Dr Lucía Arce Cubas
Dr Lucía Arce Cubas is a postdoctoral researcher in Dr Johannes Kromdijk’s group at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom, where she also recently obtained her PhD. She is interested in C4 photosynthesis, how it performs in dynamic light environments, and in how photoprotective responses relate to the photosynthetic pathway. As part of CAPITALISE, she is currently working on characterising maize accessions with the aim of furthering our understanding of the phenotypic effect of different genetic markers on photosynthesis.
Title: Photosynthesis in dynamic light – the C4 perspective
Webinar date: Tuesday 6th February 14.00 CET
Abstract:
In the ever-changing environments of the open field, the plant response to changes in light intensity represents a significant source of inefficiency for photosynthesis. Despite the undeniable importance of C4 crops to global food supplies, most of the work on the effects of dynamic light on photosynthesis has been conducted on C3 species, and whilst the benefits of the C4 carbon concentrating mechanism are well-established under steady state conditions, it is less clear how the C4 pathway performs under changing light conditions. Using phylogenetically-linked C3 and C4 species from diverse genera, this talk will explore how the biochemical and anatomical features of the C4 pathway affect photosynthetic efficiency under dynamic light.