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My work is a conduit that moves discoveries from scientists' lab benches, fields, and computers into Twitter feeds and conversations. I help scientists share their stories, and I help journalists find scientists with stories to share.
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Flag leaves could help top off photosynthetic performance in rice
The flag leaf is the last to emerge, indicating the transition from crop growth to grain production. Photosynthesis in this leaf provides...
Claire Benjamin
Dec 29, 20203 min read
Light signal emitted during photosynthesis used to quickly screen crops
An international effort called Realizing Increased Photosynthetic Efficiency (RIPE) aims to transform crops’ ability to turn sunlight and...
Claire Benjamin
Dec 22, 20202 min read
Cassava may benefit from atmospheric change more than other crops
Carbon dioxide fuels photosynthesis, the process by which plants generate their food in the form of carbohydrates. The atmosphere’s...
Claire Benjamin
Nov 18, 20203 min read
During COVID, scientists use computers to understand C4 photosynthesis when labs shut down
When COVID closed down their lab in March, a team from the University of Essex turned to computational approaches to understand what...
Claire Benjamin
Oct 13, 20203 min read
Scientists take a step closer to heat-tolerant wheat
Researchers working on molecular-level responses in crops have taken a step closer to their goal of producing heat-tolerant wheat. Smart...
Claire Benjamin
May 4, 20203 min read
Lisa Ainsworth of USDA-ARS elected to the National Academy of Sciences
Lisa Ainsworth, a research plant physiologist with the USDA Agricultural Research Service and adjunct professor of plant biology and crop...
Claire Benjamin
Apr 27, 20203 min read
Third breakthrough demonstrates photosynthetic hacks can boost yield, conserve water
Plants are factories that manufacture yield from light and carbon dioxide—but parts of this complex process, called photosynthesis, are...
Claire Benjamin
Apr 10, 20204 min read
Technology to screen for higher-yielding crop traits is now more accessible to scientists
Like many industries, big data is driving innovations in agriculture. Scientists seek to analyze thousands of plants to pinpoint genetic...
Claire Benjamin
Mar 16, 20203 min read
Photosynthesis varies greatly across rice cultivars—natural diversity could boost yields
Rice is a direct source of calories for more people than any other and serves as the main staple for some 560 million chronically hungry...
Claire Benjamin
Mar 9, 20204 min read
Meet some of RIPE's wonder women
International Women’s Day was first established in the early 1900s as a day where all women can gather together to rally for gender...
Claire Benjamin
Mar 8, 20201 min read
Boost soybean yields by adapting photosynthesis to fleeting shadows, according to model
Soybeans may lose 13 percent of their productivity grappling with changes in light.
Claire Benjamin
Feb 24, 20203 min read
Stephen Long invested as the Stanley O. Ikenberry Chair Professor of Plant Biology and Crop Sciences
Stephen Long has been invested as the Stanley O. Ikenberry Chair Professor of Plant Biology and Crop Sciences.
Claire Benjamin
Jan 29, 20203 min read
RIPE project partners with Paper2Tree to reach local students
This fall, RIPE Postdoctoral Researcher Amanda Cavanagh taught two fifth grade classes about the project's breakthrough work to improve crop
Claire Benjamin
Nov 5, 20192 min read
Scientists find ways to improve cassava, a ‘crop of inequality’ featured at Goalkeepers
A new study identified opportunities to increase the yields of the staple root crop cassava. This work was showcased at 2019 Goalkeepers.
Claire Benjamin
Sep 26, 20194 min read
Missing link in algal photosynthesis found, offers opportunity to improve crop yields
Algae evolved a specialized mechanism to photosynthesize much more efficiently than plants. Scientists report a long-time unexplained step.
Claire Benjamin
Sep 6, 20193 min read
Improved model could help scientists better predict crop yield, climate change effects
A new computer model incorporates how microscopic pores on leaves may open in response to light.
Claire Benjamin
Jul 10, 20193 min read
Progress in developing water-efficient crops showcased at 2019 summit
Learn how WEST is developing bioenergy crops that require less water to produce bioenergy biomass at the ARPA-E Energy Innovation Summit.
Claire Benjamin
Jul 8, 20192 min read
Scientists transform tobacco info factory for high-value proteins
Today researchers announce a new opportunity for crops to cheaply manufacture valuable proteins for the health and industrial industries.
Claire Benjamin
Jun 9, 20193 min read
Scientists stack algorithms to improve predictions of yield-boosting crop traits
A University of Illinois team has demonstrated that a new technique can improve the predictive power of a recent study by 15 percent.
Claire Benjamin
Jun 4, 20193 min read
New technology allows scientists to measure photosynthesis much more quickly
A team is using advanced tools to develop crops that give farmers more options for sustainably producing more food on less land.
Claire Benjamin
May 17, 20193 min read
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