# Rubisco is evolving for improved catalytic efficiency and CO <sub>2</sub> assimilation in plants

*PRI Rank #17 · Topics and Trends in Most Cited Photosynthetic Processes and Mechanisms Papers, Class of 2026*

*Canonical URL: https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/photosynthetic-processes-and-mechanisms/2026/rank-17*

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Rank | #17 |
| 18m citations | 29 |
| Journal | Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |
| Year | 2024 |
| DOI | 10.1073/pnas.2321050121 |
| Corresponding authors | Steven Kelly |
| Institution | University of Oxford, United Kingdom |

**Ranking page:** [Topics and Trends in Most Cited Photosynthetic Processes and Mechanisms Papers, Class of 2026](https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/photosynthetic-processes-and-mechanisms/2026)

**Paper link:** [10.1073/pnas.2321050121](https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2321050121)

## Topics

Rubisco · Rubisco · rbcL · CO2/O2 specificity · carboxylase turnover · Rubisco carboxylation efficiency · phylogenetic analysis · kinetic evolution · angiosperms · nucleotide substitution rate · amino acid mutation rate · catalytic efficiency · Net photosynthetic rate · Carbon fixation · molecular evolution · enzyme adaptation

## Cite this ranking

```
Pepkio Research Index (PRI). Topics and Trends in Most Cited Photosynthetic Processes and Mechanisms Papers, Class of 2026. https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/photosynthetic-processes-and-mechanisms/2026. Accessed 2026-07-21.

Zheng Su, Tinsley Li, Thematic Shifts in Early-High-Impact Cancer Genomics and Diagnostics Research: A Bibliometric and Semantic Analysis. bioRxiv 2026.07.04.736459; doi: https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.07.04.736459
```