Moss Thrives Under Hypergravity, Offering Clues to Plant Evolution and Crop Enhancement

Despite their simple structure, mosses are capable of surviving in some of Earth's most extreme environments, such as Antarctica, deserts, and high mountains. Now, researchers from Hokkaido University in Japan have discovered that moss not only withstands hypergravity conditions but also shows enhanced growth.

In the study, the team cultivated the model moss Physcomitrium patens under artificially simulated gravity levels of 3x, 6x, and 10x Earth's gravity for eight weeks. Surprisingly, moss grown under 6x and 10x gravity exhibited a 36% to 52% increase in photosynthetic efficiency. This improvement was accompanied by an increase in chloroplast size and enhanced CO₂ diffusion capacity. The results, published in Science Advances, contrast sharply with previous findings—such as those from Savitribai Phule Pune University in India, which showed a dramatic decline in photosynthesis in wheat under 500x gravity.

The researchers also identified a key gene, named IBSH1, that, when activated under normal gravity, mimicked the effects of hypergravity—enlarging chloroplasts and boosting photosynthetic efficiency by up to 70%. This suggests that plants may have an innate potential to adapt to varying gravitational environments. The findings could provide insights into how ancient mosses evolved from aquatic to terrestrial life and may open new avenues for enhancing crop productivity through genetic approaches.