Research Overview

Elizabete is passionate about plants, photosynthesis and Rubisco! She is internationally recognised as an expert on photosynthetic biochemistry, focusing on the regulation of carbon assimilation in crop plants, especially wheat and cowpea. Her research programme aims to understand and improve the efficiency of photosynthesis to sustainably enhance crop productivity and climate resilience.

After an MSc in applied plant biology at the University of Lisbon, Elizabete earned a PhD in 2008 researching photosynthesis and photorespiration in C₄ grasses. She subsequently specialized on the regulation of Rubisco by its molecular chaperone Rubisco activase as a postdoctoral researcher with the Arid Land Agricultural Research Centre, USDA-ARS. She conducted some of the first studies on the interplay between drought and heat stress in the cotton fields of Maricopa. In 2012, Elizabete started working on wheat crop improvement as a research scientist at Rothamsted Research and in 2015 she joined Lancaster University and started a research group focused on Rubisco regulation in crops.

Photosynthesis Team

Elizabete is a group leader within the Photosynthesis team at the Lancaster Environment Centre.

Research Projects

Her research group is currently (2024) funded through the RIPE project, CAPITALISE, PhotoBoost, and Delivering Sustainable Wheat (DSW).

Administrative Roles

She is the LEC Director of Postgraduate Research Programmes, and the Lancaster University partner lead for the BBSRC-funded NorthWestBio Doctoral Training Partnership.

Teaching

She convenes an undergraduate course on Research Design and Delivery (Bioscience courses), and supervises research projects by undergraduate and postgraduate students. She runs a programme of summer vacation internships in photosynthesis reserach within LEC.

Supervision

Available funded positions for joining Elizabete’s group are advertised on the Photosynthesis team website. Enquiries by prospective doctoral and postdoctoral researchers are welcome, either for the advertised positions or to apply for a scholarship or fellowship. A strong motivation to advance the understanding of Rubisco regulation, be part of a team, and contribute to enhance the sustainability and climate resilience of agricultural crop production is essential.

Elizabete is proud to lead, mentor and support the researchers that form the Rubisco team at LEC:

Dr Joana Amaral, research associate (CAPITALISE project)

Dr Carmen Hermida Carrera, senior research associate (DSW project)

Dr Armida Gjindali, research associate (RIPE project)

Dr Ana K Moreira Lobo, senior research associate (PhotoBoost project)

Dr Joao Antonio Siqueira, senior research associate (RIPE project)

Dr Caty Marsden, specialist research technician (RIPE project)

Dr Rhiannon Page, specialist research technician (RIPE project)

Dr Ingrid Robertson, specialist research technician (RIPE project)

Dr Dawn Worrall, specialist research technician (CAPITALISE project)

Dr Rachel Baxter, data and project manager (part-time)

Lisa Stout, lab technician (part-time)

Fay Biney, PhD student

Connor Nehls, PhD student

Haixia Yu, PhD student

Esteem Indicators and Academic Service

Learned Societies: Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology (since 2022).

Committee memberships: Member of Pool of Experts for the UKRI Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC, since 2022). PI network steering group member, Prosper: Unlocking postdoc career potential (since 2021). Biochemical Society committee member, Research Area Energy & Metabolism (since 2020).

Editorial Roles: Journal of Experimental Botany, handling editor (since 2021); Current Opinion in Plant Biology, guest editor (2019); Photosynthesis Research, associate editor 2018-2021); Frontiers in Plant Science, associate editor 2016-2018).

Team Leader: Leader of photosynthesis research team at Lancaster and direct supervisor of ~14 researchers (postdocs, technicians and graduate students) in the Rubisco team (since 2015).

International Recognition: Invited speaker and discussion panel member at major international meetings and events. Invited author of review manuscripts, including a New Phytologist Tansley Review and the multi-authored Perspectives on improving photosynthesis to increase crop yield in The Plant Cell.