Muhammad Ashraf is a senior research officer at the University of Essex. His research focuses on manipulating the intricate biochemical mechanisms underlying the Calvin Benson cycle, specifically following RUBP regeneration. For RIPE, he explores and characterizes the diversity of Calvin Benson cycle enzymes from various C4 plants, and their potential introduction into C3 plants to enhance their photosynthetic efficiency. Ashraf earned his bachelor’s degree in plant sciences and master’s degree in plant biochemistry and molecular biology at Quaid-i-Azam University in Islamabad, Pakistan. He earned his PhD in plant developmental biology from Shanghai Jiao Tong University in Shanghai, China. His work has been published in Plant Cell and Environment, Journal of Environmental and Experimental Botany, and aBiotech.