Dr Ben Long
Areas of expertise
- Plant Physiology 060705
- Microbial Ecology 060504
- Biochemistry And Cell Biology 0601
- Analytical Biochemistry 060101
- Enzymes 060107
- Synthetic Biology 310113
Research interests
- Directed evolution of inorganic membrane transporters
- Synthetic biology approaches to novel encapsulated biochemistries
Biography
Ben now holds a position as Senior Lecturer in Molecular Plant Biology at the University of Newcastle.
Ben is a synthetic biologist with a PhD in Plant Biology from La Trobe University. His doctoral work focussed on environmental factors which lead to toxin production in cyanobacteria (blue-green algae), and he has significant postdoctoral experience in areas relating to secondary metabolite production in streptomycetes (University of Surrey), cyanobacterial CO2 concentrating mechanisms, and plant cell respiration (Australian Nationa University). His current research focus involves synthetic biology approaches to building a CO2 concentrating mechanism in plant chloroplasts for the enhancement of photosynthesis as part of the Realizing Increased Photosynthesis Efficiency (RIPE) network funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates foundation, the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research, and UKaid.
Find Ben on ResearchGate, Google Scholar, and Publons
Researcher's projects
Ben's current work involves the analysis of carboxysomes, cyanobacterial microcompartments housing the CO2-fixing enzyme Rubisco. These microcompartments are like bacterial organelles, capable of isolating specific biochemical processes from other parts of the cell and enabling Rubisco to operate at its maximal rate under low CO2 and high O2 which prevail under normal atmospheric conditions. Our aims are to introduce carboxysomes to the chloroplasts of crop plants in an effort to improve photosynthesis and yield.
Associated projects utilize directed evolution approaches to evolve novel inorganic carbon transporters for use in plant biology applications
Current student projects
Directed evolution of cyanobacterial bicarbonate transporters
The interaction of CcmM and Rubisco within β-carboxysomes
Structure and function of the α-carboxysomal carbonic anhydrase CsoSCA
The requirementment for cyanobacterial Rubisco chaperonins in heterologous expression systems
Past student projects
Expression of bacterial microcompartments in E. coli
β-carboxysome sub-complexes
Carboxysomal carbonic anhydrase structure and function
Exploration of cyanobacterial bicarbonate transporters in bacterial systems
Publications
- Nguyen, N, Pulsford, S, Hee, W et al. 2023, 'Towards engineering a hybrid carboxysome', Photosynthesis Research, vol. 156, no. 2, pp. 265-277.
- Wu, A, Brider, J, Busch, F et al. 2022, 'A cross-scale analysis to understand and quantify the effects of photosynthetic enhancement on crop growth and yield across environments', Plant Cell and Environment, vol. 46, no. 1, pp. 23-44.
- Rottet, S, Foerster, B, Hee, W et al. 2021, 'Engineered Accumulation of Bicarbonate in Plant Chloroplasts: Known Knowns and Known Unknowns', Frontiers in Plant Science, vol. 12.
- Long, B, Foerster, B, Pulsford, S et al. 2021, 'Rubisco proton production can drive the elevation of CO2 within condensates and carboxysomes', PNAS - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, vol. 118, no. 18.
- Sharwood, R & Long, B 2021, 'Engineering Photosynthetic CO2 Assimilation to Develop New Crop Varieties to Cope with Future Climates', in (ed.), Photosynthesis, Respiration, and Climate Change . Advances in Photosynthesis and Respiration, Springer Cham, ebook, pp. 333-354.
- Chen, T, Yi, F, Jiang, Q et al. 2021, 'Incorporation of Functional Rubisco Activases into Engineered Carboxysomes to Enhance Carbon Fixation', Synthetic Biology, vol. 11, no. 1, pp. 154-161.
- Price, G, Long, B & Foerster, B 2019, 'DABs accumulate bicarbonate', Nature Microbiology, vol. 4, no. 12, pp. 2029-2030.
- Wang, H, Yan, X, Aigner, H et al 2019, 'Rubisco condensate formation by CcmM in ß-carboxysome biogenesis', Nature, vol. 566, no. 7742, pp. 131-135.
- Long, B, Hee, W, Sharwood, R et al. 2018, 'Carboxysome encapsulation of the CO2-fixing enzyme Rubisco in tobacco chloroplasts', Nature Communications, vol. 9, no. 1, pp. 1-14.
- Rolland, V, Rae, B & Long, B 2017, 'Setting sub-organellar sights: Accurate targeting of multi-transmembrane-domain proteins to specific chloroplast membranes', Journal of Experimental Botany, vol. 68, no. 18, pp. 5013-5016pp.
- Abdul Bahar, N, Ishida, F, Kohontissa Wasala, L et al. 2017, 'Leaf-level photosynthetic capacity in lowland Amazonian and high-elevation Andean tropical moist forests of Peru', New Phytologist, vol. 214, no. 3, pp. 1002-1018.
- Scafaro, A, Xiang, S, Long, B et al. 2017, 'Strong thermal acclimation of photosynthesis in tropical and temperate wet-forest tree species: the importance of altered Rubisco content', Global Change Biology, vol. 23, no. 7, pp. 2783-2800pp.
- Rae, B, Long, B, Foerster, B et al. 2017, 'Progress and challenges of engineering a biophysical carbon dioxide-concentrating mechanism into higher plants', Journal of Experimental Botany, vol. 68, no. 14, pp. 3717-3737.
- Long, B, Rae, B, Rolland, V et al. 2016, 'Cyanobacterial CO2-concentrating mechanism components: function and prospects for plant metabolic engineering', Current Opinion in Plant Biology, vol. 31, pp. 1-8.
- Long, B, Abdul Bahar, N & Atkin, O 2015, 'Contributions of photosynthetic and non-photosynthetic cell types to leaf respiration in Vicia fabaL. and their responses to growth temperature', Plant Cell and Environment, vol. 38, no. 11, pp. 2263-2276.
- de Araujo, C, Arefeen, D, Tadesse, Y et al 2014, 'Identification and characterization of a carboxysomal gamma-carbonic anhydrase from the cyanobacterium Nostoc sp. PCC 7120', Photosynthesis Research, vol. 121, pp. 135-150.
- Whitehead, L, Long, B, Price, GD et al 2014, 'Comparing the in vivo function of alpha-carboxysomes and beta-carboxysomes in two model cyanobacteria', Plant Physiology, vol. 165, no. 1, pp. 398-411.
- Rae, B, Long, B, Whitehead, L et al. 2013, 'Cyanobacterial Carboxysomes: Microcompartments that Facilitate CO2 Fixation', Journal of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, vol. 23, no. 4-5, pp. 300-307.
- Rae, B, Long, B, Badger, M et al. 2013, 'Functions, Compositions, and Evolution of the Two Types of Carboxysomes: Polyhedral Microcompartments That Facilitate CO2 Fixation in Cyanobacteria and Some Proteobacteria', Microbiology and Molecular Biology Reviews, vol. 77, no. 3, pp. 357-379.
- Rae, B, Long, B, Badger, M et al. 2012, 'Structural Determinants of the Outer Shell of b-Carboxysomes in Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942: Roles for CcmK2, K3-K4, CcmO, and CcmL', PLOS ONE (Public Library of Science), vol. 7, no. 8, pp. e43871-e43871.
- Jahnichen, S, Long, B & Petzoldt, T 2011, 'Microcystin production by Microcystis aeruginosa: Direct regulation by multiple environmental factors', Harmful Algae, vol. 12, pp. 95-104.
- Long, B, Rae, B, Badger, M et al 2011, 'Over-expression of the beta-carboxysomal CcmM protein in Synechococcus PCC7942 reveals a tight co-regulation of carboxysomal carbonic anhydrase (CcaA) and M58 content', Photosynthesis Research, vol. Published online : 20 May 2011.
- Long, B 2010, 'Evidence that sulfur metabolism plays a role in microcystin production by Microcystis aeruginosa', Harmful Algae, vol. 9, no. 1, pp. 74-81.
- Dooley, PC, Long, BM & West, JM 2000, 'Amino acids in haemolymph, single fibres and whole muscle from the claw of freshwater crayfish acclimated to different osmotic environments', Comparative biochemistry and physiology Part A Molecular integrative physiology, vol 127(2), pp. 155-165.
- Long, B, Tucker, L, Badger, M et al 2010, 'Functional Cyanobacterial b-Carboxysomes Have an Absolute Requirement for Both Long and Short Forms of the CcmM Protein1[W][OA]', Plant Physiology, vol. 153, pp. 285 -293.
- Price, G, Badger, M, Woodger, F et al. 2008, 'Advances in understanding the cyanobacterial CO2- concentrating-mechanism (CCM): functional components, Ci transporters, diversity, genetic regulation and prospects for engineering into plants', Journal of Experimental Botany, vol. 59, no. 7, pp. 1441-1461.
- Long, B, Badger, M, Whitney, S et al. 2007, 'Analysis of Carboxysomes from Synechococcus PCC7942 Reveals Multiple Rubisco complexes with Carboxysomal Proteins CcmM and CcaA', Journal of Biological Chemistry, vol. 282, no. 40, pp. 29323-29335.
- Long, B, Price, G & Badger, M 2005, 'Proteomic assessment of an established technique for carboxysome enrichment from Synechococcus PCC7942', Canadian Journal of Botany, vol. 83, pp. 746-757.
- Badger, M, Price, G, Long, B et al. 2005, 'The environmental plasticity and ecological genomics of the cyanobacterial CO2 concentrating mechanism', Journal of Experimental Botany, vol. 57, no. 2, pp. 249-265.
- Daume, S, Long, B & Crouch, P 2003, 'Changes in amino acid content of an algal feed species (Navicula sp.) and their effect on growth and survival of juvenile abalone (Haliotis rubra)', Journal of Applied Phycology, vol. 15, pp. 201-207.
- Long, B & Carmichael, W 2003, 'Marine cyanobacterial toxins', in GM Hallegraeff, DM Anderson, AD Cembella (ed.), Manual on Harmful Marine Microalgae, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), France, pp. 279-296.
- Long, B, Jones, G & Orr, P 2001, 'Cellular Microcystin content in N-Limited Microcystis aeruginosa can be predicted fro growth rate', Applied and Environmental Microbiology, vol. 67, pp. 278-283.
