@botbml
Cyclist. Scientist. Synthetic biology in plants. Carboxysomes and chloroplasts. Ally π³οΈββ§οΈπ³οΈβπ He/him Group leader: Biological COβ Capture Lab Awabakal and Worimi country β¬π‘π₯ University of Newcastle, Australia. https://www.newcastle.edu.au/profile/ben-long
Image 1
This is Mycena rosoflava. A species of agaric mushroom in the family Mycenaceae. It is a wood-inhabiting mushroom native to New Zealand.
Original post
Plastid-encoded Ycf10 maintains chloroplast proton homeostasis essential for photosynthesis in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii
doi.org/10.1038/s443...
The kinetics and mobility of a ParA ATPase drive carboxysome distribution in Halothiobacillus neapolitanus.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
A star piece of work. ππ
Do you like it when weird organisms do silly things?? Then you're going to love this!
Electron Transport Reactions of Cyanobacterial Photosynthesis and state-of-the-art in vivo measurement techniques.
doi.org/10.1093/plph...
Trade-offs between photosynthetic capacity, mesophyll conductance stability and leaf anatomy shape heat and water deficit resilience in Gossypium.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
A jumbo cyanophage encodes the most complete ribosomal protein set in the known virosphere www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Just let this sink in: "His prosecution marks the third time that a US parent has been held criminally responsible for a mass shooting carried out by their child..."
How do you write a thing about photosynthetic pathways and not mention CAM. How.
Nature Plants cover image showing Kalanchoe.
At least Kalanchoe is on the front cover of the issue.
Photo of a woman smiling in front of two African penguins, one standing and one loafing on a dune
PENGUINS
We need taxonomists and real botanists πͺ΄π±
New Editorial: "Celebrating photosynthesis" rdcu.be/e6oTm
Photosynthesis is both an elegantly simple and dazzlingly complex process. The year 2026 marks anniversaries of the discoveries of both of these layers.
Frog and Toad were sad for a while.
A thread bare cycling sock
When you wear out your cycling socks... from just cycling a lot.
Wtf!?
Can small reductions in Rubisco content improve nitrogen use in wheat without negatively impacting biomass or grain yield?
Saqer S. Alotaibi, Jack S. A. Matthews, Steven M. Driever, Caroline A. Sparks, Martin A.J. Parry, Tracy Lawson, Christine A. Raines
bioRxiv www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Some insights into what's going on at NSF
Functional characterisation of bicarbonate transporters from the cyanobacterial SbtA2 family and subsequent expression in tobacco academic.oup.com/jxb/article/...
A man standing up in a crowded room of people sitting. He is dressed in workman's clothes and has his head raised as if speaking up when not necessarily belonging there.
We are a rich enough country to be funding 37% of all basic research proposals, not just considering "the best" 37% and then maybe only funding 12% in the end.
Picture of Jane Goodall as an older woman with one of her quotes and the source: It actually doesn't take much to be considered a difficult woman. That's why there are so many of us. Jane Goodall @fema quotient
βIt actually doesn't take much to be considered a difficult woman.
That's why there are so many of us.β
Jane Goodall #AusPol
π
Mine came through at 11:39am east coast time. Not great news but at least I have a month free to focus on other applciations.
Black text on white background. Screenshot of ARC Discovery Projects Expressions of Interest shortlisted in the different assessment panels.
More info from ARC about 2027 DP EOI shortlisting βΆοΈ www.arc.gov.au/sites/defaul...
πΉ37.0% success β 1733 of 4679 EOIs (more shortlisted; was 1127/4063=27.7% in 2026)
πΉβA total of EOIs were shortlisted in [the] βdisparate scoresβ processβ β ARC stuff-up; didnβt give number.
Breakdown across panelsπ
Screenshot of LinkedIn post from ARC saying that DP27 EOI outcomes will be released on RMS on the 26th Feb 2026.
The ARC have said (on LinkedIn) they will release outcomes for Discovery Projects Expressions of Interest (2027) tomorrowπ
Fig. 3 (shortened, full legend in paper): Cross-section of a T. pseudonana cell showing the schematic of the proposed CCM. Concentric circles starting from the outside moving inwards represent the frustule, plasma membrane, and the four membranes of the complex plastid. Each step of the CCM is numbered following the subheadings within the discussion. Step 1: the conversion of extracellular HCOβ3 to CO2 by TpΞ΄CA1 and TpΞΆCA1 which then diffuses across the plasma membrane. Step 2: the conversion of this influxing CO2 back to HCOβ3 potentially by TpΞ±CA3 and TpΞΈCA4. Step 3: the carboxylation of PEP and HCOβ3 to OAA by PEPC2 (or the class 2 PEPC complex). Step 4: the conversion of this OAA to malate by MDHc. Step 5: the translocation of malate into the chloroplast by an as yet unknown carboxylate transporter before the unknown stromal decarboxylase releases CO2 from malate.
ππ§ͺ EDITOR'S CHOICE π§ͺπ
Experimental manipulation of carbonate chemistry allowed for separation of the carbon-concentrating mechanism (CCM) in T. pseudonana from other processes that rely on the same proteins, revealing a hybrid CCM β Himes & Kustka
π doi.org/10.1093/jxb/...
#PlantScience π§ͺ
Fig. 7.Net CO2 assimilation (Anet) in response to changes in intercellular CO2 measured at a leaf temperature of 30β Β°C and irradiance of 2000β ΞΌmol PAR mβ2 sβ1.
π§¬π½ RESEARCH π§¬π½
Maize with a mutation in carbonic anhydrase 1 (cah1) had higher carbonic anhydrase activity with a concurrent reduction in Ξ΄13C, the opposite of expectation based on C4 carbon isotope fractionation theory β Twohey et al.
π doi.org/10.1093/jxb/...
#PlantScience π§ͺ
[CO2] Alters Cyanobacterial Carboxysome Encapsulation and Redox State
www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-4...
Come join us in Liverpool this summer!