Photosynthesis research is best dated from the discovery in 1771 by Joseph Priestley that enclosure of a sprig of mint in a glass vessel for 10 days restored air "rendered noxious by breathing" to its former "salubrious condition". His discovery of oxygen and its generation by plants from sunlight, air and water led to our present understanding of the ways in which the thin green veneer of the plant biosphere, on land and at sea, has transformed the atmosphere of Earth to one that sustains humankind and most other life processes. Photosynthesis in plants produces the oxygen we breath, the bread and wine, the fuels and fibers that support our everyday lives. Photosynthetic processes in natural ecosystems, agriculture and forestry are first responders to global climate change and continue to attract intensive, creative research from molecular to global scales.

Studies of photosynthetic processes have been an integral part of research recognised by several Nobel Prizes in Chemistry, most recently and specifically in 1961 (Calvin, for elucidating the dark reaction pathways of carbon dioxide fixation) and in 1988 (Deisenhofer, Huber, and Michel, for unraveling the structure of the photosynthetic bacterial reaction center). Photosynthesis research was further recognized by the Prize in Biology (1991) awarded by the Emperor of Japan to Hatch and Slack (for unraveling the C₄ pathway of carbon metabolism in sugarcane and other plants). Current front line research from members of ISPR can be seen by clicking on "Research news".

The International Society of Photosynthesis Research (ISPR) celebrated its 10^th Anniversary in summer of 2005. The Society was founded August 22, 1995 by ratification of its Constitution at the Xth International Photosynthesis Congress in Montpellier, France. The purposes of ISPR are to

encourage the growth and to promote the development of photosynthesis as a pure and applied science

to facilitate publication of research in photosynthesis

to sponsor the organization of a triennial International Congress on Photosynthesis

to promote international cooperation in photosynthesis research and education

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ISPR membership spans six continents and our members work across academia, education and training, as well as in government, industrial and commercial research environments. The Society plays a key role in uniting the photosynthesis research community internationally. Membership of ISPR is open to those concerned with all aspects (molecular, genetic, cellular and organismal) of the biochemistry, biophysics and physiology of photosynthesis in plants in agriculture and forestry, natural ecosystems and the marine and global environment.

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