Essex, UK – RIPE objective leader, and professor at the School of Life Sciences at the University of Essex, Christine Raines was recognized as Research Champion for her outstanding work on improving photosynthesis in crops by the University.

The Celebrating Excellence in Research and Impact Awards, held by Essex, showcases the very best examples of how Essex research is having a positive impact on people’s everyday lives in the UK and across the globe.More than 100 academics and colleagues gathered to recognize the influence of the award winners’ research that helps to shape thinking and influence policy in the country and all over the world. 

“I am so honoured to be given this prestigious award,” said Raines, who served as head of the School of Life Sciences at Essex from 2011-2017.  “This would not have been possible without all of the help and invaluable support from our postdoctoral researchers from my lab, current and past, for their excellent contributions. Thank you to all in our team and our colleagues.”

The Life Sciences Technical Team also received recognition at the awards showcase for Outstanding Research Support by a Technical Team.

After leading the School of Life Sciences, Raines became Pro-Vice Chancellor (Research) from 2017-2021 and was also the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Experimental Botany from 2012-2022, with her research being published in multiple publications, including Plant Physiology.

Raines has an international reputation for research on the Calvin-Benson cycle, with many years of experience in the molecular biology, biochemistry, and physiology of this process. Work in the Raines’ lab has shown that the enzyme SBPase exercises strong control over CO₂ assimilation into tobacco plants and that photosynthetic capacity and yield are increased in transgenic tobacco plants with elevated SBPase. 

A founding member of the project, Raines leads the RuBP Regeneration work for the Realizing Increased Photosynthetic Efficiency (RIPE), an international research project that aims to increase global food production by developing food crops that turn the sun’s energy into food more efficiently with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research, and U.K. Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.

Congratulations to Christine and the Life Sciences team at Essex for all of your hard work and contributions to making a positive difference with your research!

A biography page on Christine Raines, and a list of other winners, can be found here. Awards were given to early career researchers and research champions as well as for individual projects in the following categories: enterprise and innovation, international research, UK public policy, and interdisciplinary research.

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By: Amanda Nguyen || RIPE Communications Specialist