3 but have realized with this that it does not work with C4 plants, or at least more research needs to be done regarding that. C4 plants are actually crop related plants like corn and this would be most benefitting if it did work with these plants. On the other hand, this discovery can be life-changing for all farmers but just needs a little bit more looking into.
This week, I decided to read the article, “A New Clue to How Life Originated,” by Ed Yong. I’ve always thought that cells were so fascinating and this article has certainly proved it. It’s really interesting how a whole group of microscopic cells that contain DNA, RNA, proteins, and a membrane, when put together can create and sustain life. Especially that it would all fall apart if one piece, the membrane in this case, was missing like the gears of a watch would without all the gears. Another thing I found interesting was that in order for a cell to exist it must contain both proteins and a membrane. Does that mean when cells began to form, they were made at the same time, or did one eventually evolve after a while? Also, if the cells Caitlin Cornell was researching were modern cells, could evolution have played a role in her research? What if these cells differ from early cells? - Aashvi Parikh
This week I read the article “Discovery of a bottleneck relief may have a major impact in food crops.” This article introduced a scientific breakthrough in the process known as photosynthesis. This method is being used in specific plants that use C3 photosynthesis which includes crops such as wheat and rice. Scientists have found that increasing the production of this protein can increase the speed of photosynthesis by ten percent. By over expressing the Rieske FeS protein, scientists have discovered how to release the pressure of the part that allows electrons to flow during photosynthesis. It is very interesting that scientists can come up with ways to improve situations rather than actually try to solve the problem. In the future, this discovery could benefit many people all over the world struggling with starvation or poverty. By increasing crop production not only are plants becoming more abundant but it is also helping society survive.
The article that I chose to comment one this week was “A New Clue to How Life Originated”. Cells all have three essential parts, nucleic acids which are DNA and RNA, and they encode an organism’s genetic information. Next, they have proteins, which have function that help to cell keep moving on, and lastly, there is the plasma membrane, made up with a double layer of phospholipids. Scientists believe that a protocell, the first cell of life, would have these three fundamental parts. If the first cell was to originated from water, the cell membranes would have to be able to withstand the salt in the ocean, but it wouldn’t be able to. However, scientists Caitlin Cornell and Sarah Keller say that these membranes would have been able to withstand the saltwater, because in the presence of amino acids, the phospholipids were able to hold its shape. This experiment was partially on accident as well, because they were first about to solve a problem presented by a colleague, by stumbled upon this discovery. Now, they are studying to see how the protocell can combine to form larger molecules.
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This week I chose the article “Discovery of a bottleneck relief may have a major impact in food crops” because of my great interest of photosynthesis since last year. The author discusses how by increasing the production of a protein that affects electron flow in photosynthesis, is able to speed up the entire process. The protein is called Rieske FeS which is described to be part of the complex that acts like a house that electrons travel through. By having this protein expressed more than usual it can allow more electrons to flow through the complex making the overall process of photosynthesis become faster. This makes sense as more electrons going through, allow the synthesis of energy carrier molecules in the light dependent reactions to become faster. These energy carrier molecules will then be used in the Calvin cycle. It is also noted that this has been the most successful way of increasing the rate of C4 plants’ photosynthesis pathways. This is interesting because most of the research and work to improve the rate of photosynthesis have been towards plants that have C3 examples. For example, two plants that use C3 photosynthesis are wheat and rice. The article clearly includes some of the world's most productive crops, that are an important part of agriculture, are maize and sorghum. These plants use C4 photosynthesis. The experiments on which the results were concluded in fact used a C4 species plant called Setaria Viridiana, which is actually a relative close to maize and sorghum. Hopefully scientists will soon test the effect on photosynthesis rate on sorghum. Research and work such as this is crucial in today’s world in being able to speed the growing of crops that affect people throughout the world.
This week I read the article, "Discovery in the bottleneck relief may have a major increase in crop production." The scientists behind this article found a method to increase crop phyotosynthesis by 10 percent. This is by the use of the plant producing more protien which controls the rate of electron flow in photosynthesis. Electron flow in phototsynthesis creates a gradient that powers ATP production in the protien ATP Synthase. An increased photosynthesis will directly yield larger crop production thus producing more food. An increased food supply will be necessery in the near future as the human populkation skyroketed by an exponential amount recently. Thgi sprotien may provide the solution for the growing problem of over population. The protien responsible for this is the Rieske Res protien that controls electron flow acting as a dampener. If this protien is overexpressed the 'hose's pressure' is relesed yielding greater electron flow. This breakthrough is the first time done in a C4 pathway as before it was done in c3 pathway's as said by the article.
This week I read the article, “Discovery of a bottleneck relief may have a major impact in food crops. This article explains photosynthesis and how it could be sped up. Photosynthesis is a process in which plants and other organisms use sunlight to synthesize food from carbon dioxide and H2O (water). Photosynthesis is one of the most necessary processes in the entire world. Photosynthesis allows plants to produce oxygen for humans to breathe. Without, photosynthesis our oxygen which we need to breathe does not get created. This would be extremely problematic as oxygen is necessary for survival of not just humans, but all living species on Earth. In this article, it discusses speeding up photosynthesis to benefit plants and crops. Until now, the major efforts to improve photosynthesis have been done in plants that use C3 photosynthesis, such as wheat and rice. With sped up photosynthesis, agriculture would boom and there would be constant surpluses as a result. This could be vital for the world and this topic needs to be explored further in order to improve other areas of life.
Crop growers and distributors around the world have been trying chemicals and treatments to plant life in order to make them grow faster and larger. Scientists have found an alternate method to increasing the speed of growth in crops. They have experimented and discovered that an increase in proteins in a plant help to control the rate of electron flow during photosynthesis. Test specifically pointed out that an increase in the Rieske Fes protein leads to a 10% increase during photosynthesis. This protein has a hose- like complex which allows electron flow. This protein is helpful and important to use in environments with high reliance, where C4 plants are found. This is important because it allows crop growers of C3 plants to increase growth and rate of photosynthesis.
I found the article, “Discovery of a Bottleneck Relief may have a Major Impact in Food Crops”, fascinating. Scientists have discovered that that increasing a protein known as Rieske FeS can accelerate the process in photosynthesis. By over-expressing this protein more electrons can flow resulting in an accelerated process of photosynthesis. Up until this point a majority of efforts to accelerate the process of photosynthesis has been done in plants that use C3 photosynthesis not C4. However, C4 crop species play a key role in world agriculture, and are already some of the most productive crops in the world. The discovery of the capabilities of Rieske FeS has enabled scientists to accelerate the process of synthesis in C4 plants. I am interested to see how the acceleration of photosynthesis in these plants can allow scientists to keep of the demand for food on an overpopulated planet. I hope it’s helpful in sustaining the population.
As someone who has taken environmental science, i was exited to read the article,"Discovery of a bottleneck relief may have a major impact in food crops." The article talks about how scientists have found a way to increase photosynthesis. They discovered that producing more of a protein that controls the rate in which electrons flow during photosynthesis, accelerates the whole process. This protein, Rieske FeS, belongs to a complex which is like a hose through which electrons flow, so the energy can be used by the carbon engine of the plant. By over-expressing the protein, pressure in the hose can be released causing more electrons to flow, in turn accelerating the photosynthetic process.
I found the article “Discovery of a bottleneck relief may have a major impact in food crops.” Interesting because it claimed that it found a way to “speed up photosynthesis”. I read about a year ago that a way to speed up photosynthesis would be to have a sudden influx of hydrogen ions. In this article a protein increased the fellow of electrons in plants. This is revolutionary mainly because of the breakthrough after many years of using the C4 pathway. While ten percent may seem small it may be the start of an exponential growth in increasing photosynthesis for plants. Which this new technology world hunger could potentially be a thing of the past.
Scientists can manipulate proteins within plants to help us achieve desirable traits. Recently, some scientists discovered a way to increase the amount of photosynthesis. They increased photosynthesis by 10 percent when they increased the production of the Rieske FeS protein. By overexpressing the protein, it allows more electrons to be released, speeding up photosynthesis. This is the first time that scientists had created more Rieske FeS protein inside plants that use the C4 photosynthesis pathway since most work is usually done on plants that use the C3 photosynthesis pathway. Some of the most productive plants are C4 but still more research is dedicated to C3 plants since they are more widely understood. These proteins that are able to manipulated by scientists can help increase food production to solve a growing increase in food demand, a problem that will become more serious as our population increases. Eventually, we may be able to increase photosynthesis production more in C4 plants to help solve our increasing food demand, but we have currently taken our first step in increasing photosynthesis output with the Rieske FeS protein.
The article “Discovery of a bottleneck relief may have a major impact in food crops” signifies that producing more of a protein that controls the rate of electrons can increase the process of photosynthesis. The Rieske FeS protein found in photosynthesis is compared to a hose, where overexpressing it can lead to more pressure and therefore faster water. Similarly, if the Rieske FeS protein is multiplied, then the process of photosynthesis can also be done faster. The article mentions that in the past, this type of experimentation to increase photosynthesis was done in C3 plants, such as wheat and rice. However, this study used C4 plants like maize and sorghum, which has shown significantly better results. This study has been a great example of what can be needed to improve crop production. Professor Robert Furbank, Director of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis and one of the authors of the study, says that in past years, they have worked with C4 plants and ruined them. However, this is the first study where C4 plants have shown growth.
I read the article "Discovery of a bottleneck relief may have a major impact in food crops," in which scientists may have found out a way to increase crop production by accelerating the process of photosynthesis. By increasing the production of the Rieske FeS protein it increases photosynthesis by 10%. By over expressing the protein scientists have figured out a way to increase the number of electrons that flow. Which accelerates the photosynthetic process. Until now efforts to improve photosynthesis have only been done on species that use C3 photosynthesis. These as crops such as wheat and rice. But with the C4 species play a key role in agriculture. This is what scientists are trying to improve. The Rieske protein is important in environments with high radiance, where C4 plants grow. Over expressing this protein to C3 plans improves photosynthesis, but for now more research is needed to make conclusion about C4 plants. This research was a result of an international collaboration with researches in the university of Essex in the UK, they were a part of the RIPE project. Their next goal is to assemble the whole protein FeS complex which has many other components.
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