Photosynthesis has a problem

The enzyme RuBisCO is essential for photosynthesis. But it kind of sucks at is job, and it’s getting worse with extreme heat.


Proof of Concept is a video series profiling the science and scientists behind some of the environment’s most unexpected research. To see a written version of this story, visit our website:
https://grist.org/video/plant-enzyme-...


Video by Jesse Nichols
Senior Producer: Daniel Penner
Deputy Editor: Teresa Chin
Executive Editor: Kat Bagley
Illustrator: Estelle Caswell

Sources:
Robbie Wilson
Ahmed Badran
Mary Gehring
David Eisenberg
Berkley Walker

MIT J-WAFS EPiC Program
https://jwafs.mit.edu/projects/2023/e...

Erb et al. 2017
“A short history of RubisCO: The rise and fall (?) of Nature’s predominant CO2 fixing enzyme”
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...

Bouvier et al. 2024
“Rubisco is evolving for improved catalytic efficiency and CO2 assimilation in plants”
https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas...

Wildman 2002
“Along the trail from Fraction I protein to Rubisco”
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16245...

Chibnall 1939
“Protein Metabolism in the Plant”

Prywes et al. 2023
“Rubisco Function, Evolution, and Engineering”
https://www.annualreviews.org/content...

Aigner et al. 2017
“Plant RuBisCo assembly in E. coli with five chloroplast chaperones including BSD2”
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29217...

C4 Rice Project
https://c4rice.com/the-science/photos...