What if, actually, in some ways nature isn’t really as good at finding its way as we once thought? An Illinois research project is aiming to make photosynthesis more efficient. To talk about the project and its potential ramifications, we were joined by its director. 

A study published Monday by researchers from the University of Illinois and Cornell shows that plants genetically engineered to create large amounts of useful industrial enzymes can be grown under field conditions without hurting their yield. 

A tour of a crop science research project at the University of Illinois elicited Senator Dick Durbin’s hope of seeing federal funding for scientific research increase by five percent each year, starting with the next budget.

There's a big molecule, a protein, inside the leaves of most plants. It's called Rubisco, which is short for an actual chemical name that's very long and hard to remember.

Agriculture uses 90-percent of the world’s fresh water supply.  And as the demand for food around the world continues to rise, so will the need to find crops that use less water.