Scientists Grew Microalgae In Near-Darkness Below The Arctic Ocean, Suggesting Potential For Developing Crops That Thrive In Low Light Environments

Joshua
Joshua - stock.adobe.com - illustrative purposes only

Some plants have adapted to grow in near-darkness deep below the Arctic Ocean. The discovery offers opportunities related to agriculture that were never thought to be possible before.

A team led by German researchers studied microalgae, tiny water-based organisms, by lowering light sensors into the Arctic at a depth of 164 feet.

They tested how low light levels had to be before plant life ceased to exist. They found that plants were able to photosynthesize with very little light.

The microalgae carried out the process at just 0.04 micromoles of photons m^-2/s^-1, the lowest light level ever recorded.

In Europe, the light conditions outside on an average day are between 1,500 and 2,000 micromoles of photons m^-2/s^-1, which is more than 37,000 to 50,000 times the amount of light that Arctic microalgae need to survive.

So, what could this discovery mean for the future? For one, many areas around the world do not receive enough sunlight because they are located far away from the equator. They also experience long winters or constantly deal with cloud cover.

For instance, the U.K. is affected by cloud cover. This year, it has had one of the worst periods of total light hours since the 1900s.

Now that scientists know plants don’t require much light for photosynthesis, they can develop crops that can thrive in places with low light levels. It could help extend growing seasons and boost food production.

Additionally, crops that are engineered to photosynthesize at lower light levels can lead to more sustainable agriculture because there won’t be as much demand for artificial lighting.

Joshua – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only

Plants grown in greenhouses, polytunnels, or vertical farms often depend on artificial lighting, which can get expensive and use up a lot of energy.

So, crops that can flourish in darker environments can help cut down on costs and carbon emissions, which will benefit customers in turn.

Furthermore, the findings from this research may simplify the process of growing plants in space. When planning space missions to the moon or Mars, one of the main concerns is how to keep astronauts fed for a long period.

In those worlds, sunlight can be rather limited, so it is necessary to have ways of producing food that don’t use much energy.

The discovery that photosynthesis can be performed under minimal light conditions suggests that crops can potentially be grown in spaceships or on other worlds.

Vegetables like lettuce, spinach, and potatoes have been cultivated in space conditions before. When combined with other crops that can be adapted to darker environments, astronauts will have a consistent food source.

Overall, this breakthrough may lead to an increase in crop yields, benefiting everyone from farmers to astronauts and feeding people on Earth and beyond.

The study was published in Nature Communications.

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Emily  Chan is a writer who covers lifestyle and news content. She graduated from Michigan State University with a ... More about Emily Chan

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