The Future of Isoprene Research

This is the year of celebration of the 80th birthday of Academician Guivi Sanadze, the discoverer of isoprene emission from plants. Since the initial discovery, work in his laboratory has laid the foundation of our current understanding of many important aspects of isoprene emission. Among the most important are: the very large temperature sensitivity of isoprene emission from plants, its dependence on light, and its close association with photosynthesis. In this opinion paper I shall describe major understandings that have come about in the forty years of research since the discovery of isoprene emission, several current controversies and my opinions about them, and most importantly, the future for isoprene research. © 2009 Bull. Georg. Natl. Acad. Sci.