Our final #ICPR26 award talk is from Tracy Lawson @proftlawson.bsky.social, this year's recipient of the ISPR Innovation award 🏆 Awarded for outstanding achievements to the transfer of photosynthesis research to society 🌎🌱👏👏 @ripeproject.bsky.social
Realizing Increased Photosynthetic Efficiency (RIPE) Project
@ripeproject.bsky.social
Realizing Increased Photosynthetic Efficiency (RIPE) is an international research project engineering crops to be more productive by improving photosynthesis. We hope to reduce global food insecurity & prepare plants to deal with the changing climate.
#ICPR26 Plenaries continuing this morning with Lisa Ainsworth, Angad Mehta & Jaideep Mathur Taking us from canopies & future atmospheres to engineering artificial photosynthetic life forms to plastids & dynamic plant stress repsonses 🫘🌱> 🧪 > 🔬 @ibioillinois.bsky.social @ripeproject.bsky.social
In a recent study, Ben Haas outlines a new fluorescence assay for studying small regulatory elements called upstream open reading frames (uORFs). Read the full press release here: ripe.illinois.edu/press/press-...
In a recent study featured in Plant Physiology, RIPE investigators Julia Walter and Wanne Kromdijk explore the function of the antenna protein CP26. ripe.illinois.edu/press/press-...
Well done to PhD student Connor Nehls, @ecarmosilva.bsky.social and @doug-orr.bsky.social on new work out in @jxbotany.bsky.social on Rubisco dark inhibition. See the release here by @ripeproject.bsky.social www.linkedin.com/posts/ripepr...
The RIPE team laser-focused on improving photosynthetic efficiency and new research sheds light on the complex regulation of Rubisco activity. In many plant species, Rubisco activity is inhibited… |...
The RIPE team laser-focused on improving photosynthetic efficiency and new research sheds light on the complex regulation of Rubisco activity. In many plant species, Rubisco activity is inhibited by...
linkedin.com
Using controlled genetic approaches, RIPE researchers altered soybean leaf shape and found that narrower leaves can improve how efficiently plants use available light. This work was led by RIPE researchers Bishal Tamang and Lisa Ainsworth. Read about it here: go.illinois.edu/ripenews
RIPE Researchers, in work done for the CABBI Project, demonstrated that increasing the Rubisco enzyme in C4 crops like sorghum and sugar cane increases photosynthesis and yield as well! Their work was published in the National Academy of Sciences proceedings.
Adapting C4 photosynthesis to atmospheric change and increasing productivity by elevating Rubisco content in sorghum and sugarcane | PNAS
Meta-analyses and theory show that with rising atmospheric [CO2], Rubisco has become the greatest limitation to light-saturated leaf CO2 assimilati...
doi.org
Tracy Lawson's fascination with plants started as a child on an English farm & recently brought the globally recognized expert in plant biology across the pond to Illinois! Tracy talks about her research & what she's looking forward to most in this new feature! bit.ly/4jfguQQ
The Microbiologist recently featured Yong-Su Jin’s work to modify bacteria to convert carbon dioxide into useful products by combining algae’s photosynthetic properties with bacteria’s production capabilities, overcoming a costly limitation faced by previous strategies.
Microalgae and bacteria team up to convert CO2 into useful products
Most methods of genetically modifying the bacterium Escherichia coli and other microbes to convert carbon dioxide into useful biological products require additional carbon sources. A new study overcom...
bit.ly
RIPE team members have developed an R package for curve fitting that enables users to build analysis pipelines for fitting photosynthetic gas exchange data. Read more about PhotoGEA in @PlantCell&Environment: doi.org/10.1111/pce....
PhotoGEA: An R Package for Closer Fitting of Photosynthetic Gas Exchange Data With Non‐Gaussian Confidence Interval Estimation
Fitting mechanistic models to gas exchange measurements is a key technique in plant physiology for understanding limitations to photosynthesis. PhotoGEA is a new R package for fitting C3 and C4 CO2 r...
doi.org
Increased Rubisco for better C4 photosynthesis www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1... @ripeproject.bsky.social
Adapting C4 photosynthesis to atmospheric change and increasing productivity by elevating Rubisco content in sorghum and sugarcane | PNAS
Meta-analyses and theory show that with rising atmospheric [CO2], Rubisco has become the greatest limitation to light-saturated leaf CO2 assimilati...
pnas.org
A RIPE team determined that a crucial soybean photosynthesis improvement with traditional breeding methods is unlikely. Gene editing could be the key to unlocking soybean potential. Their work was published in @theplantjournal.bsky.social Article: doi.org/10.1111/tpj.... Story: bit.ly/4iAM0ZN
Variation in relaxation of non‐photochemical quenching between the founder genotypes of the soybean (Glycine max) nested association mapping population
Previous evidence suggests increasing the rate of relaxation of photoprotection can lead to improved biomass and yield. By comparing photoprotection in 41 diverse soybean genotypes grown in the field...
doi.org
Excited to share that I'll soon be recruiting a 3 year postdoc to join the lab @lancasterplantbio.bsky.social to work with me on Rubisco biochemistry and engineering. Official advertising details to be released very soon, watch this space! Please spread the word. 😀🌱🧪🥼
WE’RE HIRING! Funded 3-year postdoc looking at the impact of chilling on maize 🌽 The project will be looking at chilling responses in roots and shoots 🌱❄️ including the role of ABA and photoinhibition. Applications close 28th March. More details below www.jobs.cam.ac.uk/job/50591/
Research Assistant / Research Associate (Fixed Term) - Job Opportunities - University of Cambridge
Research Assistant / Research Associate (Fixed Term) in the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of Cambridge.
jobs.cam.ac.uk
RIPE researchers from @lancasteruni.bsky.social wrote a chapter in the latest volume of Methods in Enzymology, providing a protocol for using radiometric assays to measure Rubisco in plant leaves. Read more about their work here: bit.ly/3XzXW5h
Our home institute, the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, flipped the script on our communications manager Allie, interviewing her for a recent feature story! Read about her journey in science communications here: bit.ly/3QNvAkk
Connecting detailed photosynthetic kinetics to #crop growth and yield: A coupled #modeling framework 📰 Story: buff.ly/42b5Xki via @Botany.One 🔬 Research: buff.ly/4czuZfm
RIPE team models connection between enzyme activity and yields for the first time
New model connects dynamic enzyme activity of photosynthesis with whole canopy growth and yield for soybean.
buff.ly
Webinar by me for the International Safe Cassava Network hosted by @globalplantgpc.bsky.social www.youtube.com/live/5sSSjHC...
Nutritional quality of cassava in a warming world
YouTube video by The Global Plant Council
youtube.com
Current & former RIPE team members were invited to share their expertise & provide commentary on a recent @newphyt.bsky.social article. Read Coralie & Yi's article, “Mesophyll conductance and cell wall composition: insights from a meta-analysis across species,” doi.org/10.1111/nph....
This semester, RIPE will be joined by Maria Raza as our science communication intern! Maria will work with our team to share RIPE research news and also participate in mentorship and career preparation experiences. Welcome to the team, Maria! Read more about her here: bit.ly/3XbypiO
Check out this @sciam.bsky.social article about our ‘Hot Potato’ research! bit.ly/4hYOX5z @kmeacham-hensold.bsky.social, @cavycavs.bsky.social, @plantnerd.bsky.social, @illinoisresearch.bsky.social @universityofessex.bsky.social
‘Hot Potato’ Plants Engineered to Flourish in Heat Waves
A genetic tweak keeps potatoes efficient in the heat
bit.ly
We are thrilled to announce RIPE’s new leadership duo! Lisa Ainsworth is our Director & Elizabete Carmo-Silva is our Deputy Director! Both Lisa & Elizabete have been with the project for years & we look forward to what we can accomplish under their guidance. Full announcement here: bit.ly/42UuCtW
We are looking for a team member to provide maintenance & management of our pool of LiCOR devices at Illinois. Work will take place in lab, greenhouse, & field settings. Additional details can be found here: bit.ly/4hXUGbI Deadline to apply is March 13 at 6pm (CST). @li-corenv.bsky.social
Science does not move forward without the invaluable contributions of women. Today we celebrate the incredible women on the RIPE team and all of those shaping the future of research. #EveryVoiceInScience @cavycavs.bsky.social @meganlmatthews.bsky.social @lancasteruni.bsky.social
𝐇𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐲 𝟏𝟎𝐭𝐡 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐖𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐆𝐢𝐫𝐥𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐒𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 👩🔬 www.un.org/en/observanc... "Let’s help pave a path to STEM careers that women and girls deserve, and our world needs" UN Secretary-General António Guterres 🌿🔬🚀⚛️
International Day of Women and Girls in Science | United Nations
The purpose of the day is to achieve full and equal access to and participation in science for women and girls.
un.org
Are you a non-UK scientist interested in working in the UK for a postdoc? A Royal Society Newton Fellowship could be just what you are looking for! We can support applicants interested in working on photosynthetic responses to climate change. Please get in touch! royalsociety.org/grants/newto...
Newton International Fellowships | Royal Society
This fellowship is for non-UK scientists who are at an early stage of their research career and wish to conduct research in the UK.
royalsociety.org
After decades of impactful & prolific research, Steve Long & Don Ort are retiring from their RIPE leadership roles. bit.ly/4hEKDIA We are honored to have worked under them for the last 12 years & are elated they will continue RIPE work as principal investigators. We wish them all the best!
Read about the latest in genomics research from our home institute, the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology! There are a couple of RIPE features in this year’s Biomarker, and we can even help you out with page 61! bit.ly/49ALtmQ
“The reason we focus on photosynthesis is because we want to try to improve crop production without added inputs and without needing more land,” @kmeacham-hensold.bsky.social in a recent interview with @jtsangwrites.bsky.social for Advanced Science News. Read the full article here: bit.ly/3WsKbEW
Future-proofing potato crops to resist heat waves - Advanced Science News
Crops that can withstand rising temperatures could increase global food security amidst the rising threat of climate change.
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David Hong, RIPE's science communication intern last semester, recently reflected on what he learned as a member of the RIPE team and his internship experience. bit.ly/3PDT9vq Thank you, David, for all your hard work, and best of luck in your future endeavors! @giesbusiness.bsky.social
