As the world faces a possible food shortage in the future, and the affects of global warming become more distinct, scientists are looking to improve the ability of plants to withstand the harshness of an ever changing global environment.
Research published by Current Biology has indicated that plants have a hidden gene called the SP1 which can help plants survive and thrive in conditions that would otherwise cause the plant to wither and die.
Plants under stress by the environment produce extra toxins during photosynthesis - toxins that eventually lead to the plant's death - according to the Guardian.
"One of the undesirable consequences of too much photosynthesis under stressed conditions is the overproduction of toxic molecules called reactive oxygen species," said Paul Jarvis, author of the study.
Researchers at Oxford University have discovered that the SP1 gene helps slow down photosynthesis, thus reducing the exorbitant amount of toxins within the plant.
"We found that if you alter the activity of SP1, you can modify the extent to which photosynthesis takes place," said Jarvis.
The gene has shown promising success in lab trials, with SP1 "over-expressed" plants excelling in environments proven to be visibly stressful for non-altered plants.
The Oxford researchers will be expanding their study to discover how effective the treatment is on multiple types of plant life, according to Motherboard.
