Articles

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.

Flag leaves could help top off photosynthetic performance in rice

Claire Benjamin

Dec 29, 2020
3 min

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...

Light signal emitted during photosynthesis used to quickly screen crops

Claire Benjamin

Dec 22, 2020
2 min

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...

Cassava may benefit from atmospheric change more than other crops

Claire Benjamin

Nov 18, 2020
3 min

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...

During COVID, scientists use computers to understand C4 photosynthesis when labs shut down

Claire Benjamin

Oct 13, 2020
3 min

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...

Scientists take a step closer to heat-tolerant wheat

Claire Benjamin

May 4, 2020
3 min

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...

Lisa Ainsworth of USDA-ARS elected to the National Academy of Sciences

Claire Benjamin

Apr 27, 2020
3 min

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...

Third breakthrough demonstrates photosynthetic hacks can boost yield, conserve water

Claire Benjamin

Apr 10, 2020
4 min

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...

Technology to screen for higher-yielding crop traits is now more accessible to scientists

Claire Benjamin

Mar 16, 2020
3 min

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...

Photosynthesis varies greatly across rice cultivars—natural diversity could boost yields

Claire Benjamin

Mar 9, 2020
4 min

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 8, 2020
1 min

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...

Boost soybean yields by adapting photosynthesis to fleeting shadows, according to model

Claire Benjamin

Feb 24, 2020
3 min

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.

Stephen Long invested as the Stanley O. Ikenberry Chair Professor of Plant Biology and Crop Sciences

Claire Benjamin

Jan 29, 2020
3 min

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

Nov 5, 2019
2 min

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

Scientists find ways to improve cassava, a ‘crop of inequality’ featured at Goalkeepers

Claire Benjamin

Sep 26, 2019
4 min

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 6, 2019
3 min

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.

Improved model could help scientists better predict crop yield, climate change effects

Claire Benjamin

Jul 10, 2019
3 min

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 8, 2019
2 min

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

Jun 9, 2019
3 min

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 4, 2019
3 min

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

May 17, 2019
3 min

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.