The present disclosure relates to genetically modified plants including one or more edited open reading frames (uORFs) in endogenous nucleotide sequences encoding photosystem II subunit S (PsbS), zeaxanthin epoxidase (ZEP), or violaxanthin de-epoxidase (VDE). The present disclosure further relates to methods of producing the genetically modified plants, as well as to isolated constructs and expression cassettes for use in producing the genetically modified plants. In addition, the present disclosure relates to transient screening methods to study gene expression.

The present disclosure provides a transgenic plant comprising one or more nucleotide sequences encoding polypeptides selected from photosystem II subunit S (PsbS), zeaxanthin epoxidase (ZEP), and violaxanthin de-epoxidase (VDE), operably linked to at least one expression control sequence. Expression vectors for making transgenic plants, and methods for increasing biomass production and/or carbon fixation and/or growth in a plant comprising increasing expression of at least one of PsbS, ZEP and VDE polypeptides are also provided.