Genetically modified trees are causing a stir in the climate tech space, and Living Carbon leads the charge. This is not some other biotech company playing around with crops—this is a large-scale effort to reimagine how we sequester carbon, steward forests, and even do climate action as a company.
The Science Behind Photosynthesis-Enhanced Trees
Fundamentally, the concept is straightforward: trees pull CO2 out of the air and sequester it in their wood and soil. What if trees could do it even more efficiently? Living Carbon, a public benefit corporation established by Maddie Hall and Patrick Mellor, is investigating just that. Their genetically modified poplars are engineered to turbocharge photosynthesis.
The secret is one of breaking through a natural constraint known as photorespiration. Under normal circumstances, the RuBisCO enzyme can capture oxygen in place of carbon dioxide, wasting energy and emitting CO2. Scientists at Living Carbon implanted pumpkin vine, creosote bush, and South Pacific shrub genes into the poplars to reroute this activity, converting waste products back to useful CO2 within the leaf. Some of the modified poplars in greenhouse tests grew 35–53% more biomass than typical trees. More biomass = more stored carbon—Meeting up to 27% more carbon storage, according to Living Carbon.
Living Carbon’s Mission and Methodology
Maddie Hall departed OpenAI to address climate change on Earth, gathering a group of synthetic biologists and plant biotechnologists. They are developing trees that grow faster and are resistant to rot by storing metals such as copper, which inhibits fungal degradation. Hundreds of thousands of such trees have already been planted in states such as Ohio and Georgia for massive field tests.
But the firm is not only interested in the science—it’s creating a business model out of carbon credits. Farmers can convert unused or degrading land into carbon sinks, generating income from both timber and carbon offsets. Corporations that need to offset their emissions can buy credits directly linked to the quantifiable carbon these trees store.
Regulatory Hurdles and Public Trust
The journey is not without its challenges. Genetically modified organisms are strictly regulated, particularly if they are released into the wild. The USDA cleared Living Carbon’s poplars for planting commercially, exempting them from stringent GMO regulations due to the gene gun technology used in the transformation. This made the poplars the first genetically engineered trees to be commercially planted in U.S. forests.
Not all support this method. Others claim the exemption omitted key safety measures. If the company had applied a few months later, it would have been subject to tighter scrutiny. Living Carbon maintains that its trees are female clones of low fertility to reduce risks, but others, such as Scott Merkle from the University of Georgia, point out that female trees can still seed if they are pollinated by wild relatives, and so raise concerns about unintended ecological effects.
Environmental Issues and Doubts
The promise of “supertrees” is accompanied by a raft of environmental concerns. The Global Justice Ecology Project’s Anne Petermann warns that genetically modified trees have the potential to destabilize ecosystems, outpace indigenous species, or transmit mutations with time. Poplars are particularly notorious for resprouting from stumps, so they could, in theory, spread beyond planned limits.
There’s also skepticism about whether greenhouse outcomes will translate to real-world conditions. Some fast-growing trees tend to have less wood density and could be more vulnerable to disease. Field trials are underway, but skeptics say that data from controlled environments aren’t sufficient to demonstrate these trees will succeed—or sequester carbon safely—on a large scale.
The Business of Carbon Credits and Reforestation
Living Carbon is going all-in on the carbon credit market, potentially growing to $40 billion by 2030. The formula is simple: plant improved trees on deforested land, monitor the additional carbon sequestered, and sell credits to businesses needing to offset emissions. Landowners profit, forests are restored, and carbon is sequestered.
But the carbon offsetting business is in question. Tests have revealed that most credits are inflated or even worthless. Living Carbon is trying to validate its projects with registries such as the American Carbon Registry and is looking for innovative methods of maintaining transparency and credibility.
The Future of Climate Biotech in Forestry
Living Carbon’s speed is ahead of other GMO tree initiatives, such as the blight-resistant American chestnut, which is still mired in regulatory indecision. Their model—merging high-end genetic modification with field deployment and commercial partnerships—is potentially a model for climate biotech endeavors to follow.
The stakes are high. If these trees work, they could revolutionize the way we combat climate change, turning wasteland into potent carbon sinks. If they don’t work, public confidence in biotech fixes may suffer, and progress throughout the industry will be set back.
One thing is for sure: the race to create the next generation of climate solutions has begun, and genetically engineered trees are at its center. This is climate tech at its most ambitious, and the world is paying attention.
