In the Gain4Crops project this method currently serves to identify new C3-C4 intermediates in the Helianthus family (sunflower) but later it will be used to quickly classify the hundreds of variants generated by the project.
Prof. Tomas Morosinotto, University of Padua (Italy)
Besides the data collection in the field, our Gain4Crops partners at the University of Padua (Italy), together with the partners at CEA (France) are studying plants also in controlled conditions -aka in the lab- to test if the observed changes in the photosynthetic performance are linked to the expected molecular processes.
For example, to identify effects due to photorespiration, plants are grown in conditions that intensify it: strong light and little CO2. In these conditions C4 plants make good use of the few CO2 molecules available and cope better with the stress; C3 plants, instead, underperform the photosynthesis to the advantage of photorespiration.
“The plant response to this extreme condition is exploited to develop a standardize measurement that helps to distinguish C4 to C3 plants and to classify the in-between spectrum of C3-C4 intermediates” explains Prof. Morosinotto. “In the Gain4Crops project this method currently serves to identify new C3-C4 intermediates in the Helianthus family (sunflower) but later it will be used to quickly classify the hundreds of variants generated by the project.” Key information to link the plant modification with its improved performance.
