The American Society of Plant Biologists - The Charles F. Kettering Award

2014

The Charles F. Kettering Award was established by an endowment from the Kettering Foundation in 1962 to recognize excellence in the field of photosynthesis. It is a monetary award to be given in even-numbered years to an individual for meritorious work in photosynthesis.

Susanne von Caemmerer co-developed what is arguably the most widely used biochemical model in plant biology – the Farquhar, von Caemmerer and Berry model of C3 photosynthesis. Susanne led reducing the model to practice, first identifying the key physiological measurements and then the new molecular approaches needed to apply the model.

Susanne went on to develop an equally widely used model of C4 photosynthesis. She resolved the long debated and critical question of why there is so much Rubisco by showing that under high-light Rubisco exerts very strong metabolic control in both C3 and C4 plants and therefore is not in excess. Most recently Susanne has led the way toward resolving anomalies around the critical issue of mesophyll conductance.

Susanne receiving the Charles F/ KKettering Award

Susanne von Caemmerer receiving the Charles F. Kettering Award on 12 July 2014. Photo credit (c) Naid Hasan