“The Gatekeeper to Photosynthesis: Mesophyll Conductance and Abiotic Stress in Cotton” endeavoured to build on the limited understanding of mesophyll conductance – the process of CO2 diffusion through the leaf to reach the site of photosynthesis – and how is responds in different cotton (Gossypium) species to heat and drought stress. Initially, we also aimed to use microscopic analysis to also understand whether anatomical characteristics and variation played a role in variation as a result of abiotic stress and inter-species differences.
However, due to delays as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions in Sydney and lowest-on-record radiation levels during the La Nina, these samples were taken but were not able to be analysed in time for this report due to significantly longer processing and imaging timeframes and having this task outsourced. Therefore, the milestones were changed to remove protein and RNAseq analysis, and instead add a more time-efficient experiment to investigate the temperature response of a broader range of Gossypium species.