Advancing Thermoelectric Performance of Bi2Te3 below 400 K.

Thermoelectric cooling devices utilizing Bi2Te3-based alloys have seen increased utilization in recent years. However, their thermoelectric performance remains inadequate within the operational temperature range (≤400 K), with limited research addressing this issue. In this study, we successfully modulated the carrier concentration of the sample through Te content reduction, consequently lowering the peak temperature of the zT value from 400 to 300 K. This led to a substantial enhancement in thermoelectric performance at room temperature (≤400 K). Furthermore, by doping with La, the electrical transport properties have been further optimized, and the lattice thermal conductivity has been effectively reduced at the same time; the average zT value was ultimately elevated from 0.69 to 0.9 within the temperature range of 300-400 K. These findings hold significant promise for enhancing the efficacy of existing thermoelectric cooling devices based on Bi2Te3-based alloys.

NRDE2 deficiency impairs homologous recombination repair and sensitizes hepatocellular carcinoma to PARP inhibitors.

To identify novel susceptibility genes for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), we performed a rare-variant association study in Chinese populations consisting of 2,750 cases and 4,153 controls. We identified four HCC-associated genes, including NRDE2, RANBP17, RTEL1, and STEAP3. Using NRDE2 (index rs199890497 [p.N377I], p = 1.19 × 10-9) as an exemplary candidate, we demonstrated that it promotes homologous recombination (HR) repair and suppresses HCC. Mechanistically, NRDE2 binds to the subunits of casein kinase 2 (CK2) and facilitates the assembly and activity of the CK2 holoenzyme. This NRDE2-mediated enhancement of CK2 activity increases the phosphorylation of MDC1 and then facilitates the HR repair. These functions are eliminated almost completely by the NRDE2-p.N377I variant, which sensitizes the HCC cells to poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors, especially when combined with chemotherapy. Collectively, our findings highlight the relevance of the rare variants to genetic susceptibility to HCC, which would be helpful for the precise treatment of this malignancy.

Measuring Canopy Gas Exchange Using CAnopy Photosynthesis and Transpiration Systems (CAPTS).

Canopy photosynthesis (Ac), rather than leaf photosynthesis, is critical to gaining higher biomass production in the field because the daily or seasonal integrals of Ac correlate with the daily or seasonal integrals of biomass production. The canopy photosynthesis and transpiration measurement system (CAPTS) was developed to enable measurement of canopy photosynthetic CO2 uptake, transpiration, and respiration rates. CAPTS continuously records the CO2 concentration, water vapor concentration, air temperature, air pressure, air relative humidity, and photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) inside the chamber, which can be used to derive CO2 and H2O fluxes of a canopy covered by the chamber. This system can also be used to measure the fluxes of greenhouse gases when integrating with CH4 and N2O analyzers. Here, we describe the protocol for using CAPTS to perform experiments on rice (Oryza sativa L.) in paddy field, wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in upland field, and tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) in pots.

MADS1-regulated lemma and awn development benefits barley yield.

Floral organ shape and size in cereal crops can affect grain size and yield, so genes that regulate their development are promising breeding targets. The lemma, which protects inner floral organs, can physically constrain grain growth; while the awn, a needle-like extension of the lemma, creates photosynthate to developing grain. Although several genes and modules controlling grain size and awn/lemma growth in rice have been characterized, these processes, and the relationships between them, are not well understood for barley and wheat. Here, we demonstrate that the barley E-class gene HvMADS1 positively regulates awn length and lemma width, affecting grain size and weight. Cytological data indicates that HvMADS1 promotes awn and lemma growth by promoting cell proliferation, while multi-omics data reveals that HvMADS1 target genes are associated with cell cycle, phytohormone signaling, and developmental processes. We define two potential targets of HvMADS1 regulation, HvSHI and HvDL, whose knockout mutants mimic awn and/or lemma phenotypes of mads1 mutants. Additionally, we demonstrate that HvMADS1 interacts with APETALA2 (A-class) to synergistically activate downstream genes in awn/lemma development in barley. Notably, we find that MADS1 function remains conserved in wheat, promoting cell proliferation to increase awn length. These findings extend our understanding of MADS1 function in floral organ development and provide insights for Triticeae crop improvement strategies.

Lead-free and scalable GeTe-based thermoelectric module with an efficiency of 12.

GeTe-based materials with superior thermoelectric properties promise great potential for waste heat recovery. However, the lack of appropriate diffusion barrier materials (DBMs) limits not only the energy conversion efficiency but also the service reliability of the thermoelectric devices. Here, we propose a design strategy based on phase equilibria diagrams from first-principles calculations and identify transition metal germanides (e.g., NiGe and FeGe2) as the DBMs. Our validation experiment confirms the excellent chemical and mechanical stabilities of the interfaces between the germanides and GeTe. We also develop a process for scaling up the GeTe production. Combining with module geometry optimization, we fabricate an eight-pair module using mass-produced p-type Ge0.89Cu0.06Sb0.08Te and n-type Yb0.3Co4Sb12 and achieve a record-high efficiency of 12% among all reported single-stage thermoelectric modules. Our work thus paves the way for waste heat recovery based on completely lead-free thermoelectric technology.

Quantifying Contributions of Different Factors to Canopy Photosynthesis in 2 Maize Varieties: Development of a Novel 3D Canopy Modeling Pipeline.

Crop yield potential is intrinsically related to canopy photosynthesis; therefore, improving canopy photosynthetic efficiency is a major focus of current efforts to enhance crop yield. Canopy photosynthesis rate (Ac) is influenced by several factors, including plant architecture, leaf chlorophyll content, and leaf photosynthetic properties, which interact with each other. Identifying factors that restrict canopy photosynthesis and target adjustments to improve canopy photosynthesis in a specific crop cultivar pose an important challenge for the breeding community. To address this challenge, we developed a novel pipeline that utilizes factorial analysis, canopy photosynthesis modeling, and phenomics data collected using a 64-camera multi-view stereo system, enabling the dissection of the contributions of different factors to differences in canopy photosynthesis between maize cultivars. We applied this method to 2 maize varieties, W64A and A619, and found that leaf photosynthetic efficiency is the primary determinant (17.5% to 29.2%) of the difference in Ac between 2 maize varieties at all stages, and plant architecture at early stages also contribute to the difference in Ac (5.3% to 6.7%). Additionally, the contributions of each leaf photosynthetic parameter and plant architectural trait were dissected. We also found that the leaf photosynthetic parameters were linearly correlated with Ac and plant architecture traits were non-linearly related to Ac. This study developed a novel pipeline that provides a method for dissecting the relationship among individual phenotypes controlling the complex trait of canopy photosynthesis.

3dCAP-Wheat: An Open-Source Comprehensive Computational Framework Precisely Quantifies Wheat Foliar, Nonfoliar, and Canopy Photosynthesis.

Canopy photosynthesis is the sum of photosynthesis of all above-ground photosynthetic tissues. Quantitative roles of nonfoliar tissues in canopy photosynthesis remain elusive due to methodology limitations. Here, we develop the first complete canopy photosynthesis model incorporating all above-ground photosynthetic tissues and validate this model on wheat with state-of-the-art gas exchange measurement facilities. The new model precisely predicts wheat canopy gas exchange rates at different growth stages, weather conditions, and canopy architectural perturbations. Using the model, we systematically study (1) the contribution of both foliar and nonfoliar tissues to wheat canopy photosynthesis and (2) the responses of wheat canopy photosynthesis to plant physiological and architectural changes. We found that (1) at tillering, heading, and milking stages, nonfoliar tissues can contribute ~4, ~32, and ~50% of daily gross canopy photosynthesis (A cgross; ~2, ~15, and ~-13% of daily net canopy photosynthesis, A cnet) and absorb ~6, ~42, and ~60% of total light, respectively; (2) under favorable condition, increasing spike photosynthetic activity, rather than enlarging spike size or awn size, can enhance canopy photosynthesis; (3) covariation in tissue respiratory rate and photosynthetic rate may be a major factor responsible for less than expected increase in daily A cnet; and (4) in general, erect leaves, lower spike position, shorter plant height, and proper plant densities can benefit daily A cnet. Overall, the model, together with the facilities for quantifying plant architecture and tissue gas exchange, provides an integrated platform to study canopy photosynthesis and support rational design of photosynthetically efficient wheat crops.

An integrated isotopic labeling and freeze sampling apparatus (ILSA) to support sampling leaf metabolomics at a centi-second scale.

BACKGROUND: Photosynthesis close interacts with respiration and nitrogen assimilation, which determine the photosynthetic efficiency of a leaf. Accurately quantifying the metabolic fluxes in photosynthesis, respiration and nitrogen assimilation benefit the design of photosynthetic efficiency improvement. To accurately estimate metabolic fluxes, time-series data including leaf metabolism and isotopic abundance changes should be collected under precisely controlled environments. But for isotopic labelled leaves under defined environments the, time cost of manually sampling usually longer than the turnover time of several intermediates in photosynthetic metabolism. In this case, the metabolic or physiological status of leaf sample would change during the sampling, and the accuracy of metabolomics data could be compromised. RESULTS: Here we developed an integrated isotopic labeling and freeze sampling apparatus (ILSA), which could finish freeze sampling automatically in 0.05 s. ILSA can not only be used for sampling of photosynthetic metabolism measurement, but also suit for leaf isotopic labeling experiments under controlled environments ([CO2] and light). Combined with HPLC-MS/MS as the metabolic measurement method, we demonstrated: (1) how pool-size of photosynthetic metabolites change in dark-accumulated rice leaf, and (2) variation in photosynthetic metabolic flux between rice and Arabidopsis thaliana. CONCLUSIONS: The development of ILSA supports the photosynthetic research on metabolism and metabolic flux analysis and provides a new tool for the study of leaf physiology.

A Bi2Te3-Filled Nickel Foam Film with Exceptional Flexibility and Thermoelectric Performance.

The past decades have witnessed surging demand for wearable electronics, for which thermoelectrics (TEs) are considered a promising self-charging technology, as they are capable of converting skin heat into electricity directly. Bi2Te3 is the most-used TE material at room temperature, due to a high zT of ~1. However, it is different to integrate Bi2Te3 for wearable TEs owing to its intrinsic rigidity. Bi2Te3 could be flexible when made thin enough, but this implies a small electrical and thermal load, thus severely restricting the power output. Herein, we developed a Bi2Te3/nickel foam (NiFoam) composite film through solvothermal deposition of Bi2Te3 nanoplates into porous NiFoam. Due to the mesh structure and ductility of Ni Foam, the film, with a thickness of 160 µm, exhibited a high figure of merit for flexibility, 0.016, connoting higher output. Moreover, the film also revealed a high tensile strength of 12.7 ± 0.04 MPa and a maximum elongation rate of 28.8%. In addition, due to the film's high electrical conductivity and enhanced Seebeck coefficient, an outstanding power factor of 850 µW m-1 K-2 was achieved, which is among the highest ever reported. A module fabricated with five such n-type legs integrated electrically in series and thermally in parallel showed an output power of 22.8 nW at a temperature gap of 30 K. This work offered a cost-effective avenue for making highly flexible TE films for power supply of wearable electronics by intercalating TE nanoplates into porous and meshed-structure materials.

Diurnal and Seasonal Variations of Photosynthetic Energy Conversion Efficiency of Field Grown Wheat.

Improving canopy photosynthetic light use efficiency and energy conversion efficiency (ε c ) is a major option to increase crop yield potential. However, so far, the diurnal and seasonal variations of canopy light use efficiency (LUE) and ε c are largely unknown due to the lack of an efficient method to estimate ε c in a high temporal resolution. Here we quantified the dynamic changes of crop canopy LUE and ε c during a day and a growing season with the canopy gas exchange method. A response curve of whole-plant carbon dioxide (CO2) flux to incident photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) was further used to calculate ε c and LUE at a high temporal resolution. Results show that the LUE of two wheat cultivars with different canopy architectures at five stages varies between 0.01 to about 0.05 mol CO2 mol-1 photon, with the LUE being higher under medium PAR. Throughout the growing season, the ε c varies from 0.5 to 3.7% (11-80% of the maximal ε c for C3 plants) with incident PAR identified as a major factor controlling variation of ε c . The estimated average ε c from tillering to grain filling stages was about 2.17%, i.e., 47.2% of the theoretical maximal. The estimated season-averaged radiation use efficiency (RUE) was 1.5-1.7 g MJ-1, which was similar to the estimated RUE based on biomass harvesting. The large variations of LUE and ε c imply a great opportunity to improve canopy photosynthesis for greater wheat biomass and yield potential.

Canopy occupation volume as an indicator of canopy photosynthetic capacity.

Leaf angle and leaf area index together influence canopy light interception and canopy photosynthesis. However, so far, there is no effective method to identify the optimal combination of these two parameters for canopy photosynthesis. In this study, first a robust high-throughput method for accurate segmentation of maize organs based on 3D point clouds data was developed, then the segmented plant organs were used to generate new 3D point clouds for the canopy of altered architectures. With this, we simulated the synergistic effect of leaf area and leaf angle on canopy photosynthesis. The results show that, compared to the traditional parameters describing the canopy photosynthesis including leaf area index, facet angle and canopy coverage, a new parameter - the canopy occupation volume (COV) - can better explain the variations of canopy photosynthetic capacity. Specifically, COV can explain > 79% variations of canopy photosynthesis generated by changing leaf angle and > 84% variations of canopy photosynthesis generated by changing leaf area. As COV can be calculated in a high-throughput manner based on the canopy point clouds, it can be used to evaluate canopy architecture in breeding and agronomic research.

Ultralow Lattice Thermal Conductivity and Superhigh Thermoelectric Figure-of-Merit in (Mg, Bi) Co-Doped GeTe.

High-efficiency thermoelectric (TE) technology is determined by the performance of TE materials. Doping is a routine approach in TEs to achieve optimized electrical properties and lowered thermal conductivity. However, how to choose appropriate dopants with desirable solution content to realize high TE figure-of-merit (zT) is very tough work. In this study, via the use of large mass and strain field fluctuations as indicators for low lattice thermal conductivity, the combination of (Mg, Bi) in GeTe is screened as very effective dopants for potentially high zTs. In experiments, a series of (Mg, Bi) co-doped GeTe compounds are prepared and the electrical and thermal transport properties are systematically investigated. Ultralow lattice thermal conductivity, about 0.3 W m-1 K-1 at 600 K, is obtained in Ge0.9 Mg0.04 Bi0.06 Te due to the introduced large mass and strain field fluctuations by (Mg, Bi) co-doping. In addition, (Mg, Bi) co-doping can introduce extra electrons for optimal carrier concentration and diminish the energy offset at the top of the valence band for high density-of-states effective mass. Via these synthetic effects, a superhigh zT of ≈2.5 at 700 K is achieved for Ge0.9 Mg0.04 Bi0.06 Te. This study sheds light on the rational design of effective dopants in other TE materials.

Synergistically Optimized Electrical and Thermal Transport Properties in Copper Phthalocyanine-Based Organic Small Molecule with Nanoscale Phase Separations.

A series of copper phthalocyanine (CuPc)-based organic small molecules were prepared through vapor-phase reaction. Nanoscale phase separation was observed with tunable CuPc and copper phthalocyaninato iodide (CuPcI) phase content by changing the iodine ratio. The Seebeck coefficient of the samples was significantly enhanced, which is considered to be attributed to the enhanced surface polarization effect due to the formation of a great number of nanoscale interfaces between the CuPc phase and the CuPcI phase. In addition, these nanointerfaces also gave rise to increased phonon scattering and therefore significantly reduced the lattice thermal conductivity of the small-molecule samples. As a result of the combination of the synergistically optimized electrical and thermal transport properties, the maximum ZT value reaches 3.0 × 10-2 at room temperature, which is among the highest values for small-molecule charge-transfer complex reported so far. Our results shed light on optimizing the thermoelectric performance of organic small molecules by introducing nanoscale phase separations and tailoring the nanoscale interfaces.

Morphological and physiological factors contributing to early vigor in the elite rice cultivar 9,311.

Huanghuazhan (HHZ) and 9,311 are two elite rice cultivars in China. They have achieved high yield through quite different mechanisms. One of the major features that gives high yield capacity to 9,311 is its strong early vigor, i.e., faster establishment of its seedling as well as its better growth in its early stages. To understand the mechanistic basis of early vigor in 9,311, as compared to HHZ the cultivar, we have examined, under controlled environmental conditions, different morphological and physiological traits that may contribute to its early vigor. Our results show that the fresh weight of the seeds, at germination, not only determined the seedling biomass at 10 days after germination (DAG), but was also responsible for ~ 80% of variations in plant biomass between the two cultivars even up to 30 DAG. Furthermore, the 9,311 cultivar had a larger root system, which led to its higher nitrogen uptake capacity. Other noteworthy observations about 9,311 being a better cultivar than HHZ are: (i) Ten out of 15 genes involved in nitrogen metabolism were much more highly expressed in its roots; (ii) it had a higher water uptake rate, promoting better root-to-shoot nitrogen transfer; and (iii) consistent with the above, it had higher leaf photosynthetic rate and stomatal conductance. All of the above identified features explain, to a large extent, why the 9,311, as compared to HHZ, exhibits much more vigorous early growth.

Architectural and Physiological Features to Gain High Yield in an Elite Rice Line YLY1.

Identification of traits strongly associated with high yield can help future gene engineering towards improvements of productivity. Here we systematically determine the major architectural and physiological features associated with high yield in two elite historical hybrid rice cultivars, i.e., YLY1 and LYP9. Data from a six-year experiment show that high yield of YLY1 are related to a number of architectural and physiological parameters. Compared to LYP9, YLY1 had 5.5% and 47.3% higher canopy photosynthesis under high and low photosynthetic photon flux densities, respectively, during the grain filling stage, an average 1.5% higher proportion of biomass allocation to above-ground tissues, a 4.5%-10.5% higher photosynthate reserve in leaf sheath before grain filling, and a more efficient photosynthate translocation during grain filling and finally an average 25.2% higher number of productive tillers. These features differ dramatically from features associated with high yield in YLY900 and Yongyou12#, two other high-yielding rice cultivars in China. These identified features and their combinations can support designing new strategies in the future high-yield rice breeding.

Contrasting Responses of Plastid Terminal Oxidase Activity Under Salt Stress in Two C4 Species With Different Salt Tolerance.

The present study reveals contrasting responses of photosynthesis to salt stress in two C4 species: a glycophyte Setaria viridis (SV) and a halophyte Spartina alterniflora (SA). Specifically, the effect of short-term salt stress treatment on the photosynthetic CO2 uptake and electron transport were investigated in SV and its salt-tolerant close relative SA. In this experiment, at the beginning, plants were grown in soil then were exposed to salt stress under hydroponic conditions for two weeks. SV demonstrated a much higher susceptibility to salt stress than SA; while, SV was incapable to survive subjected to about 100 mM, SA can tolerate salt concentrations up to 550 mM with slight effect on photosynthetic CO2 uptake rates and electrons transport chain conductance (gETC ). Regardless the oxygen concentration used, our results show an enhancement in the P700 oxidation with increasing O2 concentration for SV following NaCl treatment and almost no change for SA. We also observed an activation of the cyclic NDH-dependent pathway in SV by about 2.36 times upon exposure to 50 mM NaCl for 12 days (d); however, its activity in SA drops by about 25% compared to the control without salt treatment. Using PTOX inhibitor (n-PG) and that of the Qo-binding site of Cytb6/f (DBMIB), at two O2 levels (2 and 21%), to restrict electrons flow towards PSI, we successfully revealed the presence of a possible PTOX activity under salt stress for SA but not for SV. However, by q-PCR and western-blot analysis, we showed an increase in PTOX amount by about 3-4 times for SA under salt stress but not or very less for SV. Overall, this study provides strong proof for the existence of PTOX as an alternative electron pathway in C4 species (SA), which might play more than a photoprotective role under salt stress.

Photosynthetic and transcriptomic responses of two C4 grass species with different NaCl tolerance.

This report reveals the effects of salt on the photosynthetic electron transport and transcriptome of the glycophyte Setaria viridis (S. viridis) and its salt-tolerant close relative halophyte Spartina alterniflora (S. alterniflora). S. viridis was unable to survive exposed to sodium chloride (NaCl) levels higher than 100 mM, in contrast, S. alterniflora could tolerate NaCl up to 550 mM, with negligible effect on gas exchange related parameters and conductance of electrons transport chain (gETC). Under salt, the prompt fluorescence (OJIP-curves) exhibits an increase in the O- and J-steps in S. viridis and much less for S. alterniflora. Flowing NaCl stress, a dramatic decline in the photosystem II (PSII) primary photochemistry was observed for S. viridis, as reflected by the drastic drop in Fv/Fm, Fv/Fo and ΦPSII; however, no substantial change was recorded for these parameters in S. alterniflora. Interestingly, we found an increase in the primary PSII photochemistry (ΦPSII) for S. alterniflora with increasing either NaCl concentration or NaCl treatment duration. The NPQ magnitude was strongly enhanced for S. viridis even at a low NaCl (50 mM); however, it remains unchangeable or slightly increased for S. alterniflora at NaCl levels above 400 mM. After NaCl treatment, we found an increase in both the proportion of oxidized P700 and the amount of active P700 in S. viridis and almost no change for S. alterniflora. Under salt, the net photosynthetic rate (A) and stomatal conductance (gs) measurements demonstrate that A decreases earlier in S. viridis, even after one week exposure to only 50 mM NaCl; in contrast, in S. alterniflora, the effect of NaCl on A and gs was minor even after exposure for two weeks to high NaCl levels. For S. viridis exposed to 50 mM NaCl for 12 d, carbon dioxide (CO2) at a concentration of 2000 µL L-1 could not fully restore A to the control (Ctrl) level. Conversely, in S. alterniflora, high CO2 can fully restore A for all NaCl treatments except at 550 mM. RNA-seq data shows a major impact of NaCl on metabolic pathways in S. viridis and we found a number of transcription factors potentially related to NaCl responses. For S. alterniflora, no major changes in the transcriptomic levels were recorded under NaCl stress. To confirm our data analysis of RNA-seq, we performed quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analysis for randomly selected four genes for each species (8 genes in total) and we found that our results (up- and/or down-regulated genes) are fully consistent and match well our RNA-seq data. Overall, this study showed drastically different photosynthetic and transcriptomic responses of a salt-tolerant C4 grass species and one salt-sensitive C4 grass species to NaCl stress, which suggests that S. alterniflora could be used as a promising model species to study salt tolerance in C4 or monocot species.

An in situ approach to characterizing photosynthetic gas exchange of rice panicle.

BACKGROUND: Photosynthesis of reproductive organs in C3 cereals is generally regarded as important to crop yield. Whereas, photosynthetic characteristics of reproductive organs are much less understood as compared to leaf photosynthesis, mainly due to methodological limitations. To date, many indirect methods have been developed to study photosynthesis of reproductive organs and its contribution to grain yield, such as organ shading, application of herbicides and photosynthetic measurement of excised organs or tissues, which might be intrusive and cause biases. Thus, a robust and in situ approach needs to be developed. RESULTS: Here we report the development of a custom-built panicle photosynthesis chamber (P-chamber), which can be connected to standard infrared gas analyzers to study photosynthetic/respiratory rate of a rice panicle. With the P-chamber, we measured panicle photosynthetic characteristics of seven high-yielding elite japonica, japonica-indica hybrid and indica rice cultivars. Results show that, (1) rice panicle is photosynthetically active during grain filling, and there are substantial inter-cultivar variations in panicle photosynthetic and respiratory rates, no matter on a whole panicle basis, on an area basis or on a single spikelet basis; (2) among the seven testing cultivars, whole-panicle gross photosynthetic rates are 17-54 nmol s-1 5 days after heading under photon flux density (PFD) of 2000 µmol (photons) m-2 s-1, which represent some 20-38% of that of the corresponding flag leaves; (3) rice panicle photosynthesis has higher apparent CO2 compensation point, light compensation point and apparent CO2 saturation point, as compared to that of a typical leaf; (4) there is a strong and significant positive correlation between gross photosynthetic rate 5 days after heading on a single spikelet basis and grain setting rate at harvest (Pearson correlation coefficient r = 0.93, p value < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Rice panicle gross photosynthesis is significant, has great natural variation, and plays an underappreciated role in grain yield formation. The P-Chamber can be used as a tool to study in situ photosynthetic characteristics of irregular non-foliar plant organs, such as ears, culms, leaf sheaths, fruits and branches, which is a relatively less explored area in current cereal breeding community.

Overexpression of maize transcription factor mEmBP-1 increases photosynthesis, biomass, and yield in rice.

Identifying new options to improve photosynthetic capacity is a major approach to improve crop yield potential. Here we report that overexpression of the gene encoding the transcription factor mEmBP-1 led to simultaneously increased expression of many genes in photosynthesis, including genes encoding Chl a,b-binding proteins (Lhca and Lhcb), PSII (PsbR3 and PsbW) and PSI reaction center subunits (PsaK and PsaN), chloroplast ATP synthase subunit, electron transport reaction components (Fd1 and PC), and also major genes in the Calvin-Benson-Bassham cycle, including those encoding Rubisco, glyceraldehyde phosphate dehydrogenase, fructose bisphosphate aldolase, transketolase, and phosphoribulokinase. These increased expression of photosynthesis genes resulted in increased leaf chlorophyll pigment, photosynthetic rate, biomass growth, and grain yield both in the greenhouse and in the field. Using EMSA experiments, we showed that mEmBP-1a protein can directly bind to the promoter region of photosynthesis genes, suggesting that the direct binding of mEmBP-1a to the G-box domain of photosynthetic genes up-regulates expression of these genes. Altogether, our results show that mEmBP-1a is a major regulator of photosynthesis, which can be used to increase rice photosynthesis and yield in the field.