# Synthetic Manihot esculenta Rubisco activase proteins with increased thermotolerance identified via machine learning

## TL;DR

Scientists used machine learning to design cassava proteins that work better in heat, which could help crops survive hotter climates.

## Contribution

A machine learning approach identified synthetic cassava Rca proteins with enhanced thermotolerance and minimal mutations.

## Key findings

- Over 1,400 synthetic cassava Rca enzymes were screened using machine learning.
- Synthetic Rca proteins maintained activity at 8°C higher than wildtype.
- A single mutation retained most activity after heat-shock.

## Abstract

Adaptation to increasing environmental temperatures is essential to plant survival and human food production. Thermal tolerance is controlled by a complex network of factors in plants including but not limited to genetic variation and environmental context. Rubisco activase (Rca) is a key photosynthetic enzyme with low thermal tolerance. Here, we report a large machine learning-directed screen of >1,400 synthetic cassava Rca enzymes which identified mutations that convey increased thermal stability while minimizing introduced mutations. We demonstrate multiple synthetic proteins that maintain activity at 8°C higher than wildtype cassava Rca including a single mutation that retains most activity post heat-shock.