Assembly principles of the CO2 -fixing liquid-liquid phase separated organelle, the Pyrenoid

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Pyrenoids are liquid-liquid phase separated organelles found in the chloroplasts of diverse eukaryotic algae and are responsible for ~30%of global carbon fixation. They are assemblies of the CO2 fixing enzyme Rubisco phase-separated around thylakoid membranes. Thisproject will use cutting-edge methods to give unprecedented insights into the structure and function of pyrenoids. Key Rubisco bindingproteins involved in pyrenoid assembly will be identified bioinformatically across diverse algae and then functionallycharacterized using cutting-edge algal molecular biology and biochemistry. Their 3D structure when bound to Rubisco will bedetermined using cryo electron microscopy. Generated data will help guide the engineering of a pyrenoid into crop plants which has thepotential to boost photosynthesis and yields by up to 60%.