CO2 fixation: molecular mechanisms of adaptation and acclimation

Nature’s most prolific carbon-fixing enzyme, ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) is slow and poorly discriminates between CO2 and its competitive inhibitor O2. These catalytic limitations of Rubisco often restrict plant growth. Across the tree of life, organisms mitigate poor Rubisco performance through adaptation and/or acclimation strategies. Dr. Gunn will present three research stories illustrating how her lab studies the molecular underpinnings of these strategies.

Speaker: Laura Gunn, Cornell University