Determining how the circadian clock increases chlorophyll content

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Nearly all living things have an internal clock that is set by the daily cycle of light and dark. This clock is called a circadian clock from the latin 'about a day'. The circadian clock in plants has been shown to control many of the functions in the plant and can cause daily rhythms in amongst other things, growth, movements of leaves and the process of making sugar from sunlight, which is called photosynthesis. Until recently, we have thought that the circadian clock must be important because so many process in the plant are controlled by it, but we did not know why the clock is important. We have new data that show that the circadian clock increases the rate of photosynthesis in plants and therefore makes the plant grow faster and do better than its neighbours. Our data suggest that the increase in photosynthesis is due to the circadian clock helping the plant to have more of the green pigment, chlorophyll. It is chlorophyll that traps the sun's energy to drive photosynthesis. We will find out how the circadian control of the activity of genes involved in chlorophyll production increases the amount of chlorophyll in the plant. We will look to see if the circadian clock increases the amount of chlorophyll made, increases the repair of chlorophyll if it is damaged by light or increases the protection of the plant from too much light, by for example making more pigments that act as a sunscreen. These experiments are important because they will help us understand how the circadian clock improves the efficiency of other major metabolic pathways in the plant. This information is important for understanding how plants have evolved and adapted and could help produce plants that grow better and are more nutritious to eat.