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SUMMARY:The Pathway to C4 Rice - Helen Woodfield
DTSTART:20120426T150000Z
DTEND:20120426T153000Z
UID:TALK36386@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Suzy Stoodley
DESCRIPTION:C4 photosynthesis is a specialised mechanism which has evolved
  to concentrate CO2 around RuBisCO\, eliminating the negative effects of p
 hotorespiration. This improves carbon fixation efficiency which enables hi
 ghly productive growth in certain conditions when compared to C3 species. 
 Due to this greater productivity\, efforts are being undertaken to test th
 e feasibility of engineering C4 photosynthesis into rice\, a C3 species\, 
 with the aim to increase yields in response to a global food shortage. Cri
 tical to this endeavour is the insertion of genes into rice which are nece
 ssary for the C4 biochemical pathway to run. I will discuss the cloning of
  two key C4 genes from maize into rice and the behaviour of these genes in
  the C3 environment. Additionally\, I will discuss cell-specificity in C3 
 species and its importance in both understanding the evolution of C4 photo
 synthesis and providing molecular tools for the C4 rice project.
LOCATION:Department of Plant Sciences\, Large Lecture Theatre
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