Plant Carbon Allocation/Partitioning under Elevated CO₂ Conditions

Space flight conditions can activate changes in the allocation of carbon in plants. Although many of these modifications to plant growth and development have been attributed to microgravitational forces, other space flight conditions, such as elevated carbon dioxide or volatile organic compounds imposed by growth in a closed system, may influence specific biochemical pathways, as well as the overall physiology of the plant. We are examining how elevated carbon dioxide levels and ethylene may influence carbon partitioning between volatile emissions, root secretions and the metabolic flux into constitutive secondary phytochemicals and primary metabolites.