These tweaks were designed to make the trees more efficient at photosynthesis, and they seemed to work — during a five-month-long trial in a controlled environment, the modified poplars grew faster than unmodified trees, packing on 53% more above-ground biomass.
This is equivalent to capturing about 27% more carbon, according to co-founder and CEO Maddie Hall.
“Beyond additional carbon captured, we have also seen a 97% survival rate of our seedlings on abandoned mineland planting projects, and an increased resilience to hot temperatures,” she added.