Photoautotrophic (PA) tissue cultures that rely entirely upon light for energy and CO
2
for carbon have been initiated from a total of 29 species of higher plants. The species include C4 and Crassulacean acid metabolism species, legumes, and a number of important crop plants. However, no grasses have been grown successfully. PA culture initiation is time‐consuming and appears to be associated with long‐term adaptation physiologically and apparently genetically, since once initiated the cultures can be bleached and then rapidly become photosynthetically competent again. In addition, a series of unusual mutations have also been found in the
psbA
gene leading to triazine herbicide resistance in PA cultures in contrast to those found with triazine‐resistant weeds. A large number of physiological, biochemical, and molecular biological studies have been carried out especially with the
Chenopodium rubrum
and
Glycine max
cell lines. The cultures can be grown in fermenters, hence, seem ideal for compound and macromolecule production, although the overall record of valuable secondary compound production has been disappointing. PA cultures are useful for many studies since they are axenic, grow relatively rapidly, are easy to view microscopically, can be heavily
14
C labeled using
14
CO
2
, are in easily changed medium for compound addition and removal and other conditions are readily altered, and the cells are easily extracted.