Boosting C4 photosynthesis to climate proof crop yields. Building next generation C4 crops, such as maize, sugarcane and sorghum, to cope with drought and heat stress is requisite to ensure the supply of food and fodder. Here we will increase the content and / or catalytic efficiency of the primary carboxylase of C4 photosynthesis (PEPC) that supplies CO2 to the carbon concentrating mechanism and ensures high photosynthetic rates. We will develop new SynBio tools to create and test novel PEPC is ....Boosting C4 photosynthesis to climate proof crop yields. Building next generation C4 crops, such as maize, sugarcane and sorghum, to cope with drought and heat stress is requisite to ensure the supply of food and fodder. Here we will increase the content and / or catalytic efficiency of the primary carboxylase of C4 photosynthesis (PEPC) that supplies CO2 to the carbon concentrating mechanism and ensures high photosynthetic rates. We will develop new SynBio tools to create and test novel PEPC isoforms with desirable properties. Ultimately, the project aims to identify isoforms that improve plant fitness under stress conditions. Optimising PEPC activity will provide next generation solutions to improve water balance and carbon assimilation to keep C4 crops productive under future climates.Read moreRead less
The “New” Biochemistry of Polyamines: When Metabolic Pathways Collide. Basic biochemistry and the metabolic regulation of proliferation remain as the fundamental building blocks of knowledge in cell biology that have enabled breakthrough advances in biology and medicine. Polyamines are unique and ubiquitous low-Mr amines that play vital roles in many biological processes, including proliferation, DNA/RNA synthesis, etc. This proposal will mechanistically dissect the "new" biochemistry of polyami ....The “New” Biochemistry of Polyamines: When Metabolic Pathways Collide. Basic biochemistry and the metabolic regulation of proliferation remain as the fundamental building blocks of knowledge in cell biology that have enabled breakthrough advances in biology and medicine. Polyamines are unique and ubiquitous low-Mr amines that play vital roles in many biological processes, including proliferation, DNA/RNA synthesis, etc. This proposal will mechanistically dissect the "new" biochemistry of polyamines, as we have discovered that polyamines are regulated by iron at 2-major levels, involving >10-key polyamine pathway proteins. This proposal represents first-in-field studies specifically designed to dissect mechanisms involved in this relationship. Our Central Hypothesis is that iron regulates polyamine metabolism.Read moreRead less