ERC Starting Grant · 2025
Form for function: regulation of bundle sheath cell architecture for C4 photosynthesis
PROPOSAL SUMMARY The architecture of specialised cell types intricately aligns with cell function. A prime example is the bundle sheath (BS) cells of plants conducting C4 photosynthesis, in which CO2 is concentrated. This concentration mechanism increases photosynthetic efficiency by up to 50% compared to plants that use the more common C3 photosynthetic pathway. BS cells of C4 plants have two key adaptations: increased connectivity with adjacent mesophyll cells via numerous plasmodesmata that facilitate metabolite exchange for building CO2 concentration, and an increased number of organelles which are uniquely positioned at one side of the cell. Despite the proposed functional importance…
From the public funding record at EU CORDIS. Describes the funded project, not the reviews below.