Investigating the Impact of Genetic Modifications on Arabidopsis thaliana Growth under Varying Weather Conditions

Plants across all ecosystems face profound impacts from shifting environmental conditions. This study focuses on genetically modified Arabidopsis thaliana as a model for studying crop responses to environmental stress. We investigated the effects of the CIL gene overexpression, known for enhancing growth, and the Rubisco mutation, expected to impede growth, on Arabidopsis thaliana under various weather conditions, including drought and raised salinity in water. While we predicted CIL overexpression in Arabidopsis would lead to better plant growth in adverse weather conditions, surprisingly, our results showed that the CIL gene overexpression did not confer improved growth or protection against adverse weather conditions compared to the wild type. Conversely, the Rubisco mutation exhibited slower, but consistent, growth regardless of weather conditions. These findings challenge previous assumptions and underscore the complexity of genetic modifications in plant responses to environmental stress. Research on genetic modifications and resiliency crucial for developing strategies to mitigate the impact of climate change on global food security and ecosystem stability. Further research is needed to elucidate the underlying mechanisms behind the CIL and Rubisco genes' effect on plant growth and expand the scope of our research to different plant species and weather variables.