Presented at: Solar Energy and Artificial Photosynthesis, The Royal Society, London, 17th-19th July 2007.

and:

Research Frontiers with Rubisco, the "Elexir of Life" in the Biosphere. Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, UK, July 20th - 21st, 2007.
PS 07 14th International Congress of Photosynthesis, Glasgow 2007.

Introduction: Oxygenic life begins with photosynthesis. This process controls CO2 fixation and is responsible for the terrestrial and marine life on the planet. An increase in the global CO2 concentration would have feedbacks on atmospheric temperature, water holding capacity of the atmosphere, and worst of all a decrease in the CO2 holding capacity of oceans, all of which lead to accelerated climate change.

Rubisco is the gatekeeper of the natural process of CO2 sequestration from the atmosphere. The fundamental model of Rubisco kinetics must be sound in order to support all subsequent theories and models that depend on Rubisco kinetics.

Three Kinetic Theories for Rubisco reaction have been discussed over the past three decades:

• Co-limitation Theory (Michaelis-Menten)
• Two-Process Theory (Farquhar, von Caemmerer & Berry, 1980)
• Single-Process, Two-Step Theory (Farazdaghi, 2004)

Of which, the Two-Process theory has been the most widely used. Click here for PDF.