von Caemmerer Group - CO2 fixation and water loss of leaves

the von Caemmerer Group in 2021

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.

Group Leader

Postdoctoral Fellow

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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

Research to help develop next-generation food crops

Story | Monday 17 October 2016

Inside leaves, communication is the key

Story | Tuesday 5 July 2016
A new method to quantify plasmodesmata in leaves to compare photosynthesis transport mechanisms in C3 and C4 crops.

Australian funded Plant Growth Facility opens in the Philippines

Story | Friday 19 February 2016
The Loyd T Evans Growth Facility (PGF), named after John Evan's father, was officially opened on the Philippine campus of the International Rice Research Institute on 21 January 2016.

Efforts to 'turbocharge' rice enter new phase

Story | Thursday 3 December 2015

Freeing carbon dioxide traffic jams key to plant yields

Story | Tuesday 9 June 2015
“We have just begun to understand the importance of the remarkable speedy journey in which CO2 molecules move back and forth through the middle of the leaf,” said lead researcher Professor Susanne von Caemmerer.

Susanne von Caemmerer awarded the Charles F. Kettering Award

Story | Saturday 12 July 2014
The Charles F. Kettering Award recognises excellence in photosynthesis research.

Three new ARC Centres of Excellence

Story | Thursday 19 December 2013

2012 ARC grant success

Story | Friday 23 November 2012

Second course of C4 rice funding

Story | Thursday 15 November 2012
Researchers from the ANU Research School of Biology (RSB) and CSIRO have been given $400,000 and $600,000, respectively, for a collaborative project to improve rice and tackle the impending food crisis.

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