Howard Griffiths

Who is Howard Griffiths?

Howard Griffiths holds the Chair of Plant Ecology at Cambridge University, Cambridge, England, since 2000, where he is a fellow of Clare college. His scientific interests focus on plant physiological ecology, particularly in the application of molecular techniques to whole-plant physiology to investigate the regulation of photosynthetic responses and plant water use; his specialisations include:

responses to climate change, reflected by his membership of the Cambridge Centre for Climate Science, CCfCS;

global food security, a University of Cambridge Research Theme

conservation and bioenergy crops, through his membership of the Cambridge Conservation Initiative.

Howard has a particular interest in introducing the dynamics of plant processes without the need for time-lapse photography. Lectures demonstrate how the spatial segregation of photosystem 1 and photosystem 2 creates a highly dynamic system, with lateral mobility and migration of damaged reaction centres through thylakoid membranes. He studies the reaction mechanism of RuBisCO and how plants have evolved turbocharging "carbon concentrating mechanisms" to enhance the operating efficiency of photosynthesis.