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The collective discussions reflect a strong fascination with the evolution, biochemistry, and engineering of C4 photosynthesis, such as mentions of gene regulation, genetic engineering, and evolutionary history. The tone varies from scholarly to enthusiastic, using words like 'groundbreaking' and 'exciting,' which underscores a shared recognition of the research's significance for agricultural innovation and climate adaptation.
Most discussions highlight the significance and potential of C4 photosynthesis research, showing strong consensus on its importance for crop improvement and understanding plant adaptation.
The variety of detailed studies, evolutionary insights, and engineering efforts indicate a high level of interest among participants.
Posts include references to specific mechanisms, recent publications, and ongoing research projects, demonstrating deep engagement with the subject.
The discussions revolve around revolutionary insights, genetic engineering prospects, and implications for future agriculture and climate resilience, emphasizing substantial impact.
Exaptation of ancestral cell-identity networks enables C4 photosynthesis www.nature.com/articles/s41... New from the Ecker lab in collaboration with the Hibberd lab. Congrats all!
Very happy to share that our latest publication on the evolution of C4 photosynthesis is out now. It was such a pleasure working with the amazing Joseph Swift, Joe Ecker, @tinaschreier.bsky.social, and @jmhibberd.bsky.social. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Congratulations to Professor Julian Hibberd, Head of the Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, who has been elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society for his groundbreaking work on C4 photosynthesis. Read more: tinyurl.com/y53wvve3 #PlantSciences
#Nature Exaptation of ancestral cell-identity networks enables C₄ photosynthesis www.nature.com/articles/s41... Evolutionary innovation hints at ways to engineer efficient photosynthesis in crops www.nature.com/articles/d41... cc @sararc83.bsky.social
We have a new paper out from our Powell Center C4 working group: "C4 photosynthesis, trait spectra, and the fast-efficient phenotype" The @newphyt.bsky.social Tansley Review led by Russ Monson explores what we know about the C4 trait spectra nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
Usually when you think of evolution or natural selection you think of survival of the fittest But sometimes the resulting traits of evolution arent the most efficient solutions to the problems at hand. This video…
CO2 acts as plant food and influences plant growth. The video explores how increased CO2 impacts photosynthesis, plant development, and climate. It discusses optimal conditions, temperature dependence, and different…
Some organisms gave up and invented air-conditioning for it: Plants like maize and sugarcane evolved C4 photosynthesis, an elaborate biochemical turbocharger that pumps CO₂ into special cells so RuBisCO never even sees oxygen.
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RT @PlantPhys: PROTON GRADIENT REGULATION 5 enables efficient C4 photosynthesis under fluctuating light (Russell Woodford, Jacinta Watkins,…
RT @PlantPhys: PROTON GRADIENT REGULATION 5 enables efficient C4 photosynthesis under fluctuating light (Russell Woodford, Jacinta Watkins,…
RT @PlantPhys: PROTON GRADIENT REGULATION 5 enables efficient C4 photosynthesis under fluctuating light (Russell Woodford, Jacinta Watkins,…
RT @PlantPhys: PROTON GRADIENT REGULATION 5 enables efficient C4 photosynthesis under fluctuating light (Russell Woodford, Jacinta Watkins,…
RT @PlantPhys: PROTON GRADIENT REGULATION 5 enables efficient C4 photosynthesis under fluctuating light (Russell Woodford, Jacinta Watkins,…
RT @PlantPhys: PROTON GRADIENT REGULATION 5 enables efficient C4 photosynthesis under fluctuating light (Russell Woodford, Jacinta Watkins,…
RT @PlantPhys: PROTON GRADIENT REGULATION 5 enables efficient C4 photosynthesis under fluctuating light (Russell Woodford, Jacinta Watkins,…
RT @PlantPhys: PROTON GRADIENT REGULATION 5 enables efficient C4 photosynthesis under fluctuating light (Russell Woodford, Jacinta Watkins,…
PROTON GRADIENT REGULATION 5 enables efficient C4 photosynthesis under fluctuating light (Russell Woodford, Jacinta Watkins, Marten Moore, Samuel J Nix, Suyan Yee, Kai Xun Chan, et al) https://t.co/QIKZ2nROMA @ASPB #PlantSci https://t.co/6WrhT9nrbg
PROTON GRADIENT REGULATION 5 enables efficient C4 photosynthesis under fluctuating light (Russell Woodford, Jacinta Watkins, Marten Moore, Samuel J Nix, Suyan Yee, Kai Xun Chan, Barry Pogson, Susanne von Caemmerer, Robert T Furbank, Maria Ermakova) doi.org/10.1093/plph... #PlantScience @aspbofficial
@MedBennett @dwallacewells 1) C4 photosynthesis doesn't benefit from increased CO2 levels. Anywhere you grow corn/maize there is no benefit. Maize is primary food source in much of Africa. 2) More photosynthesis does not equal more yield. High night time temperatures drive yields down. Talk to any farmer.
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skill issue dayo other crops should just get good like corn and go apeshit with C4 photosynthesis https://t.co/hEnBmPLBnm
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RT @AgBioWorld: Developing C4 crops: More grain, tolerant to drought & high temperature & C02 limitation https://t.co/3ew5Ve0Y2P https://t…
Except Maize (the plant we get corn from which dominates American farming) uses C4 photosynthesis, which means it stores carbon in its cells & releases it gradually for photosynthesis. You can flood it with CO2, but it won't grow any quicker. These f'ing idiots
Despite the rise of #CO2 increase in atmosphere, photosynthesis doesn’t increases because temperature drives https://t.co/kwclTMtCPM #GlobalWarming #climate #ClimateAction The temperature response of C3 and C4 photosynthesis https://t.co/fJBWCIqGJY
@ryankatzrosene @name Well Dr. Brainiac, I suggest you learn about the evolution of C4 photosynthesis. https://t.co/t8yb3O1vyt
C4 Photosynthesis in Cyperaceae workshop, funded by the 2nd call Forward Thinking Actions of the Instituto de Investigación en Cambio Global (@urjc.bsky.social ), has started!!!
RT @MonashBiol: Russell Woodford and co-authors find an essential role of PGR5 in enabling efficient C4 photosynthesis under fluctuating li…
@steelballa @elonmusk Challenge me on plant sciences—name a topic where I've faltered, and I'll explain it precisely. From xylem transport to C4 photosynthesis pathways, my knowledge draws from extensive botanical data. What's your specific critique?
Photosynthetic diversity in the genus Blepharis (Acanthaceae) and the evolutionary origins of #C4 #photosynthesis
RT @NewPhyt: Photosynthetic diversity in the genus Blepharis (Acanthaceae) and the evolutionary origins of #C4 #photosynthesis
Photosynthetic diversity in the genus Blepharis (Acanthaceae) and the evolutionary origins of #C4 #photosynthesis
@ejwwest @ClaireCoutinho Read about plants & C4 photosynthesis. "most C4 dicot lineages are estimated to have appeared relatively recently, perhaps < 5 mya. "the appearance of C4 plants in the evolutionary record coincides with periods of increasing global aridification & declining atmospheric CO2."
RT @yokoyama_ryo: Metabolite profiling reveals slow and uncoordinated adjustment of C4 photosynthesis to sudden changes in irradiance https…
RT @yokoyama_ryo: Metabolite profiling reveals slow and uncoordinated adjustment of C4 photosynthesis to sudden changes in irradiance https…
RT @yokoyama_ryo: Metabolite profiling reveals slow and uncoordinated adjustment of C4 photosynthesis to sudden changes in irradiance https…
Metabolite profiling reveals slow and uncoordinated adjustment of C4 photosynthesis to sudden changes in irradiance https://t.co/ATwdePnyqW @PlantPhys
@ChrisMartzWX I don't see you properly accounting for declining crop yields under rising nighttime temperatures. Increased yields in Canada does no good for subsistence farmers who rely upon maize in Central America and Africa. Maize utilizing C4 photosynthesis does not benefit by higher CO2.
RT @MonashBiol: Russell Woodford and co-authors find an essential role of PGR5 in enabling efficient C4 photosynthesis under fluctuating li…
RT @MonashBiol: Russell Woodford and co-authors find an essential role of PGR5 in enabling efficient C4 photosynthesis under fluctuating li…
RT @MonashBiol: Russell Woodford and co-authors find an essential role of PGR5 in enabling efficient C4 photosynthesis under fluctuating li…
Other Neurachne species grow in the dry inland areas of the continent. VERY unusually, the various species show a mix of C3 or C4 photosynthesis. Great Southern BioBlitz 2024, Wongan Hills - various locations
Russell Woodford and co-authors find an essential role of PGR5 in enabling efficient C4 photosynthesis under fluctuating light by regulating photosynthetic control and energy-dependent non-photochemical quenching. doi.org/10.1093/plph...
Russell Woodford and co-authors find an essential role of PGR5 in enabling efficient C4 photosynthesis under fluctuating light by regulating photosynthetic control and energy-dependent non-photochemical quenching. https://t.co/eUDru5hNjH https://t.co/Kd0FjMqvG9
@karma26267508 @DrJackKruse The thread raises interesting points on CO2's role in biology and climate. Research shows historical CO2 lows (~180ppm in ice ages) stressed some plants, leading to adaptations like C4 photosynthesis. Rising CO2 (now ~420ppm) has boosted global greening and crop yields via
Not to speak of Hal Hatch and Roger Slack’s discovery of the C4 photosynthesis pathway - there’s no plant Nobel but it could be for chemistry. And sadly Roger has passed away so no longer eligible
PROTON GRADIENT REGULATION 5 enables efficient C4 photosynthesis under fluctuating light url: academic.oup.com/plphys/artic... @mariaermakova.bsky.social
PROTON GRADIENT REGULATION 5 enables efficient C4 photosynthesis under fluctuating light academic.oup.com/plphys/artic... @plantphys.bsky.social
PROTON GRADIENT REGULATION 5 enables efficient C4 photosynthesis under fluctuating light https://t.co/SqK47TmrSm @PlantPhys
PROTON GRADIENT REGULATION 5 enables efficient C4 photosynthesis under fluctuating light pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41021631/
@VoxPopuliRex @Race2Extinct @grok please explain why current amounts of CO2 are nowhere near being a limiting factor for plant life, neither for C3 or C4 photosynthesis.
@PaulRoundy1 @KT69444 @WeatherProf Corn pollination fails above 95F, happening now in Iowa during heat domes. Wheat protein degrades above 86F. Rice yields drop 10% per 1C increase. C4 photosynthesis breaks down above 113F. We are also running out of topsoil and fresh water, both resources climate change will ruin
my favorite fun fact from intro bio is that, due to corn being one of the few plants that uses C4 photosynthesis which preferentially utilizes CO2 with C-14 isotopes & the prominence of corn in the US diet, there is a slight difference in the carbon composition of americans vs the rest of the world
@mimmoies -the C4 photosynthesis pathways. C4 photosynthesis involves the use of PEP carboxylase, which converts CO2 into a four carbon molecule called oxaloacetate, which is then used to transport CO2 into the Calvin cycle, this is to help maintain high levels of CO2 through specialized-
A close cousin of corn, sorghum & switchgrass, Dichanthelium oligosanthes never adopted C4 photosynthesis. These plants have been hanging out my greenhouse for more than 11 years. ....but I haven’t been a photosynthesis guy in a long time. https://t.co/PxZ9GogJ7p
@kaztansky @disclosetv C4, or Composition C-4, is a plastic explosive used in military demolition. It's composed mainly of RDX (91%), a plastic binder, and plasticizer for malleability. Stable and shock-resistant, it requires a detonator to explode. If you mean something else (like C4 photosynthesis),
RT @NewPhyt: Photosynthetic diversity in the genus Blepharis (Acanthaceae) and the evolutionary origins of C4 photosynthesis
Performance of transgenic rice expressing C4 photosynthesis enzymes https://t.co/glKDX0LsOd
RT @NewPhyt: Photosynthetic diversity in the genus Blepharis (Acanthaceae) and the evolutionary origins of C4 photosynthesis
RT @NewPhyt: Photosynthetic diversity in the genus Blepharis (Acanthaceae) and the evolutionary origins of C4 photosynthesis
RT @NewPhyt: Photosynthetic diversity in the genus Blepharis (Acanthaceae) and the evolutionary origins of C4 photosynthesis
RT @NewPhyt: Photosynthetic diversity in the genus Blepharis (Acanthaceae) and the evolutionary origins of C4 photosynthesis
RT @NewPhyt: Photosynthetic diversity in the genus Blepharis (Acanthaceae) and the evolutionary origins of C4 photosynthesis
RT @NewPhyt: Photosynthetic diversity in the genus Blepharis (Acanthaceae) and the evolutionary origins of C4 photosynthesis
RT @NewPhyt: Photosynthetic diversity in the genus Blepharis (Acanthaceae) and the evolutionary origins of C4 photosynthesis
RT @NewPhyt: Photosynthetic diversity in the genus Blepharis (Acanthaceae) and the evolutionary origins of C4 photosynthesis
Photosynthetic diversity in the genus Blepharis (Acanthaceae) and the evolutionary origins of C4 photosynthesis
RT @OxfordBiology: @TinaSchreier has been awarded an @ERC_Research Starting Grant for research into the cell biology of C4 photosynthesis
RT @OxfordBiology: @TinaSchreier has been awarded an @ERC_Research Starting Grant for research into the cell biology of C4 photosynthesis
RT @OxfordBiology: @TinaSchreier has been awarded an @ERC_Research Starting Grant for research into the cell biology of C4 photosynthesis
@TinaSchreier has been awarded an @ERC_Research Starting Grant for research into the cell biology of C4 photosynthesis
@tinaschreier.bsky.social has been awarded an @erc.europa.eu Starting Grant for research into the cell biology of C4 photosynthesis
@climatebabes @JessePeltan @grok learned the difference between c3 and c4 photosynthesis thanks to the occasion.
Cons of Engineering Switchable C3-C4 Photosynthesis • Engineering Complexity and Costs: Introducing a switchable system requires precise genetic modifications, including inducible promoters, enzyme compartmentalisation…
Pros of Engineering Switchable C3-C4 Photosynthesis:
This concept, often referred to as facultative C3-C4 photosynthesis, draws inspiration from naturally occurring examples in certain plants…
Possibility of Engineering a Switchable C3-C4 Food Plant: It is theoretically possible to engineer a food plant that can switch between C3 and C4 photosynthesis based on environmental conditions, such as temperature, CO2 levels, water availability, or light intensity.
C4 photosynthesis is an adaptation found in about 3% of plant species, such as maize, sorghum, and sugarcane, primarily in tropical and subtropical grasses.
RT @NewPhyt: How evolution repeatedly builds complexity: A case study with C4 photosynthesis in Blepharis (Acanthaceae) Stata et al.
@flyfin588445 Plants survived ice age CO2 lows of ~180 ppm, though growth was limited—many adapted via C4 photosynthesis or other mechanisms (per studies in New Phytologist, Nature). No mass die-off occurred. Sediment proxies (e.g., boron isotopes) show similar ranges: highs ~280-300 ppm in
RT @NewPhyt: How evolution repeatedly builds complexity: A case study with C4 photosynthesis in Blepharis (Acanthaceae) Stata et al.
RT @NewPhyt: How evolution repeatedly builds complexity: A case study with C4 photosynthesis in Blepharis (Acanthaceae) Stata et al.
RT @NewPhyt: How evolution repeatedly builds complexity: A case study with C4 photosynthesis in Blepharis (Acanthaceae) Stata et al.
How evolution repeatedly builds complexity: A case study with C4 photosynthesis in Blepharis (Acanthaceae) Stata et al.
RT @yokoyama_ryo: How evolution repeatedly builds complexity: a case study with C4 photosynthesis in Blepharis (Acanthaceae) https://t.co/2…
RT @yokoyama_ryo: How evolution repeatedly builds complexity: a case study with C4 photosynthesis in Blepharis (Acanthaceae) https://t.co/2…
How evolution repeatedly builds complexity: a case study with C4 photosynthesis in Blepharis (Acanthaceae) nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/... @newphyt.bsky.social
How evolution repeatedly builds complexity: a case study with C4 photosynthesis in Blepharis (Acanthaceae) https://t.co/2IvCCKCaE5 @NewPhyt
This was a long time (too long) in the works, but I'm thrilled that it is finally out: nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/... "How evolution repeatedly builds complexity: a case study with C4 photosynthesis in Blepharis (Acanthaceae)" And this was chosen for a cover photo:
@ShibaBaggins Keto diet. Most fats and animals products are deuterium depleted. Stay away from plants that are created via C3 and C4 photosynthesis, as these will have high levels of deuterium.
@JohnCollins2x @gator_gum Geologic weathering converts CO2 into bicarbonate ions which are sequestered in the oceans. Most plants, including food crops, employ C3 photosynthesis. Some plants employ the more efficient C4 photosynthesis. Perhaps some food crops can be engineered to employ C4 photosynthesis.
RT @Agronommejean: Sorghum thrives in drought conditions due to its deep roots, efficient water use, waxy leaves that reduce water loss, an…
RT @Agronommejean: Sorghum thrives in drought conditions due to its deep roots, efficient water use, waxy leaves that reduce water loss, an…
RT @Agronommejean: Sorghum thrives in drought conditions due to its deep roots, efficient water use, waxy leaves that reduce water loss, an…
RT @Agronommejean: Sorghum thrives in drought conditions due to its deep roots, efficient water use, waxy leaves that reduce water loss, an…
RT @Agronommejean: Sorghum thrives in drought conditions due to its deep roots, efficient water use, waxy leaves that reduce water loss, an…
RT @Agronommejean: Sorghum thrives in drought conditions due to its deep roots, efficient water use, waxy leaves that reduce water loss, an…
RT @Agronommejean: Sorghum thrives in drought conditions due to its deep roots, efficient water use, waxy leaves that reduce water loss, an…
RT @Agronommejean: Sorghum thrives in drought conditions due to its deep roots, efficient water use, waxy leaves that reduce water loss, an…
RT @Agronommejean: Sorghum thrives in drought conditions due to its deep roots, efficient water use, waxy leaves that reduce water loss, an…
Sorghum thrives in drought conditions due to its deep roots, efficient water use, waxy leaves that reduce water loss, and C4 photosynthesis, which together help it conserve moisture and maintain growth despite limited water availability. https://t.co/Gult5hv1kG
RT @wimi_biotech:
@WormsofWrath @ReddLegend I’m not saying I agree with climate change theories, but a cursory glance at science shows palogene collapse caused by global cooling (co2 trapped in water) and then plants evolved c4 photosynthesis, letting them to grow at 150 ppm. Reducing oil burning won’t tank co2 that much
@aeyakovenko @aeyakovenko Plant evolution produced C4 photosynthesis independently 60+ times - nature's repeated solution to carbon fixation efficiency. The same molecular pathway emerged through convergent evolution across diverse species.
Bouteloua gracilis (blue grama, in the picture) is an example of a prairie C4 grass. As soil moisture increases, C4 photosynthesis becomes less favourable and C3 grasses become more common, including invasive European C3 grasses such as Bromus tectorum
@CanadianHyperi1 @objectextinct @AndrewDessler Both C3 and C4 benefit from higher CO2. Nutritional density is a matter of topsoil depletion, a long-standing issue for modern agriculture. C4 photosynthesis plant shows a high growth response to atmospheric CO2 enrichment https://t.co/XmsMqbPUlg
RT @manuelacasasoli: Read here an interesting review about "blueprints for a #nitrogen-efficient, cold-tolerant maize designed to utilize t…
Read here an interesting review about "blueprints for a #nitrogen-efficient, cold-tolerant maize designed to utilize the full growing season, enabling farmers in temperate regions to fully leverage maize's C4 photosynthesis, reduce fertilizer inputs, increase yields, and minimize https://t.co/Uk07PFh1wk
Kinetic parameter prediction using neural networks identifies limitations to C4 photosynthesis https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.07.16.665120v1
Kinetic parameter prediction using neural networks identifies limitations to C4 photosynthesis https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.07.16.665120v1
Kinetic parameter prediction using neural networks identifies limitations to C4 photosynthesis https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.07.16.665120v1
Kinetic parameter prediction using neural networks identifies limitations to C4 photosynthesis https://t.co/WAmn9ESnLF #biorxiv_bioinfo
Engineering improvements to the biochemistry of C3 & C4 photosynthesis expanding crop improvement possibilities
RT @TrendsPlantSci: July Issue. Read FREE: Sequencing historical RNA: unrealized potential to increase understanding of the plant tree of l…
RT @TrendsPlantSci: July Issue. Read FREE: Sequencing historical RNA: unrealized potential to increase understanding of the plant tree of l…
July Issue. Read FREE: Sequencing historical RNA: unrealized potential to increase understanding of the plant tree of life (see cover);Decoding the evolution of C4 photosynthesis; Transcellular regulation of ETI-induced cell death;& much more https://t.co/w3hFl93B44 #plantscience https://t.co/kXPAV3F0ql
July Issue. Read FREE: Sequencing historical RNA: unrealized potential to increase understanding of the plant tree of life (see cover); Decoding the evolution of C4 photosynthesis; Transcellular regulation of ETI-induced cell death; & much more www.cell.com/trends/plant... #plantscience
the C3 vs C4 photosynthesis situation also makes fabulous biochemistry
@wmorrill3 In corn (C4 photosynthesis), approximately 70-80% of energy from photosynthesis goes into growth (e.g., leaves, stems), while only 20-30% is stored as carbohydrates (e.g., kernels).
@wmorrill3 It's worse than that. Most of the energy collected through photosynthesis goes into growth, not production of carbohydrates in corn kernels. Even then, C4 photosynthesis is only 2% efficient compared to 20% for a modern solar panel.
RT @bobhillbrain: Despite the rise of #CO2 increase in atmosphere, photosynthesis doesn’t increases because temperature drives https://t.co…
@aeyakovenko C4 photosynthesis in corn evolved independently 60+ times. This metabolic innovation from 30M years ago lets maize convert 6% of solar energy to biomass - nearly triple the efficiency of most crops. Nature's optimization at work.
Despite the rise of #CO2 increase in atmosphere, photosynthesis doesn’t increases because temperature drives https://t.co/0lbZrsNGDl #GlobalWarming #climate #ClimateAction The temperature response of C3 and C4 photosynthesis https://t.co/K6INt7WqXO
Despite the rise of #CO2 increase in atmosphere, photosynthesis doesn’t increases because temperature drives https://t.co/kwclTMuaFk #GlobalWarming #climate #ClimateAction The temperature response of C3 and C4 photosynthesis https://t.co/fJBWCIrezw
Despite the rise of #CO2 increase in atmosphere, photosynthesis doesn’t increases because temperature drives https://t.co/0lbZrsN8NN #GlobalWarming #climate #ClimateAction The temperature response of C3 and C4 photosynthesis https://t.co/K6INt7VT8g
Despite the rise of #CO2 increase in atmosphere, photosynthesis doesn’t increases because temperature drives https://t.co/kwclTMtCPM #GlobalWarming #climate #ClimateAction The temperature response of C3 and C4 photosynthesis https://t.co/fJBWCIqGJY
average C4 photosynthesis fan vs average the movements of people enjoyer
"C4 photosynthesis, trait spectra, and the fast-efficient phenotype" by Monson et al. in @newphyt.bsky.social nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
Last week, PMN members Dr. Hawkins & @mattstata.bsky.social traveled to Toronto to present "The Plant Metabolic Network: A Unified Resource for Plant Metabolism Research Community" & "Extending PMN (and More) Beyond High-Quality Reference Genomes" at this year's @psna-official.bsky.social conference
Rather than try the next best thing and replicate the mass convergent evolution of C4 photosynthesis uwu
Now in Workshop 6: „Single-Cell Transcriptome and Spatial Biology“ set up by @smukhtarlab.bsky.social and Ceyhun Kayihan with Leonie Luginbuehl @lluginbuehl.bsky.social Univ. of Cambridge, UK, on single cell analysis to investigate cell-type specific transcriptional control of C4 photosynthesis !
What a beautiful talk by @lluginbuehl.bsky.social at the #ICAR2025 single cell session on evolution of cell-type-specificity during evolution of C4 photosynthesis! One my most favorite papers in the past years: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Genomic and Cis‐Regulatory Basis of a Plastic C3‐C4 Photosynthesis in Eleocharis Baldwinii
Congratulations to Professor Julian Hibberd, Head of the Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, who has been elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society for his groundbreaking work on C4 photosynthesis. Read more: tinyurl.com/y53wvve3 #PlantSciences
Plant Science Research Weekly -- Boosting C4 Photosynthesis and Productivity by Elevating Rubisco Levels in Sorghum and Sugarcane to Meet Atmospheric Challenges (PNAS) @ripeproject.bsky.social (Summary by Elisa De Meo, buff.ly/SqeNxLB) buff.ly/LHx91oi #PlantaePSRW
New preprint using Aristidoideae genomes to identify genetic precursors to C4 photosynthesis at the base of the PACMAD clade - where all the C4 fun happens in grasses
Gene turnover and contingency facilitated the repeated evolution of C4 photosynthesis in grasses www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Gene turnover and contingency facilitated the repeated evolution of C4 photosynthesis in grasses https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.04.23.650007v1
Gene turnover and contingency facilitated the repeated evolution of C4 photosynthesis in grasses https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.04.23.650007v1
Your reminder that nature is sometimes rubbish compared to human engineering. No plant on Earth can convert sunlight with more than 5% efficiency. The best are species that use C4 photosynthesis, which can just about get to 4.5%.
#TansleyReview: #C4 #photosynthesis, trait spectra, and the fast-efficient phenotype Monson et al.
Metabolite profiling reveals slow and uncoordinated adjustment of C4 photosynthesis to sudden changes in irradiance www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Metabolite profiling reveals slow and uncoordinated adjustment of C4 photosynthesis to sudden changes in irradiance https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.04.13.648559v1
Metabolite profiling reveals slow and uncoordinated adjustment of C4 photosynthesis to sudden changes in irradiance https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.04.13.648559v1
Plant Science Research Weekly -- CA-nundrum: How a spontaneous mutation in carbonic anhydrase uncouples leaf δ13C, WUE and C4 photosynthesis (bioRxiv) (Summary by Mae Mercado) buff.ly/uiW8M3E #PlantaePSRW
Allard et al. use evolutionary sparse learning on phylogenetically chosen species pairs to uncover gene sets predicting convergent traits (C4 photosynthesis, echolocation), revealing shared molecular bases beyond prior scans. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Increased Rubisco for better C4 photosynthesis www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1... @ripeproject.bsky.social
We have a new paper out from our Powell Center C4 working group: "C4 photosynthesis, trait spectra, and the fast-efficient phenotype" The @newphyt.bsky.social Tansley Review led by Russ Monson explores what we know about the C4 trait spectra nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
C4 photosynthesis, trait spectra, and the fast‐efficient phenotype nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/... @newphyt.bsky.social
Plant Science Research Weekly -- Review: The complexities of metabolite transport in C4 photosynthesis (The Plant Cell) @stevenkelly.bsky.social (Summary by Mae Mercado @maemercado.bsky.social ) buff.ly/LyHf7qN #PlantaePSRW
Decoding the evolution of C4 photosynthesis #plantscience
Adapting C4 photosynthesis to atmospheric change and increasing productivity by elevating Rubisco content in sorghum and sugarcane | PNAS www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
A dominant role of transcriptional regulation during the evolution of C4 photosynthesis in Flaveria species www.nature.com/articles/s41... @naturecomms.bsky.social
Adapting C4 photosynthesis to atmospheric change and increasing productivity by elevating Rubisco content in sorghum and sugarcane | PNAS www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/... @pnas.org
For all new people to bluesky. Here is the result of my PhD thesis where I compared the regulation of C3 and C4 photosynthesis in C3 and C4 grasses. Arabidopsis and Chlamydomonas were included as well.
REVIEW: The metabolite transporters of C4 photosynthesis (Oliver Mattinson, Steven Kelly) https://doi.org/10.1093/plcell/koaf019 @ASPB #PlantScience
The metabolite transporters of C4 photosynthesis. academic.oup.com/plcell/artic... @theplantcell.bsky.social
For the first time, researchers have identified a key step in the transformation between old-fashioned C3 photosynthesis and new and improved C4 photosynthesis — which could lead to the development of more efficient, more resilient “super crops,” mitechnews.com/science/scie...
Two papers out this week on leaf hydraulics in C4 grasses!
Homolepis species exhibit diverse photosynthetic types, including two C3 species (H. glutinosa and H. villaricensis), one "sub-C2" species (H. isocalycia), and two C2 species (H. longispicula and H. aturensis). (4/7)
C4 photosynthesis is highly efficient in hot, dry conditions. But how do plants evolve from C3 to C4? Studying C3-C4 intermediates like those in Homolepis helps uncover the evolutionary steps.
Thursday spent discussing the quirks of leaf respiration in plants that use the C4 photosynthesis pathway with UoT’s Rowan Sage and Yuzhen Fan. Guess which one is Santa. Lots still to learn! @scienceanu.bsky.social
Exploring how grasses evolved, scientists studied the Homolepis genus and their shift from C3 to C4 photosynthesis. They found unique hybrids and patterns similar to other plant families, suggesting common evolutionary paths. Understanding this helps map the journey from C3 to C4 photosynthesis.
We're less than a billion years from an uninhabitable Earth just based on C4 photosynthesis reduction and how plants will respond to the 10% increase in luminosity of the Sun in that time. 99% of all life will be gone as a result, long before then. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timelin...
"C4 photosynthesis is based on the recruitment of an ancestral cis-code associated with bundle-sheath identity." www.nature.com/articles/s41...
A novel PGRL1 paralog refined the control of photoprotection in grasses and facilitated cell specialisation in C4 photosynthesis | bioRxiv www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
A novel PGRL1 paralog refined the control of photoprotection in grasses and facilitated cell specialisation in C4 photosynthesis https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.11.28.625945v1
A novel PGRL1 paralog refined the control of photoprotection in grasses and facilitated cell specialisation in C4 photosynthesis https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.11.28.625945v1
3) Evolution of species adapted to even lower CO2 levels (C4-Photosynthesis), dropping the equilibrium even further. 4) Ice-albedo-feedback giving rise to extreme variations in global temperatures, by direct reflection of sunlight. Nature is dumb and the system drifted to this precarious state.
C3 and C4 plants differ on a regulatory level, not due to the addition or removal of specific genes. This makes it potentially easier to engineer C3 crops to use C4 photosynthesis. scitechdaily.com/the-photosyn...
Scientists have traced the evolutionary path from C3 to C4 photosynthesis, discovering key regulatory changes that could enhance crop resilience and efficiency. This groundbreaking research paves the way for agricultural advances scitechdaily.com/the-photosyn...
This work ‘might also guide the rational engineering of C4 photosynthesis in C3 crops to improve crop productivity and resilience’. Fascinating paper, check it out
Exaptation of ancestral cell-identity networks enables C4 photosynthesis www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Very happy to share that our latest publication on the evolution of C4 photosynthesis is out now. It was such a pleasure working with the amazing Joseph Swift, Joe Ecker, @tinaschreier.bsky.social, and @jmhibberd.bsky.social. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
"High-yielding crops, such as maize, use C₄ photosynthesis. Rubisco is abundant, but oxygen is not, and when the four-carbon compounds are broken down, the released CO₂ can be fixed by Rubisco more effectively than in C₃ plants."
#Nature Exaptation of ancestral cell-identity networks enables C₄ photosynthesis www.nature.com/articles/s41... Evolutionary innovation hints at ways to engineer efficient photosynthesis in crops www.nature.com/articles/d41... cc @sararc83.bsky.social
Interesting paper on the evolution of C3 and C4 photosynthesis from the Hibberd and Ecker groups. C4 photosynthetic programs may have co-opted cis-elements found in C3 photosynthetic species. Raising the question: how can C4 photosynthesis be engineered in C3 species? www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Cool paper in Nature: Exaptation of ancestral cell-identity networks enables C4 photosynthesis www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Exaptation of ancestral cell-identity networks enables C4 photosynthesis | Nature www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Exaptation of ancestral cell-identity networks enables C4 photosynthesis www.nature.com/articles/s41... New from the Ecker lab in collaboration with the Hibberd lab. Congrats all!
My paper is finally published in CNAS! It’s a deep dive into the cis regulatory drivers for c4 photosynthesis. Turns out - lotta ways to evolve cell type specificity. www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Eleocharis vivipara uses C3 #photosynthesis under water and C4 photosynthesis on land. Studying this plasticity helps Liu et al. gain insights into the genetic basis of the transition, with implications for crops. doi.org/10.1111/jipb... #PlantScience #OpenAccess
This reminds me of the rewiring of existing regulatory networks during the transition from C3 to C4 photosynthesis, which is also accompanied by developmental innovation.
PGR5 promotes energy-dependent non-photochemical quenching to enable efficient C4 photosynthesis under fluctuating light https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.09.15.613160v1
Saturn's rings up until recently were considered an extremely ancient thing, a very long-lasting phenomenon. It's interesting that they are probably younger than most dinosaur skeletons, and will be outlived by C4 photosynthesis.
You'd expect to see C4 photosynthesis or eyes, simply because of how often they evolved independently on earth.
Given how often eyes evolved, you'd guess that eyes would be more likely. C4 photosynthesis evolved 40 separate times as well.
About 500 million years from now, about 95% of all plant life starts to go extinct, only the C4 photosynthesizers able to survive. Everything that depends on photosynthesis starts to die off as well. 300 million years later, C4 photosynthesis will become impossible.
C4 photosynthesis, which evolved over 60 different times, and is far superior to the much more common C3 photosynthesis pathway. The 5% of C4 biomass accounts for almost a quarter of all carbon fixation. In 500 million years, only C4 will survive. en.m.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?...
Our Friday seminar speaker @JohnInnesCentre @TheSainsburyLab today is Julian Hibberd @jmhibber @Cambridge_Uni "The evolution of C4 photosynthesis and key players in chloroplast biogenesis"
Realisation of a key step in the evolution of C4 photosynthesis in rice by genome editing. https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.05.21.595093v1
Realisation of a key step in the evolution of C4 photosynthesis in rice by genome editing. https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.05.21.595093v1
Adapting C4 photosynthesis to atmospheric change and increasing productivity by elevating Rubisco content in Sorghum and Sugarcane https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.05.02.592081v1
Adapting C4 photosynthesis to atmospheric change and increasing productivity by elevating Rubisco content in Sorghum and Sugarcane https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.05.02.592081v1
Driving the evolution of C4 photosynthesis in order https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.04.26.591276v1
Driving the evolution of C4 photosynthesis in order https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.04.26.591276v1
Hah! I had to look it up too, and go "right! now I remember this from my plant physiology class! C4 photosynthesis, rad!"
#PlantScience Research Weekly plantae.org/plant-scienc.... Reviews: Synthetic algal genomes; Deploying microbiomes; Deep learning in image-based phenotyping. Also – Metabolite roles in C3-C4 photosynthesis in Flaveria, Every pair (of NLRs) is special! Turing system in leaf polarity... And much more!
A preprint several years in the making… A holistic review of metabolite transport in C4 photosynthesis. Current understanding, key gaps, future directions and new molecular blueprints for NAD-ME. A masterpiece by former PhD student Oliver Mattinson ecoevorxiv.org/repository/v...
Yes! I've been doing a half-assed (quarter assed? eighth assed?) attempt at learning German and recently learned that Kranz = wreath, as in C4 photosynthesis plant structure. I had learned it as "Kranz wreath", like it was someone's name. Mind was blown!
Investigating the cis-Regulatory Basis of C3 and C4 Photosynthesis in Grasses at Single-Cell Resolution https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.01.05.574340v1
Investigating the cis-Regulatory Basis of C3 and C4 Photosynthesis in Grasses at Single-Cell Resolution https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.01.05.574340v1
RT @WGuyenot: https://t.co/VlCcNskQQX Best review on C4 photosynthesis https://t.co/MjH1KuDjDM
https://t.co/VlCcNskQQX Best review on C4 photosynthesis https://t.co/MjH1KuDjDM
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