Building a pyrenoid-based CO2-concentrating mechanism into plants

Many photosynthetic species have evolved CO₂-concentrating mechanisms (CCMs) to improve the efficiency of CO₂ assimilation by Rubisco and reduce the negative impacts of photorespiration. As the majority of plants (i.e. C3 plants) lack an active CCM, introducing a functional heterologous CCM into crops is a key engineering ambition to enhance yield potential. Through advances in our understanding of the Chlamydomonas CCM, the complex task of building a functional pyrenoid-based CCM has moved several steps closer to reality, particularly now with a model-based roadmap to guide future engineering efforts. Here I will discuss recent progress in transferring key components and features of the Chlamydomonas CCM into higher plants.