Federal Project Grant Award Summary

Cornell University received a $1,010,190 Project Grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences under the Biological Sciences program (CFDA 47.074), effective June 1, 2026 through May 31, 2031. This CAREER award will deliver fundamental research examining how plants regulate the heat resistance of carbon fixation through differential expression of Rubisco (Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase) small protein subunits. The research will generate scientific outputs including mechanistic understanding of temperature-responsive Rubisco function, biochemical characterization of engineered Rubisco variants across plant species, and identification of activity-stability tradeoffs that explain natural subunit selection under varying thermal conditions. Research activities will employ synthetic biology expression systems, biochemical assays, plant transformation techniques, and comparative genomic analysis, initially in the model organism Arabidopsis thaliana and subsequently across agriculturally important plant species.

In addition to fundamental research products, this award will deliver educational and workforce development services through structured training for undergraduate students, graduate students, and postdoctoral researchers in science communication and public engagement. The project will produce educational materials translating basic biological discoveries into science fiction narratives designed to enhance public understanding of how fundamental research informs future biotechnologies. Collectively, these research and educational deliverables aim to advance agricultural biotechnology capacity and food security objectives by generating knowledge applicable to improving photosynthetic efficiency in crops under temperature-stressed conditions.