Project Grant 2414048

This $750,000 Project Grant award from the National Science Foundation's Biological Sciences program (CFDA 47.074) will support North Carolina State University's research to develop a simplified version of the reductive TCA cycle for carbon fixation. The goal is to increase the yield of C3 plants by supplementing their carbon fixation capabilities.

The key activities include: 1) Analyzing the flexibility of thermophilic enzymes that catalyze the slow steps of the reductive TCA cycle using cryogenic electron microscopy and molecular dynamics modeling, 2) Engineering these enzymes to function better at lower temperatures, and 3) Developing a computational flux model of the synthetic reductive TCA cycle to optimize its performance in plant hosts. The project will also provide training and outreach on cryogenic electron microscopy techniques. A sub-award to the University of Illinois will contribute to the computational modeling and optimization efforts.