A team of scientists have identified a gene in poplar trees that enhances photosynthesis and can boost tree height. The study, "An orphan gene BOOSTER enhances photosynthetic efficiency and plant productivity," is published in Developmental Cell, and was a collaboration between the Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the Center for Bioenergy Innovation at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.