Research

Research Priorities: Plant physiology, photosynthesis, carbon absorption, CO2 assimilation

Susanne von Caemmerer is a plant physiologist whose work focuses on photosynthesis and models thereof. Her research priorities cover the carbon absorption of plants, including the biochemistry of carbon assimilation and diffusion.

Susanne von Caemmerer has been recognised for her many important contributions to the field of photosynthesis. The focus of her work lies on carbon diffusion and assimilation in leaves. She developed mathematical models for quantitative descriptions of CO2 assimilation which have since become regularly used all over the world to calculate global CO2 assimilation.

In her work, she also uses the molecular biology method of antisense technology. This allows her to create transgeneous plants in which the concentration of different photosynthetic enzymes is reduced in order to decode the regulation of both C3 and C4 photosynthesis.

Career

• since 2005 Professor of Molecular Plant Physiology, Research School of Biology at Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
• Centre Deputy Director and Co-Leader, Research Program 1, ARC Centre of Excellence for Transnational Photosynthesis, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
• 1994-2005 Fellow, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
• 1983-1994 Research Fellow, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
• 1982-1983 Postdoctoral Fellow, Carnegie Institute Washington, Stanford, USA
• 1981 PhD in Plant Physiology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
• 1976 Bachelor’s Degree in Mathematics, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia

Projects

• Principal Investigator, C4 Rice Consortium, “C4 Rice Center, International Rice Research Institute”, Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines
• 2014-2016 Secondary Investigator, “Thermal acclimation of leaf mesophyll conductance”, Australian Research Council
• 2014-2016 Primary Investigator, “Enhancing and manipulating C4 Photosynthesis”, Australian Research Council
• 2011-2013 Primary Investigator, “Using Arabidopsis mutants to discover the role of guard cell chloroplast in the stomatal response to light”, Australian Research Council
• 2011-2013 Primary Investigator, “Quantifying C18OO discrimination and CO2 diffusion in C3 and C4 leaves”, Australian Research Council
• 2010-2013 Secondary Investigator, “Improving plant productivity and human health using next generation biotechnology approaches”, Australian Research Council
• 2008-2010 Primary Investigator, “The metabolic and enzymatic regulation of C4 photosynthesis and its impact on photosynthetic productivity”, Australian Research Council
• 2007-2009 Secondary Investigator, “What limits CO2 diffusion inside leaves? Dissecting the diffusion path with Arabidopsis mutants”, Australian Research Council
• 2004-2006 Primary Investigator, “Stomatal Function in Transgenic Plants with Altered Guard Cell Metabolism”, Australian Research Council

Honours and Memberships

• 2021 Suzanne Cory Medal, Australian Academy of Science, Australia
• 2017 Charles Reid Barnes Life Membership Award, American Society of Plant Biologists, USA
• since 2017 Member, Royal Society, UK
• 2016 Peter Baume Award, Australian National University, Australia
• 2014 Charles F. Kettering Award, American Society of Plant Biologists, USA
• since 2013 Corresponding Member, American Society of Plant Biologists, USA
• since 2006 Member, German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, Germany
• 2006 Member, Australian Academy of Science, Australia
• Member, Australian Society of Plant Scientists, Australia