iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Andreas M. Küffner @amkueffner.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

🌍 Why this matters: 1. Understanding evolution of CO₂-concentrating mechanisms from simple condensates 2. Blueprint for engineering CO₂-concentrating mechanisms 3. Could improve photosynthetic efficiency for food & climate solutions Nature's simplest solutions often hold the most powerful lessons.

100

Andreas M. Küffner @amkueffner.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

🔍 We investigated this through: • Kinetic assays • Cryo-EM structures showing no structural change inside/outside condensates • Material properties correlating with activity • A "bad" Rubisco mutant that only works when condensed • Showed the same effect on the native reconstitution system

100

Andreas M. Küffner @amkueffner.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

⚡ Here's the key insight: The synthetic pyrenoids enhance carbon fixation primarily by enhancing carboxylation rate. The mechanism? Mass action kinetics through substrate partitioning-not structural changes to the enzyme.

100

Andreas M. Küffner @amkueffner.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

🕰️ Using ancestral sequence reconstruction, they "resurrected" ancient EPYC1 proteins from millions of years ago. Surprise: even ancestral EPYC1s could form functional condensates! This suggests pyrenoid-like structures provided evolutionary advantages long before modern complex pyrenoids existed.

100

Andreas M. Küffner @amkueffner.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

🔬 We took a bottom-up approach: • We fused EPYC1 proteins (the key pyrenoid component) to a simple bacterial Rubisco • We tested many different intrinsically disordered proteins • Only EPYC1 and its homologues triggered phase separation Result: "synthetic pyrenoids" formed spontaneously!

100

Andreas M. Küffner @amkueffner.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

🌿 Photosynthesis is inefficient. Rubisco - the enzyme that fixes CO₂ - is notoriously slow and gets confused by oxygen. Green algae solved this with the pyrenoid: a liquid organelle that concentrates CO₂ around Rubisco. But how does this actually work at the molecular level? And how did it evolve?

110

Andreas M. Küffner @amkueffner.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

🧬 What if we could rebuild nature's CO2-concentrating machinery from scratch? In my research in the Erb Lab, just published in Nature Plants, we reconstructed synthetic pyrenoids to understand how algae concentrate CO₂ for photosynthesis. 🔗 www.nature.com/articles/s41... Let me break it down: 🧵👇

nature.com

Bottom-up reconstruction of synthetic pyrenoids provides insights into the mechanisms and evolution of carbon concentration by EPYC1 proteins - Nature Plants

This study shows that the structural protein essential pyrenoid component 1 (EPYC1) and the enzyme Rubisco are sufficient to assemble into pyrenoid-like structures that are functionally active and sho...

120

Andreas M. Küffner @amkueffner.bsky.social · 30/04/2025

I am soon seeking passionate and driven PhD candidates to join me on this exciting journey. Together, we'll explore new frontiers in science and contribute to sustainable solutions for our planet. Feel free to reach out if you're interested in being part of this emerging lab!

010

Andreas M. Küffner @amkueffner.bsky.social · 30/04/2025

Our mission is to delve into the world of biological carbon fixation, exploring the intricate biocatalysis behind these processes. With a focus on carbon concentrating mechanisms, organelle function and enzyme engineering we aim to push the boundaries of current scientific knowledge.

100

Andreas M. Küffner @amkueffner.bsky.social · 30/04/2025

Exciting News! I am thrilled to share that I will be launching a research group at the @mpi-nat.bsky.social in Göttingen this July!

162