Question: Do you ever feel that there is no point in your research because plants have managed to survive longer than us without having sun protection?

Beth Dyson answered on 21 Jun 2010:

No I don’t think my research is pointless!!!! Plants have survived for a long time, and would survive without us. It’s us that won’t survive if we can’t make plants better!

The world’s population is expected to double in the next 200 years, with no increase in the amount of land available to farm. This means that we simply won’t be able to grow enough food to feed everyone! If we can make plants better at responding to light, we can make them more productive,and produce more food in a smaller area!