Professor Riyadh Muhaidat from the Department of Biological Sciences took part in the International Conference on Computational and Experimental Science and Engineering (ICCESEN-2025), held in Antalya, Turkey, October 17–20, 2025. The event brought together a wide range of scholars and researchers from diverse fields—including basic, pharmaceutical, medical, computational, and engineering sciences—representing numerous countries worldwide.
During the conference, Professor Muhaidat presented a research paper entitled “Assessment of the biochemical attributes of C4 photosynthesis in Boerhavia (Nyctaginaceae): a proposed model of C4 subtypes metabolic cooperation”. The presentation caught attention and received significant interest and recognition from various participants, reflecting the profound ecological impact and agricultural importance of C4 plants and their substantial influence on terrestrial ecosystems and human societies.
The paper addressed explicitly the key biochemical features of C4 photosynthesis in the genus Boerhavia of the family Nyctaginaceae. Key experimental approaches employed included photometric assays of activities, localization, and presence and expression levels of the three decarboxylating enzymes engaged in the C4 pathway.
The study provided robust evidence, and for the first time, supporting recruitment of multiple C4 subtype pathways in photosynthetic carbon acqusition in Boerhavia, setting the stage for further investigations throughout this genus as well as distant C4 eudicot lineages. Findings of Muhaidat study have been intriguing, such that the traditional assumption of the rigid use of one subtype C4 shuttle in C4 eudicots and absence or minimal contribution of secondary or alternative C4 pathways in carbon flux are unambiguously rejected.
The study provided robust evidence, and for the first time, supporting recruitment of multiple C4 subtype pathways in photosynthetic carbon acqusition in Boerhavia, setting the stage for further investigations throughout this genus as well as distant C4 eudicot lineages. Findings of Muhaidat study have been intriguing, such that the traditional assumption of the rigid use of one subtype C4 shuttle in C4 eudicots and absence or minimal contribution of secondary or alternative C4 pathways in carbon flux are unambiguously rejected.
Professor Muhaidat’s participation stands as a definitive testament to the advanced research competencies embodied by scholars at Yarmouk University and within the broader Arab academic community. His distinguished contributions to the field of plant sciences, coupled with his active involvement in scientific discourse and his commitment to fostering international research collaboration, further underscore the high caliber of academic excellence represented by Yarmouk University.
