RuBisCO plays a key role in photosynthesis and is one of the most abundant enzymes in the world. A Japanese research team has revealed how charge distribution on RuBisCO’s active sites is linked to the enzyme’s ability to recognize carbon dioxide. This discovery can potentially be used to improve the carbon dioxide-fixing ability of RuBisCO, which could boost photosynthesis rates in plants, increase food supplies and lower carbon dioxide emissions. The findings were published on February 28 in Biochemical Society Transactions.