Marshall Hatch has conducted seminal work in plant biochemistry, particularly his contribution to the elucidation of the C4 pathway of photosynthesis. Following early evidence suggesting a process of photosynthetic carbon dioxide fixation differing from the Calvin cycle, Marshall and collaborators, especially Roger Slack (also a Fellow), made the major contribution in establishing the C4 pathway in photosynthesis and showed it occurred in a wide variety of plant species.
They elucidated the mechanism, identified the enzymes (implicating 11 out of the 12 now known to have special roles) and showed that the C4 pathway functions to concentrate carbon dioxide in bundle sheaths prior to its assimilation in the Calvin cycle. They also contributed substantially to identifying and defining the three subtypes of C4 photosynthesis. In addition, Marshall has also contributed significantly to our understanding of glycolysis and of sucrose metabolism in plants.
