Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME
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Dr. Greta Nölke
Head of Department »Photosynthesis and Biohybrid Systems«
Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME
Forckenbeckstr. 6
52074 Aachen
Phone +49 241 6085-189
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press release 11.06.2026
Forscher des Fraunhofer-Instituts IME haben gezeigt, dass ein einziges Protein aus Grünalgen die Photosynthese, die Nährstoffverwertungseffizienz und die Biomasseproduktion in Pflanzen deutlich verbessern kann. Die Ergebnisse weisen auf einen vielversprechenden neuen Ansatz für die Entwicklung produktiverer und ressourceneffizienterer Nutzpflanzen hin.
Die Photosynthese ist die Grundlage für das Pflanzenwachstum und die landwirtschaftliche Produktivität. Die Steigerung der Effizienz, mit der Pflanzen Kohlendioxid aufnehmen und verwerten, gilt daher als eine der wichtigsten Strategien, um den künftigen Bedarf an Nahrungsmitteln und Biomasse zu decken und gleichzeitig den Ressourceneinsatz zu reduzieren.
In der neuen Studie übertrug das Forschungsteam ein »Limiting CO2-Inducible Protein B« (LCIB) aus der Grünalge Chlamydomonas reinhardtii in Tabakpflanzen. LCIB ist Teil eines natürlichen Mechanismus zur Kohlenstoffkonzentration, der den Algen hilft, Kohlendioxid während der Photosynthese effizienter zu nutzen. Die gentechnisch veränderten Pflanzen zeigten eine verbesserte Photosyntheseleistung, reicherten mehr kohlenstoffreiche Verbindungen an und produzierten deutlich mehr Biomasse als nicht gentechnisch veränderte Pflanzen. Am Ende der Vegetationsperiode war die Biomasse um bis zu 19 Prozent (Frischgewicht) und 15 Prozent (Trockengewicht) gestiegen. Besonders bemerkenswert waren die positiven Effekte unter stickstoffbegrenzten Researchers at Fraunhofer IME have shown that a single protein from green algae can significantly improve photosynthesis, nutrient-use efficiency and biomass production in plants. The findings highlight a promising new approach for developing more productive and resource-efficient crops.
Photosynthesis is the foundation of plant growth and agricultural productivity. Improving the efficiency with which plants capture and utilize carbon dioxide is therefore considered one of the key strategies for meeting future food and biomass demands while reducing resource inputs.
In the new study, the research team transferred a Limiting CO2-Inducible Protein B (LCIB) from the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, into tobacco plants. LCIB is part of a natural carbon-concentrating mechanism that helps algae use carbon dioxide more efficiently during photosynthesis. The engineered plants showed improved photosynthetic performance, accumulated more carbon-rich compounds and produced substantially more biomass than non-engineered plants. By the end of vegetative growth, biomass increased by up to 19 percent (fresh weight) and 15 percent (dry weight). Particularly notable were the positive effects under nitrogen-limited conditions, where engineered plants maintained stronger growth, producing up to 79 percent more shoot biomass and 61 percent more root biomass and used available nutrients more efficiently.
"What makes these results particularly exciting is that we achieved significant improvements in photosynthesis and plant growth using only a single component of an algal carbon-concentrating mechanism," says Dr. Greta Nölke, lead author of the study. "This suggests that substantial gains in crop performance may be possible through comparatively simple engineering approaches, without having to transfer an entire algal system into plants."
These findings are particularly noteworthy because many previous approaches have focused on transferring entire carbon-concentrating systems involving numerous genes and complex cellular structures. In contrast, LCIB alone was sufficient to deliver measurable improvements in photosynthetic performance, carbon assimilation and plant growth.
The work provides new insights into how mechanisms evolved in algae can be harnessed to improve crop productivity. The long-term goal is to transfer such approaches into major crop species, where even moderate improvements in photosynthetic efficiency can translate into substantial gains in yield and resource-use efficiency.
"These findings contribute to the development of next-generation crop varieties with improved productivity and nutrient-use efficiency," says Prof. Dr. Stefan Schillberg, Director of Fraunhofer IME. "They represent an important step toward more sustainable and resource-efficient agricultural systems."
