Howard Griffiths (scientist)
Howard Griffiths is a physiological ecologist. He is currently Professor of Plant Ecology in the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of Cambridge, and a Fellow of Clare College, Cambridge. He formerly worked for the University of Dundee in the Department of Biological Sciences. He applies molecular biology techniques and physiology to investigate the regulation of photosynthesis and plant water-use efficiency. Research. Griffiths' specializations include: Griffiths has a particular interest in introducing the dynamics of plant processes without the need for time-lapse photography. His lectures demonstrate how the spatial segregation of photosystem 1 and  photosystem 2 creates a highly dynamic system with lateral mobility and migration of damaged photosynthetic reaction centers through thylakoid membranes. He studies the reaction mechanism of RuBisCO and how plants have evolved. His primary focus being the types of "carbon dioxide concentrating mechanisms" (CCMs) which enhance the operating efficiency of RuBisCO and thereby CO₂-fixation. CCMs of interest include crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM), the biochemical C pathway, and the biophysical CCM found within algae, cyanobacteria and hornworts. He uses stable isotopes of carbon and oxygen to compare how different types of plants have evolved their own methods of photosynthesis. Study of  these isotopes can also analyse the water use of plants and insects. He collaborated on an international project investigating the possibility of introducing the algal CCM into terrestrial plants called the Combining Algal and Plant Photosynthesis project (CAPP). In 2016, they achieved successful results and they now hope to implement this technique to increase the rate of photosynthesis in plants and hence increase crop yields. His goal in his work is not only to discover new molecular and ecological insights but then use those insights to sustain plant diversity and combat climate change. As part of his work, Griffiths has  been a Visiting Research Fellow to the Australian National University in 2006 and 2008. He is part of peer review for the National Environmental Research Council. He has also conducted many field work expeditions to countries including Trinidad, Venezuela, and Panama, as part of his research. , his projectsfocus on: Publications. Griffiths has a blog documenting his and his students' research in physiological ecology. He is the author, co-author or editor of several textbooks and monographs, including "The Carbon Balance of Forest Biomes" with Paul Gordon Jarvis. According to Google Scholar and Scopus, his most highly cited peer-reviewed publications  were in The "Journal of Experimental Botany", "Oecologia", "New Phytologist," and "Functional Plant Biology".