News & events
News
Scientists at the Australian Research Council (ARC) ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis (CoETP) have found that some plants have ten times more communication channels inside their leaves than other plants, which they think is a crucial factor in determining photosynthetic efficiency.
ANU congratulates distinguished scientist and ANU Professor Graham Farquhar AO for being named the 2018 Senior Australian of the Year.
Photosynthesis is an essential biological process that depends on the activity of the enzyme Rubisco which catalyses carbon fixation. Rubisco is slow, inefficient and cannot accurately distinguish between CO2 and O2. ANU researchers have been trying to improve the efficiency of Rubisco in crop plants.
The investigations into carbon fixation and gas exchange by RSBS researchers were essential to the understanding of photosynthesis, and the development of new processes to increase the efficiency of the photosynthetic process in agriculture.
Carboxysomes are polyhedral protein micro-compartments in cyanobacteria which concentrate CO2 and increase the efficiency of carbon fixation. In 1993, RSBS researchers Dean Price, Murray Badger and Susan Howitt determined the genetic sequence encoding for the proteins that form the protein shell of a carboxysome.
Legumes are an interesting plant to study due to their symbiotic relationship with nitrogen fixing bacteria called Rhizobia, which are housed within specialised root structures called nodules. The work of ANU researchers has been very important for our understanding of symbiosis, nodule formation and nitrogen fixation.
Events
This seminar will explore photosynthetic strategies across diverse extreme environments, presenting case studies on cyanobacteria inhabiting marine oxygen deficient zones, algae growing within sea-ice and snow, and chemoautotrophic bacteria encased within ancient anoxic marine brines.
Soil salinity (soil NaCl) can significantly reduce plant growth and yield; even moderate levels can reduce the grain yield of major cereal crops by 50%. In Australia, the estimated cost of salinity on agricultural productivity is valued at $1 billion per annum.
Genome structure and maintenance determine the evolvability of organisms. The genomes of fungal plant pathogens are often structured heterogeneously, harboring highly variable compartments and compartments of relative stability.
Eucalyptus trees are widespread across Australia, providing habitat to a rich biodiversity of marsupials, birds and insects, being key foundation species in natural ecosystems.
The efficient photosynthetic capability of marine phytoplankton is key to their significant contribution to global primary production.