World's Best Scientists 2026 revealed!

D-Index & Metrics

Plant Science and Agronomy

D-Index
48
Citations
7952
World Ranking
2429
National Ranking
189

Overview

What is he best known for?

The fields of study he is best known for:

  • Gene
  • Enzyme
  • Photosynthesis

His primary areas of investigation include RuBisCO, Photosynthesis, Biochemistry, Chloroplast and Botany. His RuBisCO study combines topics from a wide range of disciplines, such as Crop productivity, Carbon fixation and Carbon-Carbon Lyases. Spencer M. Whitney combines subjects such as Gene, Pseudogene and Rhodospirillum rubrum with his study of Photosynthesis.

His work in the fields of Biochemistry, such as Peptide sequence, Ribosome and Ribosomal protein, intersects with other areas such as Heterologous expression and Ubiquitin-Specific Proteases. His studies deal with areas such as Green algae, Protein subunit and Phaeodactylum tricornutum as well as Chloroplast. His Botany research integrates issues from RNA and Thylakoid.

His most cited work include:

  • THE DIVERSITY AND COEVOLUTION OF RUBISCO, PLASTIDS, PYRENOIDS, AND CHLOROPLAST-BASED CO2-CONCENTRATING MECHANISMS IN ALGAE (514 citations)
  • Advancing Our Understanding and Capacity to Engineer Nature’s CO2-Sequestering Enzyme, Rubisco (298 citations)
  • Rubisco activity and regulation as targets for crop improvement (255 citations)

What are the main themes of his work throughout his whole career to date?

Spencer M. Whitney mainly focuses on RuBisCO, Photosynthesis, Biochemistry, Botany and Chloroplast. His RuBisCO study combines topics in areas such as Pyruvate carboxylase, Plastid, Rhodospirillum rubrum, Directed evolution and Carbon fixation. As a member of one scientific family, Spencer M. Whitney mostly works in the field of Photosynthesis, focusing on Synechococcus and, on occasion, Carboxysome, Mutant and Chaperonin.

In general Botany study, his work on Algae often relates to the realm of Symbiodinium, thereby connecting several areas of interest. His work on Chloroplast DNA as part of his general Chloroplast study is frequently connected to Transplantation, thereby bridging the divide between different branches of science. His study looks at the relationship between Carboxylation and topics such as Decarboxylation, which overlap with Ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate.

He most often published in these fields:

  • RuBisCO (93.59%)
  • Photosynthesis (61.54%)
  • Biochemistry (52.56%)

What were the highlights of his more recent work (between 2017-2021)?

  • RuBisCO (93.59%)
  • Photosynthesis (61.54%)
  • Biochemistry (52.56%)

In recent papers he was focusing on the following fields of study:

Spencer M. Whitney mainly investigates RuBisCO, Photosynthesis, Biochemistry, Carbon fixation and Pyruvate carboxylase. His RuBisCO research incorporates themes from Evolutionary biology, Directed evolution, Chloroplast and Phylogenetic tree. His Chloroplast research is multidisciplinary, incorporating elements of Biogenesis, Operon and Chaperone.

In his study, which falls under the umbrella issue of Phylogenetic tree, Phylogenetic relationship and Botany is strongly linked to Trade-off. The study incorporates disciplines such as Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase and Respiration in addition to Photosynthesis. His Carbon fixation study frequently draws parallels with other fields, such as Agronomy.

Between 2017 and 2021, his most popular works were:

  • An improved Escherichia coli screen for Rubisco identifies a protein–protein interface that can enhance CO2-fixation kinetics (32 citations)
  • Shade compromises the photosynthetic efficiency of NADP-ME less than that of PEP-CK and NAD-ME C4 grasses. (18 citations)
  • Directed Evolution of an Improved Rubisco; In Vitro Analyses to Decipher Fact from Fiction. (15 citations)

In his most recent research, the most cited papers focused on:

  • Gene
  • Enzyme
  • Amino acid

Spencer M. Whitney mostly deals with Photosynthesis, RuBisCO, Carbon fixation, Biochemistry and Rhodobacter sphaeroides. His RuBisCO study combines topics from a wide range of disciplines, such as Chloroplast and Photosynthetic acclimation. His research in Chloroplast intersects with topics in Biogenesis, Protein subunit, Chaperone, Microbiology and Protein engineering.

He interconnects Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase, Respiration, Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase, Photosynthetic efficiency and C4 photosynthesis in the investigation of issues within Photosynthetic acclimation. His C4 photosynthesis study is associated with Botany. His Rhodobacter sphaeroides research is multidisciplinary, relying on both Amino acid, Directed evolution, Mutant and Pyruvate carboxylase.

Best Publications

  • THE DIVERSITY AND COEVOLUTION OF RUBISCO, PLASTIDS, PYRENOIDS, AND CHLOROPLAST-BASED CO2-CONCENTRATING MECHANISMS IN ALGAE

    Murray R Badger;T John Andrews;S M Whitney;Martha Ludwig

  • Advancing Our Understanding and Capacity to Engineer Nature’s CO2-Sequestering Enzyme, Rubisco

    Spencer M. Whitney;Robert L. Houtz;Hernan Alonso

  • Rubisco activity and regulation as targets for crop improvement

    Martin A. J. Parry;P. John Andralojc;Joanna C. Scales;Michael E. Salvucci

  • The cyanobacterial CCM as a source of genes for improving photosynthetic CO2 fixation in crop species

    G. Dean Price;Jasper J.L. Pengelly;Britta Forster;Jiahui Du

  • Rubisco in marine symbiotic dinoflagellates: form II enzymes in eukaryotic oxygenic phototrophs encoded by a nuclear multigene family.

    Rob Rowan;Spencer M. Whitney;Amanda Fowler;David Yellowlees

  • Biogenesis and Metabolic Maintenance of Rubisco.

    Andreas Bracher;Spencer Whitney;Franz Ulrich Härtl;Manajit K. Hayer-Hartl

  • Form I Rubiscos from non-green algae are expressed abundantly but not assembled in tobacco chloroplasts.

    Spencer Whitney;Pierre Andre Claude Baldet;G Hudson;Thomas Andrews

  • Large variation in the Rubisco kinetics of diatoms reveals diversity among their carbon-concentrating mechanisms

    Jodi N. Young;Ana M.C. Heureux;Robert E. Sharwood;Rosalind E.M. Rickaby

  • Analysis of Carboxysomes from Synechococcus PCC7942 Reveals Multiple Rubisco Complexes with Carboxysomal Proteins CcmM and CcaA

    Benedict M. Long;Murray R. Badger;Spencer M. Whitney;G. Dean Price

  • Manipulating ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase in the chloroplasts of higher plants.

    T. John Andrews;Spencer M. Whitney

  • Heat stress causes inhibition of the de novo synthesis of antenna proteins and photobleaching in cultured Symbiodinium

    Shunichi Takahashi;Spencer Whitney;Shigeru Itoh;Tadashi Maruyama

  • Isoleucine 309 acts as a C4 catalytic switch that increases ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (rubisco) carboxylation rate in flaveria

    Spencer M. Whitney;Robert E. Sharwood;Douglas Orr;Sarah J. White

  • Directed Mutation of the Rubisco Large Subunit of Tobacco Influences Photorespiration and Growth

    S M Whitney;S von Caemmerer;G S Hudson;T J Andrews

  • Plastome-encoded bacterial ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RubisCO) supports photosynthesis and growth in tobacco

    Spencer Whitney;Thomas Andrews

  • Different thermal sensitivity of the repair of photodamaged photosynthetic machinery in cultured Symbiodinium species.

    Shunichi Takahashi;Spencer M. Whitney;Murray R. Badger

  • The Catalytic Properties of Hybrid Rubisco Comprising Tobacco Small and Sunflower Large Subunits Mirror the Kinetically Equivalent Source Rubiscos and Can Support Tobacco Growth

    Robert Edward Sharwood;Susanne von Caemmerer;Pal Maliga;Spencer Michael Whitney

  • Using deubiquitylating enzymes as research tools.

    Rohan T Baker;Ann-Maree Catanzariti;Yamuna Karunasekara;Tatiana A Soboleva

  • Temperature responses of Rubisco from Paniceae grasses provide opportunities for improving C3 photosynthesis

    Robert E Sharwood;Oula Ghannoum;Maxim V Kapralov;Laura H Gunn

  • Improving recombinant Rubisco biogenesis, plant photosynthesis and growth by coexpressing its ancillary RAF1 chaperone

    Spencer M. Whitney;Rosemary Birch;Celine Kelso;Jennifer L. Beck

  • The Gene for the Ribulose-1,5-Bisphosphate Carboxylase/Oxygenase (Rubisco) Small Subunit Relocated to the Plastid Genome of Tobacco Directs the Synthesis of Small Subunits That Assemble into Rubisco

    Spencer M. Whitney;T. John Andrews

  • Directing the evolution of Rubisco and Rubisco activase: first impressions of a new tool for photosynthesis research.

    Oliver Mueller-Cajar;Oliver Mueller-Cajar;Spencer M. Whitney

  • Prospects for improving CO2 fixation in C3-crops through understanding C4-Rubisco biogenesis and catalytic diversity

    Robert E Sharwood;Oula Ghannoum;Spencer M Whitney

  • Evidence that some dinoflagellates contain a ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase related to that of the alpha-proteobacteria.

    Spencer M. Whitney;Denis C. Shaw;David Yellowlees

Frequent Co-Authors

Robert E. Sharwood
Robert E. Sharwood Australian National University
Murray R. Badger
Murray R. Badger Australian National University
T. John Andrews
T. John Andrews Australian National University
Susanne von Caemmerer
Susanne von Caemmerer Australian National University
Oula Ghannoum
Oula Ghannoum Western Sydney University
G. Dean Price
G. Dean Price Australian National University
Steven L. Kelly
Steven L. Kelly Swansea University
Rosalind E. M. Rickaby
Rosalind E. M. Rickaby University of Oxford
Guillaume Tcherkez
Guillaume Tcherkez Australian National University
Graham D. Farquhar
Graham D. Farquhar Australian National University

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