Elliott Jordan Eden Atkins

• BSc (Hons) Biology (Ecology and Enviromental Biology)
• Does a lack of starch impact on a plant’s ability to tell the time?

In crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) photosynthesis, uptake of CO2 occurs at night which reduces water loss. CAM has evolved in plants such as cacti and Aloe that are exposed to water deficient environments. The circadian clock is essential for CAM since it facilitates the telling of time, and thus determines the onset and duration of nocturnal photosynthesis. This research project will test the hypothesis that leaf starch content defines a ‘metabolic dusk’ which primes the clock to optimize the nocturnal uptake of CO2 in CAM plants.  

Project Supervisor: Prof Ann Borland, School of Biology
 
Funding Source: Newcastle University