A group photo

von Caemmerer Group - CO2 fixation and water loss of leaves

We are investigating aspects of carbon acquisition by plants including the biochemistry of CO2 fixation and regulation of CO2 diffusion into and within leaves.

About

We are investigating aspects of carbon acquisition by plants including the biochemistry of CO2 fixation and regulation of CO2 diffusion into and within leaves.

We are members of two international research consortia:  RIPE (Routes to Improving Photosynthetic Efficiency), an international collaboration which is aiming to improve C3 photosynthesis (https://ripe.illinois.edu/) and the C4 rice consortium which is attempting to transfer the CO2 assimilation apparatus of high yielding crops such as maize into rice (https://c4rice.com/)

Current research topics include:

  • Understanding the biochemical regulation of C3 and C4 photosynthesis
  • Studies on how to enhance C3 and C4 photosynthesis through molecular engineering
  • Understanding CO2 diffusion inside leaves.
  • Physiological and molecular regulation of stomatal movement.

Publications

Selected publications

  • Danila F, ThakurV, ChatterjeeJ, BalaS, CoeRA, AcebronK, FurbankRT, von Caemmerer S, QuickWP(2021) Bundle sheath suberisation is required for C4 photosynthesis in a Setaria viridis mutant. Nature communications 4(1) 1-10.

    Clark, V, Danila F, von Caemmerer, S (2021)     CO2 diffusion in tobacco: a link between mesophyll conductance and leaf anatomy. Interface focus 11 (2), 20200040.

    Ermakova M , Arrivault, S , Giuliani, R, Danila, F , Alonso-Cantabrana, H , Vlad, D, Ishihara, H, Feil, R, Guenther, M , Borghi, GL , Covshoff, S, Ludwig, M , Cousins, AB, Langdale, JA , Kelly, S , Lunn, JE , Stitt, M , von Caemmerer, S,  Furbank, RT (2020) Installation of C4 photosynthetic pathway enzymes in rice using a single construct. Plant Biotechnology journal 1-4

    von Caemmerer, S, (2020) Invited review: Rubisco carboxylase/oxygenase: from the enzyme to the globe, a gas exchange perspective. Journal of Plant Physiology, 153240

    Zhu, XB; Ort, D; Parry MA; von Caemmerer S, (2020) A wish list for synthetic biology in photosynthesis research. Journal of Experimental Botany 71 (7), 2219-2225.

    Ermakova, M, Danila F, Furbank RT, von Caemmerer, S (2020) Invited review: On the road to C4 rice, The Plant Journal, 101, 940-950.

    Ermakova, M, Lopez-Calcagno, PE, Raines, CA, Furbank, RT, von Caemmerer, S (2019) Overexpression of the Rieske FeS protein of the Cytochrome b6f complex increases C4 photosynthesis. Communications Biology volume 2, Article number: 314 (2019)

    Danila, FR, Quick, WP, White, RG, Kelly S; von Caemmerer, S; Furbank, RT (2018) Multiple mechanisms for enhanced plasmodesmatal density in disparate subtypes of C4 grasses. Journal of Experimental Botany 69 (5), 1135-1145

    Rogers, A; Medlyn, B; Dukes, J; Bonan, G; von Caemmerer, S; Dietze; Kattge, J; Leakey, A; Mercado, L; Niinemets, Ü; Prentice, I; Serbin, S; Sitch, S; Way, D; Zaehle, S (2016) A Roadmap for Improving the Representation of Photosynthesis in Earth System Models. New Phytologist 213(1): 22-42.

    Osborn, HL, Alonso-Cantabrana, H. Sharwood, RE, Covshoff, S, Evans JR, Furbank RT, von Caemmerer, S (2017) Effects of reduced carbonic anhydrase activity on CO2 assimilation rates in Setaria viridis: a transgenic analysis. Journal of Experimental Botany 68 (2): 299-310

    Danila, FR, Quick, WP, White, RG, Furbank, RT, von Caemmerer, S (2016) The metabolite pathway between bundle sheath and mesophyll: quantification of plasmodesmata in leaves of C3 and C4 monocots. The Plant Cell, The Plant Cell 28, 1461-1471

    von Caemmerer, S, Furbank, RT (2016) Strategies for improving C4 photosynthesis, Current Opinion in Plant Biology 31, 125-134.

    Barbour MM, EvansJR, Simonin KA and von Caemmerer S (2016) On-line CO2 and H2O oxygen isotope fractionation allows estimation of mesophyll conductance in C4 plants, and reveals that mesophyll conductance decreases as leaves age in both C4 and C3 plants. New Phytologist 210 (3), 875-889.

    Ort, DR, Merchant, SS, Alric, J, Barkan, A, Blankenship, RE,  Bock, R, Croce, R, Hanson, MR, Hibberd, JM, Long, SP, Moore, TA, James V. Moroney, JV, Niyogi, KK, Parry, MAJ, Peralta-Yahya, PPP, Prince, RC, Redding, KE, Spalding, MH, Klaas J. van Wijk, KJ, Wim F.J. Vermaas, WFJ, von Caemmerer, S, Weber, APM, Yeates, TO, Yuan, JS, Zhu, X (2015) Redesigning photosynthesis to sustainably meet global food and bioenergy demand, PNAS - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, vol. 112, no. 28, pp. 8529-8536.

    von Caemmerer, S and Evans JR, (2015) Temperature responses of mesophyll conductance differ greatly between species. Plant Cell & Environment 38, 629–637.

  • von Caemmerer, S, Quick WP, Furbank RT (2012) The Development of C4 Rice: Current Progress and Future Challenges. Science 336, 1671-1672. Abstract | Reprint | Full text
  • Tazoe Y, von Caemmerer S, Estavillo GM, Evans JR (2011) Using tunable diode laser spectroscopy to measure carbon isotope discrimination and mesophyll conductance to CO2 diffusion dynamically at different CO2 concentrations. . Plant Cell & Environment (in press 1 Nov 2010).
  • Price GD, Badger MR, von Caemmerer S (2011) The prospect of using cyanobacterial bicarbonate transporters to improve leaf photosynthesis in C3 crop plants. (invited review) Plant Physiology (in press, Oct 2010).
  • von Caemmerer S, Evans JR, (2010) Enhancing C3 photosynthesis Plant Physiology 154, 589-592.
  • Weber A, von Caemmerer S (2010) Plastid transport and metabolism of C3 and C4 plants - comparative analysis and possible biotechnological exploitation, Current Opinion in Plant Biology.13: 1-9
  • Pengelly JJL, Sirault XRR, TazoeY, Evans JR, Furbank RT, von Caemmerer, S (2010) Growth of the C4 dicot Flaveria bidentis: photosynthetic acclimation to low light through shifts in leaf anatomy and biochemistry. . J. exp Bot. 61, 4109-4122
  • Cousins, AB, Ghannoum, O, von Caemmerer, S, Badger, MR (2010) Simultaneous determination of Rubisco carboxylase and oxygenase kinetic parameters in Triticum aestivum and Zea mays using membrane inlet mass spectrometry. Plant Cell & Environment 33,444-452
  • Furbank RT, von Caemmerer S, Sheehy, J, Edwards, G (2009) C4 rice: a challenge for plant phenomics. Functional Plant Biology 36, 845-856
  • Yamori W, von Caemmerer S (2009) Effect of Rubisco activase deficiency on the temperature response of CO2 assimilation rate and Rubisco activation state: Insights from transgenic tobacco with reduced amounts of Rubisco activase. Plant Physiol.151, 2073-2082
  • Baroli, I, Price, DG, Badger, MR, von Caemmerer, S (2007) The contribution of photosynthesis to the red light response of stomatal conductance. Plant Physiol. 146, 737-743
  • Furumoto, T, Izui K, Quinn, V, Furbank, RT, von Caemmerer, S (2007) Phosphorylation of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase is not essential for high photosynthetic rates in the C4 species Flaveria bidentis Plant Physiol. 141, 1936-1945.

All publications

Projects

This project is looking to install the C4 pathway from maize into rice, to supercharge photosynthesis and increase crop yeilds.
It is part of a C4 rice international consortium of labs, and is funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Theme

Bioinformatics and bio-mathematical modelling, Evolutionary genetics and genomics, Photosynthesis and plant energy biology, Phylogenetics, population genetics and biodiversity, Plant genetics and gene regulation

Student intake

Open for Honours, PhD students

Status

Current

People

Photosynthetic CO2 fixation rate is constrained by CO2 diffusion inside leaves from intercellular airspace to the cytoplasm and chloroplasts in species with either C3 or C4 photosynthetic pathway.

Theme

Plant environmental biology and functional ecology, Photosynthesis and plant energy biology, Membrane transporters and channels

Student intake

Open for Bachelor, Honours, Master, PhD students

Status

Current

People

In this project, the student will further investigate the relationship between the cytochrome b6f and ATP synthase complexes using a combination of molecular biology and physiological techniques. This project is part of a larger project and highly relevant for our overall goal to improve photosynthesis in crop plants.

Theme

Photosynthesis and plant energy biology

Student intake

Open for Honours students

Status

Current

People

Plant species that perform C3-C4 intermediate photosynthesis represent evolutionary steps between the most extended C3 plants and the highly efficient species that fix CO2 through the C4 pathway.

Theme

Photosynthesis and plant energy biology

Student intake

Open for Honours students

Status

Current

People

Stomata function as hydraulic valves on the surface of leaves and regulate the fluxes of CO2 and water to and from the plant and determine how plants survive dry conditions.

Theme

Plant environmental biology and functional ecology, Photosynthesis and plant energy biology

Student intake

Open for Bachelor, Honours, Master, PhD students

Status

Current

People

Members

Honorary Group Leader

Emeritus Professor

News

ANU experts have found a way to precisely measure a crop’s water loss through its skin, not just the pores on their leaves.

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Three researchers from ANU who've changed the way we see the world have been recognised for their ground-breaking work with prestigious awards from The Australian Academy of Science.

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Seeing the light - video thumbnail

Increasing food production is one of the greatest challenges of the 21st century. The Australian Academy of Science has produced a video featuring researchers who are from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis and the ANU Research School of Biology.

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