Synthetic redesigning of plant photorespiration
C3 photosynthesis is performed by a vast majority of crop species and is limited by the oxygenation reaction of Rubisco, which produces a toxic by-product which is neutralized in the photorespiratory pathway. Using synthetic biology approaches we aim to circumvent this process and redesign C3 photosynthesis by implementing heterologous or even new to nature pathways, such as the ß-hydroxyaspartate cycle (Roell et al., PNAS 2021) and the tartronyl-CoA pathway (Scheffen et al., Nature Catalysis 2021).
Researchers: Laia Segura Broncano