Text Box: The Effect of Environmental Conditions on Amount of Rubisco Large Subunit in Moss   By:  Amanda Goldston, David Mitchell, Tiffany Pryce

Text Box: Abstract   Rubsico is an enzyme that catalyzes the fixation of CO2 to a carbon precursor. This is the first step which ultimately leads to glucose synthesis. However, Rubisco is also capable of fixing O2 making rubisco a very inefficient enzyme. In order to better understand rubisco, we decided to study how rubisco expression is altered in moss under varying environmental conditions, particularly water availability. We chose moss due its lack of ability to store water under stress conditions. We propose that as water availability changes, rubisco levels will change in accordance. We used a combination of SDS page gel and a western blot to quantify rubisco protein concentration. Then we used a real time PCR and agarose gel electrophoresis to analyze rubisco expression and DNA concentration. Our data proved inconclusive, a failure in the PCR made comparing rubisco concentration and expression very difficult.

Text Box: Introduction

Text Box: Methods

Text Box: Results—Protein, DNA

Text Box: Comments or questions can be directed to: Amanda Goldston David Mitchell Tiffany Pryce