Exploiting natural variation to discover tools to increase crop plant yield

该项目旨在通过研究C3、C4和C3-C4中间黄萎菌物种来确定导致C4途径进化的特定生化和潜在的分子修饰。大多数陆地植物利用C3或C4光合作用吸收二氧化碳。利用C4途径的植物是从多个植物谱系中的C3祖先进化而来的，在干旱、强光和盐碱环境中表现出更高的光合作用速率和太阳辐射到生物量的转化，这些环境由于全球气候变化而不断扩大。该项目的成果可以定义设计出增产和抵御气候变化影响的植物品种所需的条件，并有助于我们理解趋同的进化过程。

This project aims to identify the specific biochemical and underlying molecular modifications that contributed to the evolution of the C4 pathway by studying C3, C4 and C3-C4 intermediate Flaveria species. Most land plants use C3 or C4 photosynthesis to assimilate CO2. Plants using the C4 pathway evolved from C3 ancestors in multiple plant lineages, and show higher rates of photosynthesis and conversion of solar radiation to biomass in arid, high-light and saline environments, which are expanding due to global climate change. The outcomes of this project could define what is required to engineer plant varieties with increased yield and the ability to withstand effects of climate shift, and contribute to our understanding of convergent evolutionary processes.