Genome engineering of plant photosynthesis for carbon sequestration

[Geoengineering News]

https://www.nature.com/articles/s44222-026-00453-3

Authors: Evan D. Groover, Flora Z. Wang, Amala John, Jianqiang Shen, Peggy G. Lemaux, David F. Savage & Krishna K. Niyogi 

26 May 2026

Abstract

Anthropogenic carbon emissions have destabilized Earth’s carbon cycle, triggering cascading effects on climate and biodiversity. Plant-based carbon dioxide removal (CDR) presents a scalable, economically viable path to atmospheric carbon sequestration through soil carbon deposition, dedicated biomass cultivation and strategic agroforestry. Although photosynthesis drives terrestrial carbon capture, effective CDR strategies demand genetic optimization of carbon assimilation, retention and storage. The regulatory landscape is restrictive towards transgenic crops yet permissive of genome editing, creating a window for intervention. Advances in CRISPR-based editing, computational plant trait prediction and delivery systems for gene-editing tools in planta enable precision engineering of plant phenotypes to increase photosynthetic efficiency and carbon sequestration capacity. In this Review, we map the molecular and physiological innovations required to realize plant-based CDR at climate-relevant scales. Beyond optimizing carbon capture itself, we examine strategies to engineer enhanced biomass accumulation, improve nitrogen and water use efficiency, and stabilize carbon storage in plant and soil systems. We further assess the opportunities, implementation challenges and the potential of deploying genome-edited crops as a cornerstone of global carbon management.

Key points

Plant photosynthetic mechanisms have evolved slowly to adapt to Earth’s climate, and rapid adaptation through genetic engineering is needed to keep pace with climate change.

Photosynthesis is theoretically and empirically inefficient in both light and carbon harvest, and the genetic basis of these inefficiencies is not fully understood.

Genome editing can be used for plant carbon dioxide removal by increasing soil carbon deposition in agricultural crops, agronomically improving purpose-grown carbon crops and improving the carbon-assimilatory capacity of trees. Photosynthetic improvement through gene editing would improve the agronomic potential of all of these approaches.

New genome editing tools, paired with functional genomic inference methods such as genomic language models, enable cis-genic gene editing that remove constraints on crop carbon assimilation while largely avoiding regulatory barriers associated with genetic modification.

Source: Nature Reviews Bioengineering 

[Greg Rau]

Engineering the decoupling of bio C storage from N, P, etc storage, and making more respiration-resistant C compounds (waxes?  chitin?) could go a long way in bio CDR. The current mean C residence time in biomass of days/ weeks is a non-starter.

Greg

Sent from my iPhone

On May 30, 2026, at 4:03 PM, Geoengineering News <geoengine...@gmail.com> wrote:



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