Professor Susanne von Caemmerer FRS and Professor Graham Farquhar AO FRS have been recognised with one of the top prizes in science.

They have been awarded the prestigious Royal Medal (Biological) from The Royal Society for their incredibly influential work refining the ways we monitor and model photosynthesis in leaves from molecular to global scales.

Their model has helped us understand the process of photosynthesis, by which plants transform sunlight and water into oxygen and sugars, and has been critical for understanding the impacts of climate change. Their research undertaken at The Australian National University has also been used to improve water efficiency and yields in agricultural crops.