Senate Sets December 8 Vote on Trump’s NASA Nominee Jared Isaacman 
Tabletop particle accelerator could transform medicine and materials science 
Neuralink Expands Brain Implant Trials with 12 Global Patients 
Blue Origin’s New Glenn Achieves Breakthrough Success With First NASA Mission 
FDA Pilot Program Eases Rules for Nicotine Pouch Makers 
CDC Vaccine Review Sparks Controversy Over Thimerosal Study Citation 
Cogent Biosciences Soars 120% on Breakthrough Phase 3 Results for Bezuclastinib in GIST Treatment 
Ancient Mars may have had a carbon cycle − a new study suggests the red planet may have once been warmer, wetter and more favorable for life 
Neuren Pharmaceuticals Surges on U.S. Patent Win for Rare Disorder Drug 
SpaceX’s Starship Completes 11th Test Flight, Paving Way for Moon and Mars Missions 
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Reaches New Heights but Ends in Setback 
Is space worth the cost? Accounting experts say its value can’t be found in spreadsheets 
NASA Astronauts Wilmore and Williams Recover After Boeing Starliner Delay 
Plants are already some of the best natural carbon scrubbers in the world, in that they help to reduce the presence of carbon in the atmosphere by sucking them in. However, thanks to widespread deforestation and desertification, the planet has lost thousands of acres of forests since the industrial revolution. While some are focusing on planting as many trees as possible to counter this issue, other scientists are thinking about engineering plants that can store even more carbon.
The project is the brainchild of Joanne Chory’s group, an award-winning plant biologist who has contributed much to the improved understanding of how plants can have so many uses. She and scientists at her lab, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, are looking at using the substance called suberin to create such plants, Futurism reports.
Suberin is basically a substance with waxy properties that can be found in cork trees and is apparently non-biodegradable, Popular Mechanics recently reported. While non-biodegradable objects are not normally associated with benefiting nature, this property could mean that the substance would enable plants to store carbon for a long period of time.
Using cross-breeding techniques, the researchers are trying to create plants that would be able to produce suberin in high amounts, which would mean that they would be able to suck a lot more carbon from the atmosphere. This is different from how normal plants work, which eventually release the toxic gas into the air.
The hope is that combined with increased tree planting efforts and the creation of plants that are capable of storing higher amounts of carbon for a significantly longer period, the carbon levels in the atmosphere can be reduced. If added to the reduction of carbon emissions that countries are not implementing, the project could eventually lead to normalization of carbon levels in the atmosphere.
