My primary research interest is centred on understanding how the evolution of the three biochemical types of C₄photosynthesis (i.e., NADP-ME, NAD-ME and PCK types) has affected the functions, properties and metabolism of mitochondria. In NAD-ME and PCK types of C₄ photosynthesis, mitochondria in bundle sheath cells play a direct role in decarboxylation of metabolites for C₄ photosynthesis. Mitochondria in C₄ PCK type also provide ATP for C₄ metabolism, although this role for ATP provision is not seen in NAD-ME type. Such involvement has increased mitochondrial abundance/size and associated enzymatic capacity, led to changes in mitochondrial location and ultrastructure, and altered the respiratory substrate preference and the role of mitochondria in cellular carbon metabolism in the NAD-ME and PCK types. By contrast, these changes in mitochondrial properties are absent in the C₄ NADP-ME type and C₃ leaves, where mitochondria play no direct role in photosynthesis. A deep understanding of mitochondrial functions and properties in C₄plants provides information on the key area central to the engineering of C₄ pathway into C₃ plants, to the understanding of global variation in rates of C₄ respiration under distinct environmental conditions, to the knowledge of interaction between mitochondria and chloroplasts in C₄ plants, and to the improvement of C₄ respiration and photosynthesis parameterisation in conceptual and numerical models.