Turbocharging Photosynthesis: Carbon Concentrating Mechanisms in Algae and Higher Plants

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• Maddie Mitchell
• Tuesday 20 November 2012, 20:30-21:00
• Senior Parlour, Gonville & Caius College.

If you have a question about this talk, please contact Roeland Verhallen.

Photosynthesis is arguably the most important process on the planet. Through photosynthesis, plants are able to convert sunlight to sugars, which ultimately fuel not only plant growth, but also our own. However, the carbon reduction reactions are relatively slow and rely on a notoriously ‘inefficient’ enzyme called Rubisco. I will briefly discuss the evolution of Rubisco and the various mechanisms that photosynthetic organisms have evolved to overcome Rubisco’s kinetic constraints. These include C4 and CAM photosynthesis in higher plants as well as the biophysical carbon concentrating mechanisms of cyanobacteria and algae. Understanding these mechanisms is becoming increasingly important both for improving crop productivity and carbon sequestration in order to feed a growing population and combat climate change. Finally, I will present some of my research into the regulation of the carbon concentrating mechanism in the model alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. This work is part of a collaboration to introduce elements of the algal system into higher plants with the aim of improving photosynthetic efficiency.

This talk is part of the Caius MCR/SCR research talks series.

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• Senior Parlour, Gonville & Caius College

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