This three-year, $1.14 million project grant from the National Science Foundation's Biological Sciences program (CFDA 47.074) will fund research at Cornell University to understand the unique carbon-concentrating mechanism in hornworts. The grantee will identify components of the hornwort pyrenoid, which is a type of organelle that enhances carbon fixation efficiency by packaging the carbon-fixing enzyme rubisco. They will characterize the rubisco housed within pyrenoids and determine how various pyrenoid components interact. This work will provide insights into hornwort pyrenoid evolution, biochemistry, and function, laying groundwork to potentially incorporate pyrenoids into crop plants to boost carbon fixation. The award will also support training undergraduates in computational and experimental techniques and development of public outreach materials on hornwort diversity, evolution, and research importance through video and podcast series.