The Effect of a Biomass Increase on The Carbon Fixation Rates of A. Thaliana

Authors

  • Evan Lewis Mentor High School in Ohio
  • Patricia Talarczyk Mentor High School

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.47611/jsrhs.v9i1.1209

Keywords:

Climate Change, Overpopulation, Carbon Fixation, Biomass Increase

Abstract

Arabidopsis Thaliana, a model organism for genetic modification, was tested to discover whether or not a genetic increase in biomass affects the plant’s rate of carbon fixation. An experimental design was employed, involving the testing of the carbon fixation rates from 4 separate experimental groups, genetically modified and a control group, both sterilized and unsterilized. Sterile water and a 50% bleach solution were used for seed sterilization, and once complete, all types of seeds were given a week long cold treatment. After the cold treatment had concluded, these plants were grown on moist fertilized soil, and were watered using a glass tray. Water was added into the flat surface every 2 days, and this nourishment was absorbed by the soil through holes in 4.409 x 3.937 terracotta pots. This absorption allowed for dry soil to remoisten, ultimately providing hydration to A. Thaliana. Growth measurements of the observed largest leaf were taken each week for a 4 week growth period. Once fully grown, a procedure known as photosynthetic flotation was used to uncover carbon fixation rates between the experimental groups, involving 0.5 cm leaf disks rising in a bicarbonate solution as carbon dioxide was converted to oxygen. The faster the leaf disk rose, the more rapidly carbon dioxide was fixated. Overall, data gathered from this experiment showed little difference between carbon fixation rates of biomass genetic modification and a control group, causing for this genetic modification only being able to be used to combat overpopulation with larger food being produced, but not that of reversing climate change. However, there was a significant gap in terms of the time to rise of leaf disks between sterilized and unsterilized groups, revealing that a more specific study in regards to this variable must be conducted.

 

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biography

Patricia Talarczyk, Mentor High School

AP Research Teacher at Mentor High School

References or Bibliography

Annis J, O'Brien J, Coons J, Coutant N, Curry J. Investigation of Seed Treatments and Fertilizer on Growth of Penstemon tubaeflorus. Castanea. 2014;79(3):129-137. https://doi.org/10.2179/13-045

Arabidopsis Biological Resource Center. ABRC. 2020. https://abrc.osu.edu/Gan P, Liu F, Li R, Wang S, Luo J. Chloroplasts- Beyond Energy Capture and Carbon Fixation: Tuning of Photo-synthesis in Response to Chilling Stress. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2019;20(20):5046. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms20205046

Lane J-E. Global warming: preventing irreversibility. Brazilian Journal of Political Economy. 2018;38(4):740-748. https://doi.org/10.1590/0101-35172018-2860

Meadows R. UC scientists help California prepare for climate change. California Agriculture. 2009;63(2):56-58. https://doi.org/10.3733/ca.v063n02p56

M. Genetically modified 'shortcut' boosts plant growth by 40%. BBC News. 2019.https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-46750092

Nogia, P., Sidhu, G. K., Rajesh Mehrotra, R. M., & Mehrotra, S. Capturing atmospheric carbon: biological and non-biological methods. International Journal of Low Carbon Technologies. 2016;11(2), 266-274. https://doi.org/10.1093/ijlct/ctt077

Overpopulation: Pakistan's biggest problem. Pulse International. 2017;18(1), 16-19. http://search.ebsco-host.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=120780426&site=ehost-live

Parker N, Wang Y, Meinke D. Analysis of Arabidopsis Accessions Hypersensitive to a Loss of Chloroplast Translation. Plant Physiology. 2016;172(3):1862-1875. https://doi.org/10.1104/pp.16.01291

Photosynthetic Floatation. Exploratorium. 2019 Dec 4. https://www.exploratorium.edu/snacks/photosynthetic-floatation

Pulles T. Engineering photosynthesis: a necessary tool to protect the world's climate? Carbon Management. 2017;8(2):167-173. https://doi.org/10.1080/17583004.2017.1309201

Regalado A. Gene engineers make super-sized plants that are 40% larger. MIT Technology Review. 2019 Jan 4.https://www.technologyreview.com/s/612710/gene-engineers-make-super-sized-plants-that-are-40-larger/

Rivero L, Scholl R, Holomuzki N, Crist D, Grotewold E, Brkljacic J. Handling Arabidopsis Plants: Growth, Preservation of Seeds, Transformation, and Genetic Crosses. Methods in Molecular Biology Arabidopsis Protocols. 013:3-25. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-62703-580-4_1

Robinson-Brown, A. The Effect of Concentration of CO2 on the Average Rate of Photosynthesis in Spinach Leaf Disks. Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science, 2017;15(2), 91-93.

Temming M. A new way to genetically tweak photosynthesis boosts plant growth. Science News. 2019 Aug 8. https://www.sciencenews.org/article/new-way-genetically-tweak-photosynthesis-boosts-plant-growth

The Effects of Climate Change. NASA. 2019 Sep 30. https://climate.nasa.gov/effects/

The IChemE Energy Centre Climate Communiqué. 2015. TCE: The Chemical Engineer, (892), 32-33. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=110541368&site=ehoSt-live

Published

09-15-2020

How to Cite

Lewis, E., & Talarczyk, P. (2020). The Effect of a Biomass Increase on The Carbon Fixation Rates of A. Thaliana. Journal of Student Research, 9(1). https://doi.org/10.47611/jsrhs.v9i1.1209

Issue

Section

AP Capstone™ Research