Recognizing Plant Physiology first authors: Ana Karla Moreira Lobo

Ana Karla Moreira Lobo, first author of Overexpression of ca1pase decreases Rubisco abundance and grain yield in wheat

Current Position: Postdoctoral researcher of the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq, Proc. 154471/2018-6) in the Laboratory of Plant Metabolism (Labplant), Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Federal University of Ceara, Brazil

Education: MSc and PhD in Biochemistry at Federal University of Ceara, Brazil, and Rothamsted Research, UK

Non-scientific Interests: Sports, movies, traveling, love nature, and reading

Brief bio: I became fascinated by plant sciences during an internship in the group of Prof J. Albenisio G. Silveira (Labplant), where I subsequently did my MSc and PhD in Plant Biochemistry and Physiology, focusing on carbon metabolism in plants exposed to abiotic stresses. My studies specifically involved the investigation of how source-sink perturbations regulate sugarcane photosynthesis through a collaboration with Dr Eduardo Caruso (IAC) and Prof. Rafael Ribeiro (Unicamp). This work showed that Rubisco activity is down-regulated by sucrose and that there is a close relationship between source-sink and photosynthetic capacity in sugarcane.

During my studies, I collaborated with Prof Martin Parry and Dr Elizabete Carmo-Silva in research aimed at increasing Rubisco efficiency and grain yield in wheat through modifications of CA1Pase expression. This research was initiated at Rothamsted Research and continued at Lancaster University.

At the Labplant, I also gained expertise in nitrogen and redox metabolism. Currently, I am a postdoctoral research fellow in the group led by Prof Silveira. I am studying antioxidant protection and chloroplastic APX signalling to improve photosynthetic efficiency of rice plants exposed to salinity and high light stresses.