Rate My Professor Murray Badger

Badger's research focuses on the genetics, evolution, biochemistry, and physiology of efficient photosynthetic CO₂ fixation mechanisms in plants, algae, and cyanobacteria, with emphasis on the CO₂-fixing enzyme Rubisco, photosynthetic CO₂ concentrating mechanisms, and controls on leaf and chloroplast development determining photosynthetic capacity. His early contributions defined Rubisco activation mechanisms and led to the discovery of CO₂ concentrating mechanisms in cyanobacteria and algae, revealing their co-evolution with Rubisco kinetics. Key publications include "Cyanobacterial Carboxysomes: Microcompartments that Facilitate CO₂ Fixation" (Rae et al., 2013), "The cyanobacterial CCM as a source of genes for improving photosynthetic CO₂ fixation in crop species" (Price et al., 2013), "Structural Determinants of the Outer Shell of β-Carboxysomes in Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942" (Rae et al., 2012), and "Over-expression of the β-carboxysomal CcmM protein in Synechococcus PCC7942" (Long et al., 2011). Badger has received major honors including Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science (2008), Corresponding Member of the American Society of Plant Biologists (2009), Highly Cited Researcher in Plant and Animal Sciences (2000), Peter Goldacre Award (1982), and ARC LIEF grant (2016). His integrated approaches have advanced molecular, genomic, and functional understanding of photosynthesis, influencing crop improvement strategies.