Researchers at Durham University have identified a new mechanism in plants that controls wood formation, potentially opening pathways to enhance carbon storage in forests and crops. The study, published in PNAS, shows that two receptor proteins on plant cell surfaces form a complex that regulates the cambium, the layer of stem cells responsible for producing wood. When these receptors work together, wood-producing cells continue to divide, increasing wood production. This discovery matters for climate because wood is a major natural carbon sink. If scientists can learn to influence this receptor partnership, they might boost the amount of carbon that trees and other woody plants capture and store. The research also raises questions about similar receptor interactions in other plant processes like growth and disease resistance. The findings are still at the basic science stage, but they point toward practical applications in forestry and agriculture. Understanding how plants regulate wood formation could eventually lead to methods for increasing biomass production, improving crop yields, and enhancing natural carbon sequestration without genetic modification.
