# CAREER: Enhancing heat resistance of carbon fixation via differential Rubisco subunit expression

> **NSF 01002627DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT** · Cornell University (NY) · $1,287,240

## Abstract

Plants capture carbon dioxide from the air through photosynthesis, helping to sustain food production and life on Earth. However, variable temperatures, such as heat waves or cold snaps, threaten this process. This is, in part, because the central carbon-fixing enzyme in plants, Rubisco, performs less efficiently under temperature stress. This CAREER project will investigate how plants naturally adjust Rubisco function when temperatures change, focusing on how they do this by changing which small protein subunits are incorporated into the enzyme. Understanding this process could reveal new strategies for improving photosynthesis in crops, supporting long-term goals in agricultural biotechnology and food security. The project will also advance education and public engagement by training undergraduate students, graduate students, and postdoctoral researchers to communicate the long-term promise of fundamental science through science fiction writing. These activities will help broaden public understanding of how basic biological discoveries can lead to future technologies.

The research will determine how temperature-responsive Rubisco small subunits influence carbon-fixation kinetics, enzyme stability, and plant growth. The project will first test this mechanism in Arabidopsis thaliana using Rubisco synthetic biology expression systems, biochemical assays, protein-stability measurements, plant transformation, and whole-plant growth analyses. It will then examine whether similar temperature-dependent Rubisco small-subunit responses occur across diverse land plants, including agriculturally important species, by combining gene-expression analysis, protein-level measurements, comparative sequence analysis, and kinetic characterization of engineered Rubisco variants. Finally, the project will test whether activity-stability tradeoffs can explain how different small subunits tune Rubisco function at different temperatures. By linking natural variation, synthetic biology,

## Key facts

- **NSF award ID:** 2542189
- **Awardee organization:** Cornell University (NY)
- **SAM.gov UEI:** G56PUALJ3KT5
- **PI:** Laura H Gunn
- **Primary program:** 01002627DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT
- **All programs:** CAREER-Faculty Erly Career Dev, Biotechnology, REU SUPP-Res Exp for Ugrd Supp
- **Estimated total:** $1,287,240
- **Funds obligated:** $1,010,190
- **Transaction type:** Continuing Grant
- **Period:** 06/01/2026 → 05/31/2031

## Primary source

NSF Award Search: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2542189

## Citation

> US National Science Foundation, Award 2542189, CAREER: Enhancing heat resistance of carbon fixation via differential Rubisco subunit expression. Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-07-16 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nsf/2542189. Licensed CC0.

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