Signal Engineered poplars: 53 percent more above-ground biomass and up to 27 percent more carbon in lab trials

Summary

The report presents Living Carbon as a recent example of editing trees for climate purposes. The project has developed poplars modified to photosynthesise more efficiently and decompose more slowly. In laboratory tests, some specimens produced 53 percent more above-ground biomass, meaning trunk, branches and leaves, and stored up to 27 percent more carbon than conventional trees. Pilot plantations began in the south-eastern United States in 2023, and planting on degraded land such as former mines is being studied. The report grounds this approach in the role of plants as carbon sinks that absorb atmospheric CO2 through photosynthesis and store it in trunks, leaves, roots and soil. Ecological concerns such as gene spread, biodiversity loss and higher water consumption are also raised.