Understanding photosynthesis in a spatial-temporal multiscale: The need for a systemic view

Author(s)

Neto, Milton C. Lima ^[1] ; Carvalho, Fabricio E. L. ^{[2, 3]} ; Souza, Gustavo M. ^[4] ; Silveira, Joaquim A. G. ^[2]

Affiliation

^[1] State Univ Sao Paulo UNESP, Biosci Inst, Coastal Campus, Sao Vicente, SP - Brazil

^[2] Univ Fed Ceara, Dept Biochem & Mol Biol, LABPLANT, Av Humberto Monte SN, Campus Pici, Bl 907, BR-60451970 Fortaleza, CE - Brazil

^[3] Colombiana Invest Agr Agrosavia, Ctr Invest La Suiza Rionegro, Santander - Colombia

^[4] Univ Fed Pelotas, Inst Biol, Dept Bot, Lab Plant Cognit & Electrophysiol LACEV, Pelotas, RS - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: THEORETICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL PLANT PHYSIOLOGY; v. 33, n. 2, p. 113-124, JUN 2021.
• Web of Science Citations: 1

Abstract

In October 2020, at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, a group of young Brazilian photosynthesis researchers organized the 1st Brazilian Symposium on Photosynthesis. The event was free and online, with the presence of important guest speakers from all over the world, who discussed their recent works on topics related to the future and perspectives of photosynthesis research. Summarizing the expectations of this symposium we highlighted the importance of adopting a systemic perspective for a better understanding of photosynthesis as a complex and dynamic process. Plants are modular and self-regulating presenting metabolic redundancy and functional degeneration. Among the various biological processes, photosynthesis plays a crucial role in promoting the direct conversion of light energy into carbon skeletons for support growth and productivity. In the past decades, significant advances have been made in photosynthesis at the biophysical, biochemical, and molecular levels. However, this myriad of knowledge has been insufficient to answer crucial questions, such as: how can we understand and eventually increase photosynthetic efficiency and yield in crops subjected to adverse environment related to climate-changing? We believe that a crucial limitation to the whole comprehension of photosynthesis is associated with a vastly widespread classic reductionist view. Moreover, this perspective is commonly accompanied by non-integrative, simplistic, and descriptive approaches to investigate a complex and dynamic process as photosynthesis. Herein, we propose the use of new approaches, mostly based on the Systems Theory, which certainly comes closer to the real world, such as the complex systems that the plants represent. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 18/04258-6 - Impacts of the Photoinhibition of Photosystem I and its Photoprotective Mechanisms on the Photosynthetic Efficiency
• Grantee: Milton Costa Lima Neto
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants