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...