“Previous work has focused on individual responses—some on CO2 and some on temperature, but not both, and not on a wide range of rice genetics,” Ziska said. “We knew that temperature by itself could increase levels, and carbon dioxide by a little bit. But when we put both of them together, then wow, that was really something we were not expecting. You’re looking at a crop staple that’s consumed by a billion people every day, and any effect on toxicity is going to have a pretty damn large effect.”