March 2025 Phytogen

26 March 2025

Welcome to the March 2025 Phytogen!

This month is a special issue: Women shaping the future of plant science in Australia. We are grateful to have two amazing guest editors for this issue Beth Loveys and Alison Bentley. In this issue, we have Conversations between early carrier scientist and established researchers, and Research Profiles of women making an impact with plant science research. We hope you enjoy this special issue we put together to celebrate International Women’s Day.

Global Plant Council (GPC) webinar showcases one of our own! Prof Danielle Way (ANU) will be presenting on the effects of climate change on forests and crops.

The editorial team accepts contributions anytime for publication in Phytogen. Please get in touch with editors Raz (razlin.azman@csiro.au) or Lucas (L.Auroux@latrobe.edu.au) if you are interested in contributing to Phytogen.

Reminder: The new ASPS website is currently underway, and we need plant science images! Consider sending us your plant science-related research photos to be used on the new website. For copyright reasons, please do not send any images that have been published or that you are planning to publish. Images for consideration for the new website can be sent to Phytogen editors or Janet Wheeler.

Women shaping the future of plant science in Australia

Celebrate women: today and everyday

March 8th marks International Women’s Day, a day dedicated to women’s rights. Theresa Malkiel is credited as the founder of the International Women’s Day movement, having organised its precursor, National Women’s Day in the United States in 1909. It is both sobering and inspiring to realise that the movement has existed and been driven forward by the courageous and unwavering passion of many women and allies, for so long. At a time when changing politics is attempting to push back against important progress in promoting diversity, equity and inclusion we feel it is timely and important to highlight just a few of the female scientists shaping Australian plant science (and science more broadly). Women have long contributed to plant sciences around the world. Beccy Saunders experimented with Biscutella laevigata providing evidence of Mendellian segregation, Barbara McClintok revolutionised understanding of transposable elements in maize and Jean White-Henry developed biological controls for prickly pear but to name a few. This continues today, with the women we highlight here, and many others who you will know in your institutions, organisations and communities, all making diverse and important contributions to plant science. Here we take a wide view of plant science: from the lab, to the glasshouse, to the field, and into many spaces above and beyond. In this respect it is notable that as well as being an equality activist, Theresa Malkiel was an advocate for education. It is therefore fitting that we showcase several women in our community and across career stages who are dedicated to training and empowering the next-generation. We hope that you enjoy this special issue celebrating women shaping the future of plant science in Australia and that you take it as an invitation to acknowledge and support the women around you, today and everyday.

Beth & Alison

Meet our Guest Editors

Before becoming an Education Specialist, Beth Loveys had a traditional path in academia. She gained her PhD in plant ecophysiology in 1998. Her postdoctoral positions at the University of York (UK), and then at the Australian National University, examined the effects of climate change on plant growth, specifically temperature elevated CO2. In her current position Beth supports the next generation of Agricultural Science and Viticulture and Oenology students in the School of Agriculture Food and Wine at The University of Adelaide. Improving learning outcomes and student engagement has been Beth’s motivation in recent years. Beth’s success has been recognised by: Office of Learning and Teaching Citation for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning, SA Science STEM Educator finalist, Stephen Cole the Elder Award for Excellence & Vice Chancellors and Presidents Award for Excellence & the Australian Awards for University Teaching.

Crop scientist Alison Bentley’s research aims to understand the plant processes that can be used as an engine-room to drive agricultural productivity and build climate resilience for a more food secure future. Alison works primarily on major staple cereal crops given their global significance and has experience in a range of research environments in Australia, Vietnam, the USA, the UK and Mexico. Alison has a doctorate in agricultural science and a PhD in agriculture from The University of Sydney. She founded and leads Women in Crop Science, a network to boost connections, increase visibility, and foster greater gender equity in crop science. Alison is a passionate science communicator and a Superstar of STEM, aiming to open doors for more women to pursue and thrive in STEM careers. This month sees her move from her current role as a Research Group Leader and Deputy Director of the Agrifood Innovation Institute at the Australian National University to become the Deputy Director, Science in Agriculture and Food at CSIRO.

Conversations

There are so many amazing women working across the breadth of Australian plant sciences at all career stages. Although it isn’t possible for us to showcase them all in this Special Issue, we wanted to introduce you to a range of women from different backgrounds working in plant science across the country. To do this we recruited a batch of brilliant early career scientists who we co opted into having a chat with women within and beyond their networks. Here’s what they heard.

Sadia Majeed met Dr Rachel Walshe

I am a PhD student in the ARC Training Centre for Future Crops Development at the Australian National University. I completed my training at The Islamia University of Bahawalpur in Pakistan, where I also worked as an Agriculture Officer in the Department of Agriculture Extension. In 2023, I moved to Australia to begin a PhD in the Furbank lab, focusing on improving canola productivity by enhancing photosynthesis. My research explores genetic and physiological strategies to optimize carbon assimilation and growth efficiency in canola, with the goal of increasing yield potential under future climate scenarios.

I had the opportunity to talk to Dr Rachael Walshe, a food systems researcher and educator at the University of Canberra and a Project Officer at Sustain, a health promotion charity and social enterprise. We met as participants on an International Women’s Day panel at the ANU celebrating the women shaping the future of agriculture. Rachael shared the motivations behind her work on community gardens as crucial spaces for food resilience and engaging the next generation, particularly in urban environments. She highlighted how important it was for her to ensure that people, especially children, can eat and feed themselves and develop pride in growing things and eating them. Beyond community gardens, Rachael shared that her favourite plant is currently purslane (Portulaca oleracea), an invasive but edible weed. Racheal is keen on wild and urban foraging and purslane is currently top of her list as a resilient, under-valued resource (she enjoys it pickled). Rachael’s father, a rebel and disruptor, has played an inspiring and influential role in her career, growing up on a 100-acre organic garlic farm in the bush embedded in Rachael a love for hands-on food production. Meanwhile her Pop, a medical doctor, conveyed the importance of systemic change and the need to start with listening.

Connect with Sadia: Sadia Majeed | ANU Research School of Biology

Connect with Rachael: Rachael Walshe | LinkedIn

Dr Alison Gill met Dr Tatiana Soares de Costa

I am a Postdoctoral Research Fellow with the ARC Centre of Excellence in Plants for Space at the University of Adelaide. My interests include plant physiology, optimising photosynthesis to improve crop productivity, and plant responses to abiotic stress, with a particular focus on controlled environment agriculture. I chatted with Dr Tatiana Soares da Costa, an ARC Future Fellow and Head of the Herbicide and Antimicrobial Innovation Lab at the University of Adelaide. Coincidentally, both Tatiana and I had inspirational female year 12 teachers that ignited our interests in science and led us both to pursue a Bachelor of Science. Though Tatiana’s background is in drug discovery, biochemistry and chemistry, her career path has taken her into novel herbicide development by leveraging expertise she had gained in biomedical research. Tatiana describes her career journey as “non-traditional”, with experiences in both academia and industry. She credits her transferable skills developed in drug discovery with helping to transition into herbicide research, highlighting the shared biochemical building blocks of plants and bacteria.

During her career, particularly as she moved into plant science, Tatiana has been grateful for the mentorship and support of many female plant scientists who provided advice and training. She is most motivated by teaching and mentoring students to help shape their journey. I was especially inspired by her optimism and willingness to take risks, both of which have led into a career she could never have imagined. Tatiana’s advice is to not be disheartened by negative results and setbacks but rather embrace them as opportunities for new directions.

Connect with Ali: @aligill_ (X), @aligill.bsky.social (Bluesky), www.linkedin.com/in/ali-gill-plantscience

Connect with Tatiana: @Tatiana_Biochem (X), @tatiana-biochem.bsky.social (Bluesky), www.linkedin.com/in/dr-tatiana-soares-da-costa-7061ba120

Hanh Vo met Dr Tory Clarke

As a woman who just started her research journey working on plant responses to low humidity at UTAS, I’m curious about what’s waiting ahead. I had a wonderful catch up with Dr Tory Clarke, a plant physiologist working in sustainable agriculture at UTAS Tasmanian Agriculture Institute. She was my summer research and Honours supervisor at ANU, now a dear friend of mine, and I wanted to talk more with her about being a woman in science.

We started off with a couple of general questions to prompt discussion and soon got sidetracked into the pros and cons of working in academia on the small island of Tasmania. We agreed it’s often a double-edged sword, and navigating academia is both challenging yet exciting and sometimes rewarding. For instance, being at the only University on an island can be limiting, but because we are so far away, surrounded by nature, we can often escape the politics and just focus on our research. Similarly, academia doesn’t offer the stability of an office job, so you’re constantly worrying about the next grant or where to find your next position, but it also gives you flexibility in your day-to-day work, and there’s excitement as a new project or job can open up new possibilities and ideas.

We talked about how science can feel a bit isolating: sometimes it is just you and a plant, and you don’t really share with anyone about your struggles. A grant application is rejected, you get negative feedback on a manuscript, or you feel left behind after career breaks. You look around and see that everyone else seems to be doing much better than you: this person is publishing another paper, and that person just got a permanent position. The imposter syndrome kicks in, and you don’t want to tell anyone, because what if you just aren’t actually good enough? In academia, it’s hard not to feel inferior when we are constantly judged and rated for “success”. But if you are brave enough to share your challenges, you realise everyone has struggles, and we’re all just trying to do our best. Maybe you feel brave enough to ask for mentoring from a woman who balances kids and her career, or a colleague who’s also moved across the world to do science in a new language? We both agreed that the mentorship we’ve had from women who have navigated these waters too has been a huge part of our story. So find the people who lift you up with them, find other women, and speak up about what needs to change. Maybe your story will help someone else feel like they belong here too?

Connect with Hanh: @HanhPlantGene (X), @hanhplantgene.bsky.social, https://www.linkedin.com/in/hanh-minh-vo10/

Connect with Tory: @Curious_Tory (X), https://www.linkedin.com/in/tory-clarke-b30940173/

Gabriella Jessica and Eleanor Imlay met Professor Christine Beveridge

Professor Christine Beveridge is not only an accomplished researcher but also an enthusiastic and welcoming presence, no small feat in the rush of today’s busy lifestyle. She is a fellow of Australian Academy of Science, an ARC Georgina Sweet Laureate Fellow, a Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher, a former President of the International Plant Growth Substances Association, and the Director of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Plant Success in Nature and Agriculture. Her work seeks to understand the developmental processes underlying shoot growth and dormancy. Highlights from this research include uncovering the roles of strigolactone and sugar signalling in branching. More recently, Christine has been excited to develop a working model to understand how different genetic and physiological networks co-contribute to shoot development. We were lucky to be able to sit down with her and discuss her experience as a woman in research.

Christine came to science in a non-linear fashion. In an era where women embarked on traditionally feminine career pathways, she enrolled to study teaching at university only to find “through processes of elimination” that she enjoyed the natural sciences. Her supervisor ignited her fascination with plants’ intelligence and adaptability, and she began her journey as a plant scientist. She views research as an exploration, and her enthusiasm leaves us with the impression that no barrier cannot be re-framed as an opportunity. Chrisitine remarks that she perceives one of the biggest challenges for early career researchers today is the feeling of overwhelm that comes from entering a well-established field saturated with data from new technological advances. Simultaneously, she highlights how these same technologies have encouraged people to collaborate and find community in their work, thereby promoting a shared curiosity and passion for any given field.

When asked about her advice for women in research, Christine stresses the importance of endurance, authenticity and enjoying what you do. She draws inspiration from her peers in as much as her predecessors by appreciating and learning from their strengths. “I think what happens as a consequence of that [authenticity] is that everyone’s got a unique take on what’s going on in science. I think it’s worth remembering that you really do bring that unique perspective… I really believe that if you’re bringing a true self to work, you’re going to do your best work.”. As our interview draws to a close, Christine directs us to the ‘Women in Research” project led by Professor Sharon K. Parker. It’s a choice that draws into sharp focus the kind of leader Christine is, one who celebrates the achievements of those around her and gracefully inspires us towards a common goal.

Gabriella Jessica and Eleanor Imlay are PhD candidates at the University of Sydney, where they work to uncover the role of TALE homeodomain transcription factors in Brassicae leaf development. They are supervised by Associate Professor Mary Byrne, who inspires them as a woman in science every day.

Connect with Eleanor: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eleanor-imlay-8128ba199

Connect with Gabriella Jessica: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabriellajessicausyd

Connect with Christine Beveridge: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christine-beveridge-89947783

Amy Liu met Dr Kim Johnson

Hi Phytogen readers! I’m Amy, a second year PhD candidate investigating the regulation of nicotianamine biosynthesis genes in soybean, in the Plant Nutrition and Plant Cell Signalling Labs at the University of Melbourne. In my second year of my BSc, I was inspired by the wonders of plant genetics, and how we can use what we know about their environmental adaptations to develop better crops to battle ongoing worldwide food crises. I am particularly interested in biofortification – enhancement of the nutritional value of staple crops to better our diets. I have recently had the wonderful opportunity to interview an established plant scientist in this area – Dr Kim Johnson from La Trobe University – who currently works within the Institute for Sustainable Agriculture and Food. Kim started her career graduating with a PhD in plant cell glycoproteins from Melbourne University, then conducted postdoctoral research at the University of Edinburgh and the John Innes Centre. Afterwards, she moved back to Melbourne University as part of an ARC Centre of Excellence, researching cell wall integrity sensing. In 2018, Kim started her own lab at La Trobe University where she currently investigates a plethora of questions regarding changes in the cell wall in response to abiotic and biotic stress tolerance, flowering time regulation, and secondary metabolite production.

In our conversation, Kim and I touched on many topics, but two things stood out to me during our interview which will be our focus here. First was our shared ethos that collaborating with like-minded people in our areas of interest is a crucial part of staying engaged in our career paths. Working with wider general audiences, and students just starting out has been extremely rewarding for Kim, as she understands the importance of her community role in disseminating opportunities for keen future scientists. Furthermore, collaboration with other researchers has been a highpoint for Kim, the opportunity to work and converse with academics, and the privilege of being able to continuously learn new things has helped shape her journey. I have personally always likened the age-old adage, “it takes a village” to not only mean raising children but also in research careers, and it’s comforting to hear that still stands even after a PhD.

Second was our shared love for plants, I’ve always admired those that have found a passion and are able to make careers out of them. Kim is one of those people, with her endless love of learning and curiosity influencing her career journey, she has not lost her sense of awe regarding the incredible things that plants do. She notes that there is still so much we don’t know about our plant friends and endeavours to find out as much as she can (all the while juggling the responsibilities of running a lab, teaching at the University, and having a family!). Kim cites the driving forces for her career are knowing that her research can have an impact on the world, as well as the freedom of being able to ask and answer her own questions. These motivators for her career resonate greatly with me, I think back to my own experiences where I was fascinated by all the mechanisms plants employ for environmental adaptation and how we can use this to our advantage, and I am reminded that despite my own fears and anxiety over choosing this difficult career, it is an endeavour worth pursuing. Kim left me with some parting advice, for me and the rest of the future generation of plant scientists – be passionate, and make sure you enjoy what you’re doing in this life, it makes all the trials and tribulations that much more worth it.

Connect with Amy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-liu-721479188/

Connect with Kim: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kim-johnson-18478577/

Dr Nipuni Peththa Thanthrige met Dr Rebecca Thistelwaite

As a plant molecular biologist and postdoctoral research fellow at the Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, I am passionate about harnessing plant biotechnology for sustainable solutions. My research at the ARC Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science focuses on using plants as biofactories to produce next-generation peptide-based medicines, including anti-malarial therapeutics. Through molecular farming, we aim to develop scalable plant-based systems for pharmaceutical and agricultural innovations, addressing both global health challenges and sustainable agriculture. My PhD research at Queensland University of Technology focused on improving the resilience and productivity of chickpea by identifying novel molecular mechanisms that enhance nodulation and abiotic stress tolerance without compromising yield. I have since expanded my expertise to include crop species such as sorghum, soybean, cowpea and mungbean in my postdoctoral work. My broader interests lie in molecular farming, genetic engineering, crop improvement and sustainable agriculture.

As part of this special issue, I had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Rebecca Thistlethwaite, a dedicated plant breeder and research associate at the University of Sydney’s Plant Breeding Institute in Narrabri. With a PhD in wheat heat tolerance, Dr Thistlethwaite has devoted her career to developing climate-resilient crops. Her current research focuses on breeding wheat varieties that can withstand high temperatures and drought—an increasingly urgent challenge as global temperatures rise. She is deeply motivated by the goal of sustainable food production and values working closely with farmers and industry partners to ensure her research translates into real-world impact. She is particularly passionate about international collaborations, helping introduce hybrid wheat technologies to developing countries such as Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Ethiopia. She finds immense fulfillment in training scientists in these regions and seeing agricultural advancements take root. When asked about her greatest influences, Dr Thistlethwaite credits her family, who encouraged her to pursue a meaningful and sustainable career along with her supportive team, and the broader agricultural community. She also acknowledges the vital role of growers, whose challenges and insights drive her research forward. For Dr Thistlethwaite, the most rewarding part of her job is working with a diverse range of people. She enjoys learning from farmers, industry experts, and fellow researchers, emphasizing that knowledge exchange goes both ways. While she appreciates lab work, she prefers the field, where she can directly engage with industry stakeholders and witness the real-world impact of her research. Her advice to the next generation of scientists is to be confident in forging their own paths: “If you can’t follow in someone’s footsteps, do it yourself.” She encourages young researchers to ask questions, build strong networks, and develop the communication skills needed to translate research into real-world solutions. With her strong industry ties, international impact, and commitment to agricultural innovation, Dr Thistlethwaite is shaping the future of Australian plant science—driving innovation in wheat breeding and sustainable agriculture.

Connect with Nipuni: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nipuni-thanthrige-9939788a/

Connect with Rebecca: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-thistlethwaite-19426354/?originalSubdomain=au

Research Profiles: Women delivering plant science impact

What is plant science? Where does the discipline start and end? As an education professional and a crop scientist we are both connected to some degree in the core of plant science but our work also embraces other disciplines and scales from the classroom, lab, field and beyond. In our minds, plant science is a broad church and everyone is invited – the more the merrier as we seek to tackle some of the big challenges facing the world. Here we highlight the work, motivations and advice of some of the women in Australian plant science who inspire us. This includes people working directly in plant sciences, but also in a range of plant science-aligned areas. As the challenges facing the planet become more complex it is important that we look for opportunities to maximise the potential reach of our understanding of plants, their environmental impacts, and their transformative potential. We hope that you enjoy reading these profiles of amazing women shaping the future of plant science (and beyond) in Australia.

Beth Penrose is an Associate Professor at Charles Darwin University in the Northern Territory. Her work is focused on improving the sustainability and profitability of pasture and livestock systems in Australia and Asia.

What does your job involve? My job is super varied – I can have 5 meetings a day about different things! Generally, there’s a lot of mentoring and supervising research students, field work, lab work (though less so nowadays), meeting with industry to co-develop research, data analysis and writing papers and grants as well as presenting results to the public, industry and other scientists.

What motivates you? I wrote myself a ‘Research philosophy’ a few years ago – I like to do cool science that helps people/the world with kind people…. that’s what motivates me.

What do you see as the biggest opportunities for Australian plant science? Agriculture, forestry and aquaculture are such important industries in Australia – there’s so many opportunities to do awesome plant science in any of those industries. Also, Australia is a botanist’s dream – there are so many plants we know almost nothing about. The country is our oyster!

What is your favourite piece of advice for the next generation of Australian plant scientists? Think and read widely – most of the world’s biggest problems need multiple disciplines to solve them. Knowing a little about how physics or maths or chemistry or sociology (or any other discipline) works is increasingly important. And be kind, always be kind… in the end your kindness (or lack thereof) will be what you will be remembered for.

Connect with Beth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/beth-penrose-22541760/

Eloise Foo is a lab leader and lecturer in the School of Natural Sciences at the University of Tasmania.

What does your job involve? I teach undergraduate and diploma courses in plant development and genetics, lead research into how plants form beneficial symbioses with soil microbes, and mentor undergraduate, postgraduate and early career researchers to achieve their goals in this research area. Much of this research currently occurs in the ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Success where I am a Chief Investigator. I also lead outreach activities to teach kids and wider community about the power of plants

What motivates you? I am motivated by curiosity and helping others. I love finding gaps in our understanding of the natural world and designing and carrying out experiments that help us understand the complex and beautiful interactions between plants and microbes. I also find a lot of satisfaction in mentoring students and researchers to build their skills and achieve goals. Seeing people grow in confidence and capacity and having an impact on the world of science and society is very fulfilling.

What do you see as the biggest opportunities for Australian plant science? Innovations in plant science will underpin some of the big challenges coming, such as meeting the demands of a changing climate and making agriculture more efficient and sustainable. Australia has exceptional research and translating that into innovative industry and policy is our biggest challenge but also our biggest opportunity. In Australia we have unique resources and environments, such as our wealth of crop wild relatives, that have a huge capacity to drive innovation in crop adaptation.

What is your favourite piece of advice for the next generation of Australian plant scientists? Follow your interests, seek out mentors that are excited to see you succeed and be a strong advocate for yourself. Be clear on your goals and be single minded in aiming for them- you may not always succeed but this will put you on a path to other great opportunities. The plant science community in Australia is an amazing, welcoming network and engaging with others with a generous attitude and spirit of collaboration should keep this alive for the next generation.

Connect with Eloise: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eloise-foo-6b576b2a0/

Bonnie Armour is the Carbon Farming and Soil Extension Officer for the Hills and Fleurieu Landscape Board, based in Adelaide.

What does your job involve? Part of my role involves engaging with farmers around my region and bringing them up to speed on the latest with carbon farming. There are a lot of misconceptions and negativity in the carbon farming space and some of the information is really important for farmers to understand and so my role is to deliver the cold, hard, facts. The other part of my role is soil extension, where I engage with farmers to find out what they need to know about in terms of soils. What’s the latest season’s hot spots, soil conditions, farmer’s best interests etc and how can I facilitate learning around this.

What motivates you? Sustainable agriculture is the only way forward in my opinion. Agriculture plays such a large part in the environment and so finding a balance between productivity and healthy environments in an already challenging climatic space is the key. Half of my family are farmers and the other half are beach bums, and that’s what sparked my passion between no-till and surfboards. I plan on dedicating my life to helping farmers in engaging ways and hopefully educating to the wider world the importance of sustainable agriculture. If a person walks out of the room, or field, learning just one thing, I’ve done a good job.

What do you see as the biggest opportunities for Australian plant science? I think linking climate projections and plant science together is an area farmers may really benefit from, i.e. plant breeding of varieties with higher tolerances to drought, lower-fertility and linking this with where the climate is heading. There is some really good research undertaken at Turretfield Research Centre now, where they’re looking at methane-reducing plant varieties (clovers and fresh-water plants that can be grown on dams in remote and regional areas). All signs point to the market focusing on accessing producers that may have lower carbon footprints, so research to help farmers with this external pressure, like these methane-reducing plants for livestock will only aid them if proven to reduce emissions and add to productivity. The key here is productivity! Also anything to do with soil health, as that’s the first link in the chain. Finding the most suitable companion plants for different soil types and environments, will help boost soil health and increase productivity.

What is your favourite piece of advice for the next generation of Australian plant scientists? Follow your nose and listen. That’s what I did. I started with PIRSA, in the Oat Breeding group while I was in uni. After a lecture from a scientist at the Genomic Research Facility, I then hunted her down and started interning, learning about gluten free plant varieties that were native and more drought tolerant. I then stumbled upon a group close to the research facility who worked with drones and also interned there. This landed me my first full-time job out of university, calculating carbon for planting projects. And listen. If you end up working in agriculture, always try to find a way to listen to farmers, the people on the ground. Often, decisions are made for them, without consulting or finding out what they know or need. And they’re full of knowledge and wisdom about the land. Listen, ask them questions, then listen again.

Connect with Bonnie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bonnie-armour-74432219a/

Sophie Peterson is the Pacific Engagement Manager for Plant Biosecurity and the Director of Pacific Engagement and International Plant Health in the Plant Protection and Environmental Biosecurity Division in the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. When she is not traveling in the Pacific or globally supporting plant biosecurity she is based in Canberra, ACT.

What does your job involve? In my role I lead and support a team engaging with counterpart agriculture agencies across the Pacific on issues related to plant biosecurity, collaborate with governments across the globe to develop and implement international standards to support the safe trade of plant products and work closely with near neighbours on plant health survey activities.

What motivates you? The people I work with – plant biosecurity is all about preparedness and prevention, food security and preserving economic and cultural prosperity which are all critical motivators in their own right but for me, the people I work with who share the enthusiasm to improve all of these aspects of this multifaceted concept is what motivates me to work with them to make improvements.

What do you see as the biggest opportunities for Australian plant science? Australia is in the fortunate position to have the opportunity to use cutting edge technology to improve diagnostic detection methods, but many in our region and globally do not have these options available. Development of broad ranging “lower tech” diagnostic tools that are suitable for field use (including sea and airports) and less established diagnostic laboratories have the potential to enhance the ability of a large number of countries to improve their ability to check and test surveillance and inspection

What is your favourite piece of advice for the next generation of Australian plant scientists? Take opportunities! Don’t be afraid to take a step onto a different path if the chance arises – it does not have to be a “forever change” but will only expand your horizons.

Connect with Sophie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sophie-peterson-756b0ba1/

Xiaoxiao Zhang is a Group Leader in the Research School of Chemistry at the Australian National University in Canberra. Her work uses synthetic biology to engineer novel disease resistance in cereal crops.

What is a typical day like in your job? My work day consists of varied tasks from designing and developing research projects, writing grants and manuscripts to teaching undergraduate courses and supervising students. I just recently started as a new PI and I really miss the time working in the lab and am keen to get back to that soonish.

What motivates you? What’s your favourite part of the job? My main motivation as a researcher is solving problems facing our world and people, such as food insecurity and infectious diseases. My favourite part of the job is interacting with enthusiastic and dedicated groups of people and working towards a common goal. They could be colleagues or students.

What do you see as the biggest opportunities for Australian plant science? Thanks to the hard work from everyone in the field, we have accumulated comprehensive knowledge of how plants work to produce energy and survive in challenging conditions. It is time to exploit this fundamental knowledge to engineer and future-proof our important crops.

What is your favourite piece of advice for the next generation of Australian plant scientists? Make sure you grab a coffee with your peers at least once a week and talk to each other!

Connect with Xiaoxiao: https://www.linkedin.com/in/xiaoxiao-zhang-a9a0b199/

Marta Peirats-Llobet is a Research Fellow at La Trobe University. Her research uses spatial technologies to understand seed development and germination.

What is a typical day like in your job? I start my day by checking my emails with a cup of “café con leche,” a coffee with milk that’s typical in Spain. My mornings are usually dedicated to experimental work, which could involve a variety of tasks such as growing seeds and checking plants growing, processing tissues for sectioning, checking some samples under the microscope or optimizing reagents for an experiment. After a social lunch with my colleagues in the communal kitchen at Agribio, I either return to writing if I have a manuscript in progress or head back to the lab to continue with experiments until it is time to go home for the day.

What motivates you? What’s your favorite part of the job? Curiosity is my biggest motivator. I’ve always been fascinated by understanding how things work, no matter how challenging they are. Problem-solving is another aspect of science that I find incredibly appealing. I enjoy discussing daily work-challenges with my colleagues because you never know what might spark the idea that makes an experiment successful.

What do you see as the biggest opportunities for Australian plant science? Australian plant science is a thriving sector with numerous funding opportunities, especially for applied sciences that enhance crop production, food nutrition, and plant security. Industries play a crucial role in powering Australian plant science by providing the extra financial support needed for our research projects.

What is your favorite piece of advice for the next generation of Australian plant scientists? “Be curious and don’t fear hard work.” A career in academic science can be particularly tough, but if you’re genuinely curious and willing to work hard, it can be incredibly rewarding. You’ll have the chance to meet people from various cultures, travel to conferences and research visits around the world, and if you work hard, make a meaningful impact.

Connect with Marta: https://x.com/peirats_marta

Global Plant Council Webinar

The Global Plant Council upcoming webinar session, titled “Winners and losers: Climate change effects on forests and crops“, will feature Professor Danielle Way, researcher at the Australian National University on April 11th at 9 am CEST.

Editors’ note

It has been a real joy to guest edit this special issue of Phytogen. Through it we have had the opportunity to interact with a range of women shaping the future of plant science in Australia. This has demonstrated to us the excitement, passion and diversity in our community. It has also identified many common themes across the importance of collaboration with like-minded people, the encouragement to take risks and try things out for size, and most importantly the value of connection. We hope you enjoyed reading this special issue as much as we enjoyed editing it. Let’s all commit to embracing diversity and working together to shape a bright future for Australian plant science.

Beth & Alison, Guest Editors

Beth and Alison’s editorial work brought together an exceptional collection of women scientists that highlighted the passion, diversity, and collaborative spirit driving Australian plant science forward. Thank you, Beth and Alison. We would also like to thank all the scientists who contributed to this special issue.

Phytogen will return at the end of April, stay tuned!

February 2025 Phytogen

24 February 2025

Welcome to the February 2025 Phytogen!

In this issue, we formally welcome Professor Brent Kaiser as our new ASPS President and express our gratitude to Professor Martha Ludwig for her outstanding leadership for the last 2 years. Applications for several ASPS awards are now open. We also introduce the final student representatives of the Society for the year. This month our student contributor is Francis Kuang, a final-year PhD student at the University of Melbourne.

We welcome contributions from students and researcher at any time for publication in Phytogen and on our social media sites. Its free and a great way to give your research profile a boost and share your findings! Send your contribution to our editors Raz (razlin.azman@csiro.au) or Lucas (L.Auroux@latrobe.edu.au).

The new ASPS website is currently underway, and we need your contribution! Send us your plant science-related research photos to be featured on the new website. For copyright reasons, please do not send any images that have been published or that you are planning to publish. Images for consideration for the new website can be sent to Phytogen editors or Janet Wheeler.

ASPS Leadership Transition

Thank you Prof Martha Ludwig!

As we begin 2025, we bid farewell to Professor Martha Ludwig as ASPS President. During her tenure, Martha has been instrumental in strengthening the connections between states and territories, enhancing the visibility of Australian plant science research, and fostering a more inclusive scientific community. Her leadership has been particularly crucial in navigating the post-pandemic landscape and establishing robust hybrid conference formats that have increased accessibility and participation across the country. Martha will continue to contribute to the Society’s executive committee, ensuring a smooth transition and continued strategic guidance. We have asked Martha to say something about her time as ASPS President

Dear ASPS Members,

It was a pleasure for me to be President of our Society for the last two years – wow, did that time fly! High points of my time as President certainly include ASPS 2023 in Hobart and our hybrid meeting last year. The work of the ASPS membership in organising and attending these meetings was amazing and reflects the collegiality of our members and the strength of our society. Interactions with members of the ASPS Executive; Discipline, Diversity and Inclusion, and Student Representatives; and the Website and Communications Team are also high on the list of enjoyable experiences. I thank all for their enthusiasm, insights, input, time, and dedication to ASPS and plant science. I am pleased that conversations with Functional Plant Biology and Annals of Botany initiated several new and exciting opportunities for ASPS early- and mid-career researchers to extend and expand their research networks. Similarly, continued ASPS involvement with Science Technology Australia and Global Plant Council offers ASPS members chances to highlight and promote Australian plant science. It is great to see ASPS members engaging with these entities through webinar programs and sponsored events such as Science Meets Parliament. Developing closer ties between ASPS and the New Zealand Society of Plant Biology have also been enjoyable and hopefully will become stronger and perhaps expand to other Pacific Rim countries. I also look forward to the upcoming launch of the new ASPS website. From speaking and corresponding with ASPS members at all career stages, I believe the Society has a very positive future. The importance of plant science has never been greater. From climate change to food, fibre and fuel security, to synthetic biology, understanding how plants work is crucial. And as we know, fun! I will continue my involvement with the Society and welcome ideas on how ASPS can continue to support our membership and communities – just email me! I wish our new President, Brent Kaiser, all the best and I hope he enjoys the role as much as I did.

Best wishes to all,

Martha

Welcome, Professor Brent Kaiser!

We are delighted to welcome Professor Brent Kaiser as our new ASPS President.

Professor of Legume Biology,

School of Life and Environmental Sciences,

Director: ARC ITRH – Legumes for Sustainable Agriculture,

The University of Sydney (NSW)

U of Sydney profile

Dr. Brent N. Kaiser is the Professor of Legume Biology and Molecular Genetics in the School of Life and Environmental Sciences at the University of Sydney, Australia. Brent is originally Canadian who migrated to Australia in 1994 to complete a PhD at the Australian National University (ANU) in Canberra under the supervision of Prof David Day. Prior to coming to Australia, he completed a BSc (Agriculture.) and MSc (Plant Physiology), at the University of Guelph in Guelph Ontario. He has worked as a postdoctoral fellow in France (Sophia Antipolis, Nice), Canada (UBC) and Australia (ANU). He arrived at the University of Sydney in 2015 and prior to that a teaching/research academic at the University of Adelaide (2003-14).

Professor Kaiser’s research focus is on nitrogen nutrition in plants. His research group examines the genetic and biochemical mechanisms by which plants access, assimilate and redistribute nitrogen across their developmental life cycle. The research involves the use of a range of model systems that include, symbiotic nitrogen-fixing legumes (Chickpea, Soybean, Medicago) and cereals (maize and wheat). Across both programs, the research aims to deliver genetic-based traits, which enhance nitrogen utilization, and which contributes to improved plant health, productivity and sustainable nitrogen use qualities of Australian cropping plants. He was the Director of the ARC Industrial Transformation Research Hub – Legumes for Sustainable Agriculture (2016-20) and recent director of the Sydney Institute of Agriculture (2022-24). Recent research activities have been focussed towards value-added outcomes for pulse crops (plant protein foods) and exploring fibre-based crop production systems for Australia and Namibia (Agave, Kenaf and industrial Hemp) for biofuels and enhanced plant-based fibres. Prof Kaiser is currently establishing an Australian farmer cooperative (Cobbedee) to establish a seed company that will commercialise new hybrid bread wheat technologies in Australia, a discovery initially developed by the University of Sydney’s, Plant Breeding Institute. Brent is the co-director (2024-) of the recently established International Joint Centre for Food Security and Sustainable Agriculture between the University of Sydney and Peking University (China).

Professor Kaiser has been a longstanding member of the Australian Society of Plant Scientists, which initiated during his PhD at the ANU (1995-99). He previously served as Treasurer of ASPS (2014-16). Brent is an avid plant scientist and plant admirer. An active home gardener in Camden NSW. Gardening became an interest, which kicked off early in his life, when maintaining private gardens back on Thetis Island, British Columbia, Canada – the starting point to this exciting life journey.

ASPS Award Applications now OPEN

We are pleased to announce that applications are now open for several prestigious ASPS awards: Jan Anderson Award, Peter Goldacre Award, Teaching and Outreach Award, and RN Robertson Travelling Fellowship. Winners of the Peter Goldacre, Jan Anderson and Teaching and Outreach Awards will present at the annual Conference later in the year

Application Deadline: 4th April 2025

For detailed information and application guidelines, see the following links

Peter Goldacre Award

Jan Anderson Award

ASPS Teaching and Outreach Award

RN Robertson Travelling Fellowship

ASPS Student Representatives

Katie Schleyer, Flinders University, Adelaide (SA)

katie.schleyer@flinders.edu.au

“I am a PhD student with a background in molecular biology and an ever-growing collection of succulents. My project focuses on the alternative oxidase plant gene family, which encodes enzymes involved in respiration, and their potential role(s) in growth, reproduction, and stress tolerance in legumes.”

Alistair Hockey, University of Western Australia (WA)

alistair.hockey@research.uwa.edu.au

“I am a PhD candidate at the University of Western Australia deeply interested in genetic factors that mediate gene flow and drive evolutionary change. My research focuses on post-zygotic barriers in Cicer echinospermum P.H. Davis using cytogenetics, bioinformatics, and reproductive phenotyping to identify, characterize and validate these barriers.”

Juel Datta, Centre for Agriculture and the Bioeconomy, QUT, Brisbane (Queensland)

juel.datta@hdr.qut.edu.au

“As a PhD researcher at Queensland University of Technology (QUT), my primary research focus is to interpret the mechanisms responsible for the prolonged phase transition period in citrus. To pursue this aim, I am utilizing advanced genomic approaches, which have enabled the identification of a few candidate genes potentiality may involve in flowering regulation. Additionally, I have improved a tissue culture protocol that will enhance the efficiency of citrus breeding programs.”

Student Contribution

Francis Kuang

PhD candidate,

School of Chemistry

and The Bio21 Molecular Science & Biotechnology Institute,

The University of Melbourne

francis.kuang@student.unimelb.edu.au | Linkedin | X

Francis is a final-year PhD student at the University of Melbourne, aspiring to become a plant enzymologist. Interestingly, his journey did not begin in plant science; instead, his background is in enzyme biochemistry. Enzyme, though small, possess remarkable catalytic power, driving essential biological processes. Inspired by these ‘small giants’, Francis became motived to explore how enzyme regulated biological functions.

To achieve this, his PhD research takes a multidisciplinary approach to investigating the regulation of ethylene biosynthesis through the ethylene-forming enzyme. His project is linkage of two expertise, as it co-supervised by Dr. Ivanhoe Leung (enzyme chemistry) and A. Prof. Mike Haydon (plant signalling).

“A multidisciplinary project is challenging but rewarding.” Multidisciplinary approaches often require a diverse skill set, but they ultimately provide a more comprehensive understanding of complex research questions.

Francis’s project initially focused on enzymes, where he discovered a unique regulatory mechanism in vitro. Through a multidisciplinary approach, he was able to further validate its biological regulation in a real plant system. Additionally, by integrating enzyme biochemistry with plant science, he can conduct high-throughput screening of inhibitors in vitro and then assess their biological effects in plants. Now, Francis is taking on a new challenge—starting from the plant side to explore how plants respond to environmental stresses and linking these responses to enzymatic biochemical processes.

With global warming accelerating, crops are increasingly vulnerable to climate change. Francis hopes his research can contribute to addressing this global challenge.

Editors’ note

Thank you for joining us for the February edition of Phytogen. March will be a special issue in celebration of Women in Plant Science, celebrating the achievements and contributions of women in plant science research across Australia. We look forward to sharing inspiring stories and highlighting groundbreaking work by women researchers in our field.

Feel free to send us your contributions for future issues and do not forget to submit your photos for the new ASPS website!

Newsletter written and edited by Lucas Auroux and Razlin Azman.

We thank Martha Ludwig and Brent Kaiser for their contribution and continued support of Phytogen. We also thank the student representatives for their contribution to this edition of Phytogen.

Invited contribution: student contribution by Francis Kuang.

January 2025 Phytogen

30 January 2025

Welcome to the first edition of Phytogen for 2025!

For this first edition of 2025 we are keeping things short and sweet – highlighting some of the new ASPS Student reps, and reports from the 2024 Conference.

2025 ASPS Student reps

Alexandra Cunninghamn (SA)

PhD student, Flinders University, Adelaide

alexandra.cunningham@flinders.edu.au

I am a first-year PhD student at Flinders University studying heat and drought tolerance in wheat, focusing on plant-soil-microbial interactions, stress biomarkers, and rhizosphere dynamics. In my spare time, I enjoy gardening and reading anything not from a peer-reviewed journal. I am looking forward to working with other student representatives and ASPS members throughout 2025!

Chamika Ratnayake (Queensland)

PhD student, Queensland University of Technology

chamilka.ratnayake@hdr.qut.edu.au

Chamilka Ratnayake is a PhD student at the Queensland University of Technology in the lab of Prof. Peter Waterhouse. Working with Nicotiana benthamiana – Australia’s native ‘lab rat’ plant – she’s pioneering research in metabolic pathway engineering. Beyond her research, Chamilka spearheads science communication, making complex plant biology accessible to everyone and inspiring the next generation of plant scientists.

Lucas Auroux (VIC)

PhD student, La Trobe university

l.auroux@latrobe.edu.au

Lucas Auroux is a PhD candidate at La Trobe University. He investigates plant (epi)genomics, focusing on genome regulation during seed germination at single-cell resolution. Using advanced transcriptomics and spatial biology, his work aims to provide genetic tools to breeders to optimise germination in crops, addressing challenges in agriculture, climate change, and food security.

Winners’ Reports from 2024 ASPS Conference

NSW & ACT

Best Student Presentation

Nicole Bison, University of British Columbia (visiting the Australian National University)

Academic profile | The University of British Columbia interview | X: @Nicole Bison

I am a PhD student in Sean Michaletz’ lab at The University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. I’m here visiting ANU in Adrienne Nicotra’s lab for a term and was so glad ASPS was holding their annual meeting during my visit. For me, this conference really had it all! The presenters were researchers whose work I’ve admired for years, and the atmosphere at the conference was fun and welcoming. I enjoyed sharing some new work and had some great discussion and feedback. Everything you could ask for! Thanks for having me ASPS!

Student Presentation Runner-up

Xuan Hu, Australian National University

Academic profile

I am Xuan Hu, a fourth-year PhD student at Australian National University in Prof. Owen Atkin’s group, and I am honored to have received the Runner-Up Award for Best Student Presentation at the 2024 ASPS conference. The event provided a fantastic platform to share my research and connect with researchers across various disciplines in plant science. Engaging with experts and peers was inspiring and offered valuable feedback on my work. It was a pleasure to meet and exchange ideas with others passionate about advancing plant science. I am grateful to ASPS for this opportunity and look forward to future conferences.

Best Student Poster

Edward Chaplin, University of Sydney

The University of Sydney interview

Attending the ASPS Conference in Sydney in November 2024 was a great experience, allowing me to network with fellow scientists and researchers from my discipline. The conference gave me an opportunity to hear about cutting-edge plant science being undertaken at other organisations as well as to present my own research which forms part of my PhD studies at the University of Sydney. My poster, for which I won the poster award, showcased the novel method I have developed to enable high-throughput phenotyping of stomatal physiology and anatomy traits under field conditions. I look forward to attending future ASPS events

VICTORIA

Best ECR Presentation

Lim Chee Liew, LaTrobe University

Lim Chee Liew Profile | La Trobe University

X: @LimCheeLiew

I recently had the privilege of attending 2024 ASPS conference, where I presented my research on seed germination. It was an incredible experience to engage with leading experts and peers, exchange ideas, and receive valuable feedback on my work. A highlight of the conference was being honoured with the Early Career Researcher (ECR) Presenter Award, recognizing my presentation and contribution to the field. This recognition motivates me to continue pursuing innovative research and collaboration. The event reinforced the importance of networking and staying abreast of cutting-edge developments, and I look forward to applying these insights to my future endeavours.

Best Student Presentation

Olivia Doolan, LaTrobe University

Olivia Doolan | La Trobe University Profile

ASPS24 was a hybrid conference with multiple hubs across Australia and New Zealand. I attended the Melbourne/Victoria hub, hosted by La Trobe University. The conference featured a diverse array of excellent talks, ranging from the potential use of tomatoes for pharmaceutical synthesis in space to the development of a single-cell resolution transcriptome atlas of germinating Arabidopsis. In the afternoon, ASPS awardees delivered insightful overviews of their careers and research areas. The day was filled with captivating talks, engaging posters, and valuable networking opportunities. I am honoured to have had the opportunity to present my work at such an excellent conference

Best Poster

Thomas Cobbinah, La Trobe University

The presenters were from various fields of plant sciences with different academic levels from Principal Investigators through Early Career Researchers (ECR) to PhD and Master students. While enjoying the lunch well-crafted posters full of scientific information were staring at us, so we had to go around to enjoy what they had for us. Afterwards, the online and node award sessions followed where Dr Lim Chee Liew and I from Prof. Lewsey’s group won the Best Early Career Researcher and the Best Poster awards. At 5:00 pm, the meeting ended, and the organizers arranged for us to go to Bang Pop in South Wharf for the conference dinner. Enjoying a series of scientific discoveries and networking with people from various fields of science made the 2024 ASPS conference one of the unforgettable moments and to crown it with an award made me overwhelmed with joy.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Best Presentation

Samantha Norman, University of Western Australia

I have always enjoyed the ASPS conferences, and the 2024 hybrid conference was no exception. I really enjoyed the in person talks at my local WA node. There was great range of research topics presented, and everyone was very engaged resulting in some great discussions. I was lucky enough to be chosen to give a talk at the conference myself (my first ever conference presentation) and it was a joy to share my research with a room full of plant people. I am already looking forward to the next ASPS conference!

Best Poster

Andrew Tuckey, University of Western Australia

X: @andy_tuckey

Attending my third ASPS meeting at UWA last November was a rewarding experience. The journey – a mere two flights of stairs – was a breeze compared to the intellectual heights we scaled during the conference. The program struck a great balance between insightful talks and engaging posters, and preparing a 3-minute flash talk was an enjoyable challenge. The conference dinner was a treat, with the melodic calls of frogs in the Sunken Garden adding a charming touch to the evening’s ambiance, alongside delicious food and great company. I’m looking forward to the next opportunity to reconnect with this community.

Editors’ note

We hope your year is off to a good start. Phytogen will be back in February. Remember to send us your research images for an opportunity to be featured on the new ASPS Website.

Newsletter written and edited by Lucas Auroux and Razlin Azman.

We thank the Student representatives and ASPS conference winners for their contribution to this edition of Phytogen

December 2024 Phytogen

16 December 2024

Welcome to the last edition of Phytogen for 2024!

For this final edition of the year, we take a look back at the local conference and the annual general meeting of the Society held at the end of last month. We welcome some new faces to the Society who will commence their roles in 2025. We also continue to spotlight our student members. This month we feature Yalin Liu, a first-year PhD student affiliated with the School of Biosciences at The University of Melbourne.

We welcome contributions from students and researcher at any time for publication in Phytogen. Its free and a great way to give your research profile a boost and share your findings! Send your contribution to our editors Raz (razlin.azman@csiro.au) or Lucas (L.Auroux@latrobe.edu.au).

2024 ASPS Local Conferences

The ASPS 2024 conference was a hybrid conference held concurrently across Australia and New Zealand at the end of last month. This event brought together plant scientists across Australia, with strong participation from NSW and ACT (117 attendees), QLD (64), SA (66), VIC (55), and WA (55). Colleagues from other states/territories joined online, making it a truly national gathering of ideas and research. It featured local meetings connected virtually for the ASPS and NZSPB award presentation session, where each award winner presented. This event brought together plant scientists to share research, collaborate, and strengthen connections within and across states and territories.

The ASPS would like to sincerely thank the local organising committees for making these events possible with the generous supports of our sponsors:

National sponsors: Bioplatforms Australia, the ARC Centre of Excellence for Plant Success in Nature and Agriculture, and ThermoFisher Scientific.
Award and lecture sponsors: Functional Plant Biology, The Annals of Botany Company, and Agrisera Antibodies.
Local sponsors: the Australian Plant Phenomics Network (VIC, WA, NSW); the Australian Genome Research Facility (WA); Qiagen (WA), John Morris Group (WA), Licor Inc, the Western Sydney University School of Science and Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment (NSW); ARC Centre of Excellence for Plant Success in Nature and Agriculture and the Queensland University of Technology (QLD); Flinders University, The University of Adelaide, ARC Centre of Excellence for Plants for Space, Waite Research Institute and the South Australian Genomics Centre (SA).

Here are some winners for best talks and posters. Congratulations to all winners and thank you to all presenters for sharing your research at the conference. Your participation continues to make our annual conferences a success and a platform for plant scientists in Australia to share their research and form professional networks.

NSW & ACT

Best Student Presentation

Nicole Bison

University of British Columbia (visiting the Australian National University)

Academic profile | The University of British Columbia interview | X: @Nicole Bison

Student Presentation Runner-up

Xuan Hu

Australian National University

Academic profile

Best Student Poster

Edward Chaplin

University of Sydney

The University of Sydney interview

Student Poster Runner Up

Haoran Li

Australian National University

VICTORIA

Best ECR Presentation

Lim Chee Liew

LaTrobe University

Lim Chee Liew Profile | La Trobe University

X: @LimCheeLiew

Best Student Presentation

Olivi Doolanm LaTrobe University

Olivia Doolan | La Trobe University Profile

Best Poster

Thomas Cobbinah, La Trobe University

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Best Presentation

Samantha Norman

University of Western Australia

Best Poster

Andrew Tuckey

University of Western Australia

X: @andy_tuckey

ASPS 2024 annual general meeting

The Society’s Annual General Meeting was held on 29 November 2024. On behalf of the Society we would like to thank Professor Martha Ludwig whose term as President will end on 1 January 2025. Martha’s work strengthened the links between each state and profoundly enhanced the exhibition of plant science in Australia, thank you Marta. The President-Elect, Professor Brent Kaiser, will become the new President of the Society on 1 January 2025. Welcome Brent! Martha will continue to stay on the Society exec.

(L): Martha Ludwig ; (R): Brent Kaiser

Voting at the Annual General Meeting resulted in the election of new volunteers to fill the vacant positions from 2025:

Honorary secretary

Associate Professor Mary Byrne

University of Sydney

Academic profile | Lab Webpage

Associate Professor Mary Byrne is a plant geneticist studying plant development. Her group has made contributions to our understanding of genetic pathways that distinguish stem cell from differentiated cell fate in the plant shoot meristem, and to our understanding of genes and genetic pathways that determine leaf shape. She is a passionate teacher of undergraduate and graduate students studying plant science and genetics.

Discipline representatives

Welcome new discipline reps, and many thanks to outgoing discipline reps for their contribution to ASPS and Phytogen during the year.

Student representatives

Welcome to our new student representatives, representing VIC, QLD, WA and SA. We thank Zane Marks (U of Adelaide) for his effort and contribution to ASPS and Phytogen in 2024.

Student Contribution

Yalin Liu

PhD student, School of Biosciences, The University of Melbourne

Yalin Liu | Google scholar

yalliu1@student.unimelb.edu.au

Yalin Liu is a first-year PhD student in Mike Haydon’s Lab at the University of Melbourne, bringing a wealth of experience in molecular biology, biochemistry, and plant science.

Her research journey began during her master’s studies in the Constabel’s Lab at the University of Victoria, Canada, where she employed CRISPR knock-out techniques to study the transcriptional regulation of tannins in poplar trees. “This project deepened my understanding of gene regulation mechanisms in plants and provided me with extensive hands-on experience in wet lab” Yalin reflects. Her work was summarized in a peer-reviewed publication: Yalin Liu, Dawei Ma, C. Peter Constabel. CRISPR/Cas9 disruption of MYB134 and MYB115 in transgenic poplar leads to differential reduction of proanthocyanidin synthesis in roots and leaves. Plant and Cell Physiology, 2023, DOI:10.1093/pcp/pcad086. Following her MSc, Yalin further expanded her skill set by learning epigenetic techniques as a research assistant in Hong Kong.

Currently, Yalin’s PhD research focuses on unravelling the molecular mechanisms that control the circadian clock in wheat. Her work seeks to understand how plants integrate environmental signals to regulate developmental processes like leaf senescence, a crucial factor in crop productivity. “My passion lies in exploring how transcriptional regulation controls the circadian system to optimize plant growth and stress responses,” she explains. Her research promises to provide new insights into the role of the circadian clock in wheat, offering practical applications in crop improvement and sustainability.

Acknowledgements: Yalin Liu’s work is funded by the University of Melbourne and GRDC.

Editors’ note

We hope you had a great time at this year’s ASPS 2024 conference. Phytogen will be back at the end of January 2025. Until then, enjoy the time off!

Invited contribution: student contribution by Yalin Liu

Newsletter written and edited by Lucas Auroux and Razlin Azman.

November 2024 Phytogen

19 November 2024

Welcome to the November 2024 edition of Phytogen!

Our annual ASPS conference, incorporating the NZSPB conference is just around the corner! Registrations are still open for the conference and dinner. You can join in the conversation on the day on X using #asps2024. The ASPS Annual General Meeting will be held online on 29th November 2024.

This issue we highlight the other ASPS winners who will be presenting at the conference – Peter Crisp (Peter Goldacre Award), Ashley Jones & Benjamin Schwessinger (Outreach and Education winners), and Sergey Shabala (JG Wood Lecture). We also have a contribution from Dr. Kristine Crous, our Environmental & Ecophysiology Representative, and student contribution from Arka Dutta, PhD student at La Trobe University.

Expression of Interest are still open to be part of ASPS as council members and discipline reps.

We welcome contributions from students and researcher at any time for publication in Phytogen. Its free and a great way to give your research profile a boost and share your findings! Send your contribution to our editors Razlin (razlin.azman@csiro.au) or Lucas (L.Auroux@latrobe.edu.au).

2024 ASPS Award Winner Spotlight: Peter Goldacre Award

Dr Peter Crisp

School of Agriculture and Food Sustainability, Faculty of Science, University of Queensland & Centre for Crop Science, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation

Academic profile: UQ Profile

Lab webpage: Crsip lab

Social media (X): @Pete_crisp

Google Scholar: Peter Crisp

Dr Peter Crisp is a Group Leader and Senior Lecturer in the School of Agriculture and Food Sustainability at The University of Queensland. Peter’s research program is focused on crop functional genomics, epigenetics and biotechnology, and has significantly advanced our understanding of the contribution of epigenetics to heritable phenotypic variation in plants. His group has invented groundbreaking technologies for harnessing (epi)genetic variation and their discoveries have led to exciting new avenues for decoding genomes and for the rational engineering of gene regulation for trait improvement in plants. Having benefited immensely from brilliant mentors, Peter is passionate about training. He leads a budding group of talented students and researchers and is a Chief Investigator in the ARC Training Centre in Predictive Breeding and the International Research Training Group for Accelerating Crop Genetic Gain. Peter is also an affiliate of the Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Plant Success in Nature and Agriculture.

Peter completed his PhD in functional genomics and intracellular signalling at the Australian National University under the supervision of Prof Barry Pogson; then from 2017 was a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Minnesota, USA under the mentorship of Prof Nathan Springer working on epigenomics in maize. Peter joined UQ in 2020 as a Group Leader and Lecturer Crop Biotechnology and genomics in the School of Agriculture and Food Science in the Plant Science cluster. At UQ Peter also held an ARC DECRA Fellowship followed by a UQ Amplify Fellowship.

2024 ASPS Award Winner Spotlight: Education and Outreach Award

Dr Ashley Jones

Research School of Biology, Australian National University

Academic profile: ANU Profile

Social media (X): @dnawhisperer

Ashley is a research scientist at the Australian National University, specialising in genomics and molecular biology. Key research areas are genome structure, transcriptomics, long non-coding RNAs, nucleic acid sequencing, SARS-CoV-2, bioinformatics and evolutionary biology.

A/Prof Benjaminn Schwessinger

Research School of Biology & ARC Training Centre for Future Crops Development

Australian National University

Academic profile: ANU Profile

Lab webpage: Schwessinger Lab page

Google Scholar: Benjamin Schwessinger

Benjamin has been working on plants and fungi in various aspects from signalling to genomics and from biochemistry to bioinformatics. He started off with Arabidopsis before moving to rice and Xanthomonas. His current work is focused on fungi called rusts with a focal point on the wheat stripe rust fungus Puccinia striiforims f. sp. tritici. Benjamin is fascinated by biology in general and by observing living systems in interaction.

Over the past seven years, Ashley and Benjamin have continuously innovated their teaching of the latest genomic analysis approaches in plant sciences, spearheading the establishment of Oxford Nanopore sequencing across Australia and in the class room. Their impact in plant science teaching and beyond has been significant, influencing multiple sectors including universities, industries, government, and communities. Key to these achievements, is that they pursue a highly integrative approach to teaching from wet lab protocol development to dry lab analysis pipeline sharing. In addition, we focus on development of wider scientific communities, as we share teaching materials and protocols online via Protocols.io.

2024 ASPS Award Winner Spotlight: JG Wood Lecture

Prof Sergey Shabala

School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia

Academic profile: UWA Profile

Google Scholar: Sergey Shabala ‬

Sergey is the Chair in Plant Physiology at the University of Western Australia. He is also a Distinguished Professor and a Director of the International Research Centre for Environmental Membrane Biology at Foshan University in China. His area of expertise is stress physiology and membrane transport in plants. His work is aimed at revealing and quantifying the role of specific ion transporters in plant adaptive responses to salinity, waterlogging, osmotic stress, chilling, acidity, elicitors and oxidative stress, as well as to understand the signalling cascades mediating plant-environment interactions. Professor Shabala revolutionised the once mysterious field of plant stress biology by introducing and applying ‘MIFE’, a trademarked non-invasive tool for studying the adaptive responses of plant cells and tissues to a large number of stresses.

Be part of ASPS!

Nominations are now accepted for the following positions in ASPS. You can nominate using this form ASPS-Council-Nomination-Form-5, and send to Janet Wheeler (Janet.Wheeler@latrobe.edu.au). The positions will remain open until filled.

ASPS secretary
Education and Outreach
Diversity and Inclusion
Student representative

Discipline leads:

Cell Biology Representative
Plant-Microbe Interactions Representative

Environmental & Ecophysiology Representative

Dr Kristine Crous

Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment

Western Sydney University

Academic profile: Western Sydney Uni profile

Lab webpage: Crous Lab

Google Scholar: Kristine Crous

The 2019-2020 bushfire season was one of the worst in history with about 24 million hectares burnt across the country. This bushfire season was preceded by a strong drought lasting for several years and resulting in crisp, dry leaves underfoot in the forest, even in rainforests. We now call this season the “Tinderbox drought” as the long drought prepared many landscapes for easy ignition, including in rainforests.

Rainforests usually don’t burn due to high moisture levels, but large parts of world heritage-listed Gondwanan rainforests did in 2019-2020. This event opened up a unique opportunity for researchers to investigate how resilient rainforests are to bushfire. After the initial resprouting and reseeding phase, there was cautious optimism that rainforest were moving on and recovering. However, these rainforests did not evolve with fire and have thin bark.

My team at Western Sydney University set up a contrast of control (no burn) and burned plots in Northern NSW three years after the fires to investigate the longer-term effects of bushfire on rainforest species. These plots are rich and diverse in species, including both the foundation species as well as some threatened species. Many of these rainforest species have ancient Gondwanan lineages, going back 40-50 million years to the time when Australia broke off from Antarctica. Rainforest species responses to fire include resprouting, re-seeding, and mortality, with overall slower recovery rates compared to other ecological communities (e.g. eucalypt-dominated forests).

Even five years after the fire, there is a vast contrast between burned and control plots. Charcoal on the stems reveal the scars of the burn (Fig. 1) and the open canopy of the burned plots makes you feel exposed to the sun, unusual in normally closed-canopy rainforests. Some trees have no leaves at all, exposed cracks in their bark or show signs of fungal attack on their stems (Fig. 2). These are signs of a slow death. Trees are still dying years after the burn with stem fall regularly occurring.

Fig 1 (L: Charcoal traces on fallen trunk in the aftermath of fires; R: Fire scars left behind. Photo credits: Amy Smart)

Fig 2: Fungal attack after fire (photo credit: David Ellsworth).

The capacity to recover ecosystem productivity and reinstate nutrient cycling is important to the overall long-term resilience of rainforests. Our team is monitoring aboveground productivity in burned and control plots. This involves stem growth via dendrometer bands (Fig. 3), leaf canopy increment via canopy photos and leaf litter fall (Fig. 4) as a turnover component. Nutrient dynamics are also contrasted in burned and control plots including nutrient resorption and soil nutrients to investigate how nutrients influence rainforest recovery after fire. Plant traits such as bark thickness, vulnerability to embolism and heat tolerance are also measured. While initial green resprouting may have been seen as ‘recovery’, bushfires may push rainforests to an alternative vegetation type and eliminate habitat for threatened and endangered species. It is clear that this ecosystem still has a long trajectory towards restoring what was here before with ongoing impacts even five years after fire.

This project is still ongoing and funded by the Hermon Slade Foundation. We are hoping to gain insights into recovery trajectory of rainforests after fire on two different soil types. A deeper understanding of post-fire responses and aboveground productivity is crucial to assess the long-term resilience and recovery of rainforest species and improve biodiversity conservation strategies after fire.

(L)Fig 3 Dendrometer band on tree, photo credit: Amy Smart; (R) Fig 4: Leaf litter trap in the woods, photo credit: Amy Smart

Student Contribution

Arka Dutta

PhD candidate, La Trobe Institute for Sustainable Agriculture and Food (LISAF – AgriBio research centre)

Department of Animal, Plant and Soil Sciences, School of Agriculture, Biomedicine and Environment, La Trobe University

Academic profile: Arka Dutta profile | La Trobe University

Motivated by an intrinsic curiosity, Arka Dutta’s research path has led him internationally to La Trobe University, where he is currently a 2nd year PhD student. “As a child, I was enormously influenced by Madam Curie and Rosalind Franklin’s biographies, and wanted to pursue a career in fundamental science. Growing up, I spent a considerable time with my father, a mathematics professor who inadvertently drew me into the field ofscience. Tackling one problem through multiple approaches and arriving at a conclusion with robust scientific reasoning was what I liked the most about doing science.

Throughout my entire academic career, I had the opportunity to carry out internships in different laboratories and I realized that performing experiments, troubleshooting them, and asking logical questions in a meaningful way is a passion more than anything”.

“My key scientific interest lies in understanding the intricate networks in plants that regulate nutrient uptake, utilization, and reallocation, with the goal of engineering crops to enhance their nutritional immunity and resilience against diverse stress conditions”

Arka’s PhD research question focuses on understanding the adaptive strategies plant use to modulate the cellular phosphate sensors (SPXs) proteins, to regulate the homeostasis of phosphate and nitrate signalling in plants.

During his PhD, Arka had the opportunity to be a co-author in some of the most renowned peer-reviewed plant Journals. Here is a budding list of publication from Arka, that highlights his research contributions:

Balancing act: The dynamic relationship between nutrient availability and plant defence

The Plant Journal (2024)

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/tpj.17098

The fnr-like mutants confer isoxaben tolerance by initiating mitochondrial retrograde signalling

Plant Biotechnology Journal12 pages Wiley-Blackwell

DOI: 10.1111/pbi.14421

Phosphate starvation regulates cellulose synthesis to modify root growth

Plant Physiology194(2):1204-1217 (14 pages) Oxford University Press

DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiad543

Editors’ note

Phytogen will be back for our next issue for the 2024 ASPS conference wrap up

We look forward to see you all in person and online for the conference.

October 2024 Phytogen

20 October 2024

Welcome to the October 2024 edition of Phytogen!

Early registration and abstract submissions for the ASPS conference closes on 30th October. Register and submit an abstract for your local ASPS hybrid conference HERE

This issue we highlight A/Prof Jenny Mortimer, recipient of the 2024 Jan Anderson Award. We also have a contribution from Dr. Nipuni Peththa Thanthrige, our Genetics & Molecular Biology Representative, student contribution from Ben Wee, a final year PhD student in ARC Medicinal Agriculture Hub at La Trobe University, and we round up with the final cohort of student awardees of the travel grant of the International Plant and Molecular Biology (IPMB) conference held in Cairns in June.

Expression of Interest are still open to be part of ASPS as council members and discipline reps.

We welcome contributions from students and researcher at any time for publication in Phytogen. Its free and a great way to give your research profile a boost and share your findings! Send your contribution to our editors Razlin (razlin.azman@csiro.au) or Lucas (L.Auroux@latrobe.edu.au).

2024 ASPS Award Winner Spotlight: Jan Anderson Award

A/Prof Jenny Mortimer

University of Adelaide

Academic profile : UoA profile

Lab webpage: mortimerlab.org/.

Social media (Twitter) Jenny_Mortimer1

Google Scholar ‪Jenny Mortimer‬ – ‪Google Scholar‬

The editorial team congratulates Jenny Mortimer on her Jan Anderson Award. Jenny is an Associate Professor of Plant Synthetic Biology in the School of Agriculture, Food and Wine at the University of Adelaide (UoA), Australia, where she is also Deputy Director (Interim) of the Waite Research Institute. She is Chief Investigator (CI) and UoA node leader of the ARC Centre of Excellence Plants for Space (P4S). She is also an Affiliate Staff Scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, USA, and a Director of Plant Systems Biology at the Joint BioEnergy Institute, USA. After completing her PhD at Cambridge University, UK, she began exploring how engineering the plant cell wall could deliver sustainable and economically viable biofuels: first as a postdoc in Cambridge, then as a research fellow at RIKEN Japan, before joining Berkeley Lab in 2014, and Adelaide in 2021. Her team’s research focuses on understanding and manipulating plant cell metabolism, with a focus on complex glycosylation. The goal is to develop knowledge and crops which contribute to a sustainable and renewable bioeconomy.

At Adelaide, her group is using synthetic biology to develop new crops for food and materials production in controlled growth environments – including for Space settlement (P4S), applying new agricultural biotechnologies to develop resilient field crops as a CI in the ARC Training Centre for Future Crops Development, and developing Australian feedstocks for sustainable jet fuel as a CI in the ARC Research Hub for Engineering Plants to Replace Fossil Carbon. She collaborates extensively internationally, and projects include a UK Space Agency funded project to develop a plant growth facility for Axiom Station, and a NASA funded project to develop a payload for Artemis III, the mission that will return humans to the surface of the moon. She was selected as a World Economic Forum Young Scientist (2016/17), where she contributed to the WEF Code of Ethics for Researchers (widgets.weforum.org/coe), and she is an editor for the society journals Plant Cell Physiology and Plant Journal.

Editors’ note: Jan Anderson award is in honour of Joan (Jan) Mary Anderson FAA FRS FDhc (Umeå), an internationally acclaimed plant biologist renowned for her discoveries on the organization of the intricate membrane structures that carry out solar energy conversion in cells of green plants. Jan’s experiments and insights changed the way we think about the light reactions of photosynthesis. Her research career spanned some 55 years, mostly at the Division of Plant Industry CSIRO Canberra (1961-97) and then in the Research School of Biological Sciences at the Australian National University. Jan was a passionate and creative female scientist who was well ahead of her time. She was an inspiration to young researchers, for whom her enthusiasm and curiosity were infectious. Professor Jan Anderson died on 28 August 2015 after a short illness. In recognition of her life and achievements in photosynthesis research as a pioneering female scientist, this award will acknowledge talented female plant science researchers.

Be part of ASPS!

ASPS secretary
Education and Outreach
Diversity and Inclusion
Student representative

Discipline leads:

Cell Biology Representative
Plant-Microbe Interactions Representative

Genetics and Molecular Biology Representative

Dr Nipuni Peththa Thanthrige

Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane (Queensland)

Academic profile: UQ profile| The ARC Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science (CIPPS)

LinkedIn profile

Nipuni is a postdoctoral research fellow at the Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, and is also affiliated with the ARC Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science. Her research interests include plant molecular farming, abiotic stress tolerance, programmed cell death, and plant-microbe symbiosis. Currently, she works in Professor David Craik’s lab, where she uses Nicotiana benthamiana and cowpea as platforms for producing antimalarial peptides in plants, aiming to develop plant-based treatments for malaria. The Craik group achieved a significant breakthrough fifteen years ago with the discovery of cyclotides—ultra-stable peptides with a unique structure resistant to digestive breakdown. This discovery has opened the door to the development of a new generation of targeted, potent drugs and agrichemicals. Nipuni’s work applies this innovation to the production of antimalarial peptides in plants, pushing the boundaries of plant-based therapeutic production.

Before joining Craik’s group, Nipuni worked at the Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (QAAFI) on a GRDC-funded sorghum project aimed at improving grain quality. Her experience in both fundamental and applied research has shaped her multifaceted approach to plant science.

Nipuni joined UQ in 2022 after completing her PhD at Queensland University of Technology (QUT). Her doctoral research focused on understanding the molecular mechanisms of co-chaperone Arabidopsis thaliana Bcl-2-associated athanogene 4 (BAG4)-mediated stress tolerance. Her findings have been published in high-impact journals such as Trends in Plant Science, Frontiers in Plant Science, and Scientific Reports, with another paper currently under review in PNAS. In 2022, she won the People’s Choice Award at the Falling Walls Brisbane Pitching Competition and was a finalist in the national competition.

Editor’s note: you can access Dr Nipuni Peththa Thanthrige Falling Walls Brisbane pitching competition where she received the people’s choice award HERE.

Additionally, Nipuni received the New Phytologist Next Generation Scientists travel grant in 2023, allowing her to present her research at the New Phytologist Next Generation Scientists Symposium in Singapore.

Image (L to R): Nipuni receiving the People’s choice award at Falling Walls (Brisbane 2022); Nipuni presenting her research at the New Phytologist Next Generation Scientists Symposium (Singapore (2023)

Beyond her research, Nipuni is passionate about teaching and mentoring the next generation of scientists. She is currently co-supervising two PhD students and has delivered some plant biology lectures in plant biology courses at QUT. During her PhD, she served as the lead tutor for three biology course units. Her dedication to education is reflected in outstanding student feedback, and her enthusiasm for mentoring is evident through her continued efforts to share knowledge and expertise. Her academic journey was recently featured in Careers with STEM magazine. Nipuni was a member of the ASPS organizing committee in 2023 and is now chairing the upcoming ASPS QLD Node Conference in November 2024. As the Genetics and Molecular Biology Representative for ASPS, she is excited to promote plant molecular biology and biotechnology research both in Australia and globally, believing that ASPS provides an excellent platform for advancing this mission.

Image: Careers with STEM magazine

Student Contribution

Benjamin Wee Yang

PhD candidate, ARC Industrial Transformation Research Hub for Medicinal Agriculture, La Trobe Institute for Sustainable Agriculture & Food (LISAF – AgriBio research center), Department of Animal, Plant and Soil Sciences, School of Agriculture, Biomedicine and Environment, La Trobe University

Benjamin Wee Yang Profile | La Trobe University | Linkedin

With extensive experience in the horticultural industry, Benjamin is now in the final year of his PhD at La Trobe University. “My professional background in horticulture has shaped my focus on delivering practical research outcomes for the growers, particularly for high-value crops like medicinal plants. There’s a significant opportunity to influence cultivation practices towards more sustainable targets, given the relative infancy of the industry” he explains.

“Following my time in industry, I found the ideal opportunity with the ARC Medicinal Agriculture Hub, based at AgriBio, La Trobe University—a leading centre for agricultural biosciences. And after these three years, I can honestly say it’s been one of the best decisions I’ve made. The Hub brings together a wealth of expertise, and the leadership has been incredibly supportive in helping us achieve our research goals. Being part of the Phenotyping and Cultivation team has also added an invaluable interdisciplinary dimension to my work, under the excellent guidance of Dr Oliver Berkowitz and Dr Ricarda Jost, respectively.”

Benjamin’s PhD research focuses on nutrient use in hemp and drug type Cannabis sativa. “By integrating physiological, metabolomic and transcriptomic data from a carefully controlled study system, my objective is to identify key markers for efficient nutrient use in this multi-purpose crop,” he says. His research aims to provide actionable insights that will promote more sustainable agricultural practices and enhance crop performance in commercial production systems. Read his latest peer reviewed article on the subject HERE

Acknowledgements: The work was funded by the ARC ITRH for Medicinal Agriculture (IH180100006) and involved the industry partners Photon Systems Instruments and Cann Group.

Student travel grant awardees report – IBMP Cairns 2024

Happy Singh – UWS (NSW)

LinkedIn: Happy Singh

I, Happy, PhD candidate at Hawkesbury Institute of the Environment of Western Sydney University (Australia) thrilled to share my wonderful experience at the International Plant Molecular Biology Conference (2024) held in Cairns this year. First and foremost, I would like to extend my gratitude to the IPMB committee for giving me the opportunity to present a portion of my research and for selecting me for the Travel Grant Award. It was an incredible experience to learn about the groundbreaking work being conducted by renowned researchers and scientists in their respective fields. I presented a poster on my PhD work titled “Cellular Vibration by Sound Waves Disrupts Poricidal Cone Trichomes to Boost Tomato Pollination, Seed Set, and Fruit Size.” I had the opportunity to interact with numerous researchers and scientists, engaging in discussions to understand the significance of sound waves in agriculture. Additionally, I received valuable suggestions to improve the quality of my research. Overall, presenting my poster at IPMB was a great experience, and I learned a lot about how the scientific community operates. The plenary sessions were particularly outstanding, both at the beginning and the end of the conference, showcasing the meticulous effort put in by the organizing committee. It was also a fantastic opportunity to connect with students and researchers from all over the world, sharing diverse scientific perspectives and areas of interest. Overall, it was an incredible experience to be part of such a remarkable conference.

Zuba Ahmed – QUT (QLD)

LinkedIn: Zuba Ahmed

Attending the IPMB 2024 conference in Cairns was a wonderful experience. I was able to build my network and learn about the exciting advances in plant science from around the world. It was my first time presenting my research at an international conference, and I am thankful for ASPS for providing travel funding to attend. The conference program was diverse with many opportunities to connect with other PhD students and researchers. I especially enjoyed the plenary speaker sessions held throughout the conference and the invited speakers were a great source of motivation for my own work and career development.

Editor’s note: Zuba worked with an indigenous artist to create a Nicotiana benthamiana t-shirt based on her research

Khaksefidi Reyhaneh – Uoa (SA)

Bio: Researcher Profile – The University of Adelaide | LinkedIn: Khaksefidi Reyhaneh

Receiving the IPMB travel award from the Australian Society of Plant Scientists was a significant honour, and I thoroughly enjoyed the conference both scientifically and socially. This award enabled me to attend the 13th International Congress on Plant Molecular Biology held in Cairns. Attending this conference in Australia was a highlight of my PhD journey as I had the opportunity to network with researchers from around the world. The sessions were incredibly informative, offering insights into the latest research and developments in plant science. I had the chance to present my poster titled ‘Exploring MicroRNA-Mediated Regulation in Barley Inflorescence Development,’ which received valuable feedback from peers and experts in the field. Attending sessions expanded my knowledge and inspired new ideas for my future research. Overall, the conference was a remarkable experience, and I am grateful to ASPS for making it possible.

Editors’ note

Phytogen will be back for our next issue in mid-November, JUST before the 2024 conference happens. Don’t forget to register!

Stay spooky, green thumbs

September Phytogen

30 September 2024

Welcome to the September 2024 edition of Phytogen!

Welcome Spring! As we are approaching the warmer months, our ASPS conference is getting closer (To register and submit an abstract for your local ASPS hybrid conference HERE).

This issue we congratulate the 2024 ASPS winners and publication by our members. We have a contribution from Pr. Lucas Cernusak, our Education Representative, and a research contribution from Dr. Francine Perrine-Walker. Also included in this issue is 2023 R.N Robertson Travelling Fellowship report. We also continue to highlight our student awardees of the travel grant of the International Plant and Molecular Biology (IPMB) conference held in Cairns in June.

There are several opportunities to be part of ASPS.

We welcome contributions from students and researcher at any time for publication in Phytogen. Its free and a great way to give your research profile a boost and share your findings! Send your contribution to our editors Razlin (razlin.azman@csiro.au) or Lucas (L.Auroux@latrobe.edu.au).

Celebrating achievements

Congratulations to the winners of the 2024 ASPS award who will be presenting at the ASPS hybrid conference happening in late November.

Peter Goldacre Award: Dr Peter Crisp (UQ profile | X: pete_crisp)

Jan Anderson Award: Assoc Prof Jenny Mortimer (UoA profile | X: Jenny_Mortimer1 )

ASPS Education and Outreach Award: Dr Ashley Jones (ANU profile |X: dnawhisperer ) & Assoc Prof Benjamin Schwessinger (ANU profile | X: @schwessinger | Research Group)

JG Wood Lecturer: Prof Sergey Shabala (UWA profile)

In addition, congratulations to ASPS member Dr Lim Chee Liew and colleagues (LaTrobe Uni) for their publication in Nature Plants and the front cover feature.

Image by Lucas Auroux and Lim Chee Lim

Be part of ASPS!

Nominations are now accepted for the following positions in ASPS. Please reach out to Janet Wheeler (Janet.Wheeler@latrobe.edu.au) if you are interested in getting involved in these roles.

ASPS secretary
Education and Outreach
Diversity and Inclusion
Student representative

Discipline leads:

Cell Biology Representative
Plant-Microbe Interactions Representative

Education Representative Update

Pr. Lucas Cernusak, College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Cairns Campus (Queensland)

Bio: Pr. Lucas Cernusak | James Cook University

Lucas Cernusak is a Professor of Plant Science at James Cook University, Cairns. His main research interest is to understand the environmental and biological controls on carbon dioxide and water vapour exchange between leaves and the atmosphere. He is also interested in improving the interpretation of stable isotope signals in plant organic material, to better understand how leaf gas exchange has responded to global climate change through time and how it varies across ecological gradients. He and his lab group at James Cook University are especially interested in understanding these processes in tropical trees and responses of tropical rainforests to climate change and rising atmospheric CO2.

Lucas joined James Cook university in 2013 as an ARC Future Fellow, after having completed his PhD in the Research School of Biology at the Australian National University, after which he did postdoctoral research at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in the Republic of Panama and Charles Darwin University in Darwin, Northern Territory. He has been a member of the ASPS since beginning his PhD in 2000. Over his career, Lucas has published more than 150 peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters.

In addition to his research, Lucas is also passionate about plant science education, outreach, and engagement. Lucas has made substantial contributions to the academic community through mentorship and teaching. He has supervised numerous PhD students to completion, helping his students win research grants and publish their research under his guidance. His dedication to teaching is reflected in exemplary student feedback scores, and he continually strives to make a lasting impact in the classroom.

Looking ahead, Lucas is excited to have been elected to the role of Plant Science Education Representative in the ASPS, and to have the opportunity to promote plant science education in Australia and internationally. He strongly believes that the ASPS provides an ideal vehicle for doing this.

R.N Travel Fellowship Report

Exploring Genome Structure in Cicer echinospermum through Oligo-FISH Chromosome Barcoding

Report by: Alistair Hockey

PhD candidate

The UWA School of Agriculture and Environment, University of Western Australia

In a world of increasing digitalisation, it’s easy to lose touch with the physical components that make up our world. An ongoing reliance on bioinformatic analysis in the fields of genetics and genomics has led to the inference of genetic factors and effects with little to no independent physical evidence. Such is the case with the study of genome structure diversity, a field founded in cytogenetics, now dominated by genome sequence analysis and inference. Genome structure is a key determinant of gene flow dynamics within and between species, with differences in structure often resulting in barriers to gene flow. With the support of the R.N. Robertson Travelling Fellowship, I set out to identify, validate and characterise genome structure diversity in chickpea (Cicer arietinum ssp. arietinum L.) and Cicer echinospermum P.H. Davis through, oligo-FISH chromosome barcoding, a modern cytogenetic approach.

Image: Dolní náměstí, Olomouc city centre

My PhD project is focused on uncovering post-zygotic barriers to gene flow in Cicer echinospermum to better understand the species coherence and relationship to closely related sympatric species. Cicer echinospermum is the only known annual Cicer species (2n = 2x = 16) capable of hybridizing with chickpea to produce semi-fertile hybrids. Moreover, the genetic diversity within C. echinospermum far exceeds that of domesticated chickpea (108 times greater!) (von Wettberg et al., 2018). Introducing novel genetic material to increase genome-wide diversity in chickpea could be beneficial for both short-term and long-term crop improvement. However, barriers to gene flow between the two species exist, large genome structure variation chief among them. Karyotypic variation between the two species was first discovered by Ladizinsky and Adler (1976), who observed meiotic chromosome pairing aberrations in F₁ hybrids and concluded the two species differed by a reciprocal translocation. Since then, most identification and characterization of large genome structural variations (> 1 Mbp) between the two species have been through bioinformatic analyses (e.g., pangenomes).

In my PhD project, I am using both bioinformatic and cytogenetic approaches to identify, validate, and characterize genome structure variation within C. echinospermum. Olomouc, a Czech university city in the heart of Moravia, is known for its baroque-style architecture and is home to the Institute of Experimental Botany (UEB). The Hribova Lab at UEB developed an oligo-FISH barcoding system for chickpea. This modern cytogenetic approach allows for the physical characterization of karyotypic diversity in chickpea. Thanks to a collaboration between my primary supervisor Dr. Judith Lichtenzveig and Prof. Jaroslav Dolezel, I had the opportunity to spend June 2024 working with the Hribova Lab in Olomouc to test the chickpea barcoding system on C. echinospermum. Additionally, I attended the EMBO Plant Genome Stability and Change 2024 workshop in Olomouc and presented a seminar on my current PhD findings.

We planned two experiments to produce mitotic chromosome spreads from meristematic root tips and label chromosomes through oligo-FISH barcoding. One experiment involved cell cycle synchronization to prepare mitotic chromosomes at metaphase I, while the other used a simpler protocol to halt cell cycle continuation in meristematic root tips. Both experiments then followed the same protocols to prepare protoplast suspensions and perform fluorescent in situ hybridization. We started with one chickpea variety and one C. echinospermum accession to confirm the reciprocal translocation identified almost 50 years ago. Initially, everything went smoothly, and we clearly identified the reciprocal translocation between the two species based on the oligo-FISH barcodes on chromosomes. We also confirmed that the cell cycle synchronization protocol was more effective for detecting mitotic chromosomes at metaphase I and the protocol worked better for chickpea, the species it was designed.

Image: Probe hybridisation on mitotic spread slides

Subsequent iterations of these experiments faced challenges due to equipment malfunctions and seed germination issues. Additionally, some protocols optimized for chickpea were not optimal for C. echinospermum, which limited probe visualization for several C. echinospermum accessions. In response, we prepared for future experiments at the University of Western Australia, where I can use the expertise I gained to optimise the protoplast suspension protocol and perform oligo-FISH barcoding to investigate genome structure diversity within C.echinospermum.

Image: Plant Genome Stability and Change, 2024

My time at the EMBO workshop was invaluable. Presenting my research sparked discussions with peers and leaders in my field. The exposure to innovative and intriguing research helped me develop ideas for future projects and opened my eyes to the opportunities available. It was fantastic to just spend four days discussing all of the new research in great company. All in all, a month spent in the European summer is never wasted. After long days in the lab, I often walked the perimeter of the old city, following the parklands that once formed a moat around the medieval fortifications ‒ a daily blend of the modern and the ancient. I can’t imagine a better place to have further developed my abilities in plant cytogenetics. The welcoming nature of everyone at UEB immediately made me feel at home, especially after a sunny afternoon roasting špekáček sausages over an open fire on the institute grounds, paired with Czech pilsner.

I am particularly grateful to Jana Cizkova and Eva Hribova, whose attentiveness, interest, and openness provided me with an unparalleled learning opportunity. Their introductions to research leaders from other labs at UEB sparked discussions that gave me novel insights and ideas for future research. I’d also like to thank my supervisor Judith Lichtenzveig, whose inspiration for the research trip, involvement in approach development, and ongoing supervision of this research project cannot be understated. Lastly, I thank the ASPS for awarding me the R.N. Robertson Travelling Fellowship, which allowed this research trip to take place, and the University of Western Australia’s Graduate Research School for additional funding.

Research Spotlight

Bacterial Biosensors: The cumate-inducible sfGFP expression system to study Rhizobium leguminosarum bv viciae – vetch interaction

Written by: Francine Perrine-Walker (PhD), The University of Sydney (LinkedIn | Google Scholar | X: PerrineWalker)

There have been some advances in the use biosensors in rhizobia to monitor oxygen and proline in Pisum sativum nodules [1,2], root exudates in the pea and vetch rhizosphere [3] and glutamine in the alfalfa, lentil, pea and soybean roots and nodules [4]. So, imagine if you could have a microscopic tool in your lab such as a Rhizobium bacterial cell sensing any compound released by a legume or a non-legume plant and monitor how such cells reacted in the rhizosphere or within roots.

In molecular biology, inducible gene expression systems (or vectors) have been useful tools for biotechnological applications. In such systems, an inducer, when present allosterically, binds to and renders inactive a transcriptional regulator/repressor which is bound to the operator sites in the promoter region of target genes [5]. Inducers can be anything such as glycerol [6], anthranilate [7], or even green light [8]. Kaczmarczyk and colleagues [5] demonstrated the advantages of inducible gene expression systems from Pseudomonas putida [9, 10] that could be induced in the presence of p-cumate and synthetic vanillate in sphingomonads and Alphaproteobacteria. Interestingly, Assoc. Prof. N. Coleman and M. Sommerville (University of Sydney) had a Rhizobium strain, R. leguminosarum bv. viciae 3841, in their collection expressing the cumate-inducible expression system i.e., the plasmid pUS248-sfGFP (superfolder green fluorescence protein).

To test this if the cumate-inducible expression system in R. leguminosarum bv. viciae 3841 could be used to monitor infection and nodulation of legumes in the presence of p-cumate, Namoi woolly pod vetch was used in two different growth conditions: a) the mounted glass-slide growth system previously described in Fahräeus [11] and modified in Perrine-Walker et al. [12] and, b) the standard nodulation assays [11, 13]. As inoculants, the wild-type R. leguminosarum bv. viciae 3841 (WT) and the transformant, R. leguminosarum bv. viciae 3841 expressing the pUS248-sfGFP were grown on YMA [14] and YMA agar plates supplemented with kanamycin at 25 µg/mL (Km 25) to maintain the pUS248-sfGFP in transformants and p-cumate at 50 mM to activate GFP expression at 30^oC respectively. Plant materials (intact roots and/or sectioned, squashed nodules) were examined using fluorescence microscopy.

Preliminary results were encouraging. For the mounted glass-slide growth system, in the presence of p-cumate, GFP-expressing R. leguminosarum bv. viciae 3841 pUS248-sfGFP transformants adhered/attached to the surface of a root hair post 90 min inoculation (Fig. 1 c). At 24, 48 and 72 h, the fluorescent bacteria were found trapped in curled root hairs and within infected cortical cell regions below infected root hairs (Fig. 1 d-j) compared to control uninoculated vetch seedlings (Fig. 1 b). A GFP signal was observed in sectioned roots i.e., within infection threads traversing cortical cell region (Fig. 1 h-j).

For nodulation assays, no nodules were observed on the roots of uninoculated plants, whereas nodules were observed in WT strain inoculated plants post 21 and 30 d (Table 1). Furthermore, no or diffuse GFP signal was detected within infected cells of sectioned nodules of inoculated p-cumate treated R. leguminosarum bv. viciae 3841 pUS248-sfGFP-inoculated plants (Fig. 1 k-m). In NFN-medium, with and without p-cumate, no nodules were observed on control plants. Plants inoculated with WT strain formed nodules (Table 1) however in the presence of p-cumate, no GFP signal was observed in squashed nodules or in root sections under the microscope after 21 and 30 d post inoculation. In plants inoculated with R. leguminosarum bv. viciae 3841 pUS248-sfGFP in the absence of p-cumate, nodulation occurred (Tables 1) but no GFP signal was observed in nodules and on the surface of root sections after 21 and 30 d post inoculation. In the presence of p-cumate, GFP signals were observed on the surface of root sections, in infection threads found within curled root hairs that extended towards putative nodule primordia (Fig 1. n) post 21d inoculation and zone II section of vetch nodules on seedlings inoculated with R. leguminosarum bv. viciae 3841 pUS248-sfGFP post 30 d inoculation (Fig 1. p-o).

In conclusion, the cumate-inducible gene expression system did not affect root hair attachment and curling, infection thread infection and nodulation of the Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. viciae strain 3841 with the plasmid pUS248-sfGFP (superfolder green fluorescence protein) in the presence of p-cumate (summarized in Figure 2). The inducible expression vector with the superfolder GFP could be useful, but more work would be needed to determine if the construct could be modified to be inducible by another compound other than p-cumate.

Fig. 1 Visualization of Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. viciae 3841 pUS248-sfGFP in vetch roots using the mounted glass slide method and nodulation assays; (a) Growth of individual vetch plants uninoculated (control) and inoculated with R. leguminosarum bv. viciae 3841 pUS248-sfGFP using the mounted glass slide method in the presence of Kanamycin at 25 µg/mL and p-cumate at 50 mM (+); (b) uninoculated vetch root (control); (c) GFP- labelled bacteria on the surface of an individual root hair post 90 min inoculation (white arrowhead); (d) root hair deformation (black arrowheads) and sfGFP-expressing rhizobia on the plant root surface; (e) sfGFP-labelled bacteria within two putative developing infection threads in a curled root hair (white arrow); (f) two infection sites within the cortical cell region of a sectioned vetch root (white arrowheads); (g) close-up of one the infection sites shown in (f); (h-j) close up of the infection site in (f) showing sfGFP-labelled rhizobia within the infection thread traversing three cortical cells; (k-m) hand-sectioned nitrogen-fixing nodule on a vetch root inoculated R. leguminosarum bv. viciae 3841 pUS248-sfGFP; (k) under bright field; (l) same nodule in (k) under the U-MGFPHQ filter specific for GFP; (m) same nodule in (k) under U-MWIB2 filter showing diffuse GFP fluorescence signals; (m)infection threads containing GFP-labelled rhizobia growing towards a putative nodule primordium (white asterisk); (n) infection thread junction with two sfGFP-labelled bacteria within a zone II nodule region; (o) squashed zone II region of a vetch nodule displaying infection threads with and without GFP signals and; (p) close up of an infection thread section in (o; white dashed rectangle) containing sfGFP-labelled rhizobia. Note – Images in (h-j) are the same region at three different focal planes to highlight the infection thread (IT). Fluorescence images (b), (c), (d), (e) and (f) were captured using U-MWIB2 filter with bright field light (h-j) and (m) with the same filter with no bright field light. Images in (g) and (l) were captured under the U-MGFPHQ filter specific for GFP only. (b) to (m) were captured using the Olympus BX51 microscope and seedlings were grown on Jensens plant media supplemented with p-cumate. (n) to (p) were captured using the Nikon Ti2 microscope and seedlings were grown on NFM supplemented with p-cumate. crh, curled root hair; IT, infection thread.

Table 1. Nodulation of Namoi woolly pod vetch by R. leguminosarum bv. viciae strain 3841 and R. leguminosarum bv. viciae 3841 pUS248-sfGFP post 21 d on Jensen’s and NFM plant growth medium without kanamycin. Each experiment had a total of 6 and 12 plants for each treatment respectively. The number of plants that nodulated were recorded post 21 or 30 d.

Fig. 2 Schematic diagram summarizing the expression of sfGFP in rhizobia in vetch in the presence of p-cumate in plant growth media. In the presence of p-cumate in plant growth media, GFP signal were observed on surface of vetch roots as well as to the tips of root hairs and curled root hairs and within infection threads (a). (b) sfGFP-labelled rhizobia were also in infection threads growing towards nodule primordia and (c) infection threads with the zone II of vetch nodules. No GFP signal were found in zone III and zone IV of vetch nodules.

Acknowledgments

I would like to thank Dr J. Hartley for kindly donating the vetch seeds and M. Sommerville for the Rhizobium strains and helpful advice as well as Profs. B. Kaiser and D. Guest for access to laboratory materials and fluorescent microscopes. I would also like to thank Assoc. Prof. N. Coleman for use of the Rhizobium strain expressing the plasmid pUS248-sfGFP. Plasmid pUS248-sfGFP (a gift from Nicholas Coleman’s lab, University of Sydney) was made by joining the replication and resistance regions of pBBR1MCS-2 [15] to the p-cumate regulatory system components derived from Pseudomonas putida [5] and the superfolder GFP gene (sfGFP) [16].

References

Rutten PJ, Steel H, Hood GA, Ramachandran VK, McMurtry L, Geddes B, Papachristodoulou A, Poole PS (2021) Multiple sensors provide spatiotemporal oxygen regulation of gene expression in a Rhizobium-legume symbiosis. PLOS Genetics 17 :e1009099. doi:10.1371/journal.pgen.1009099
Rubia MI, Ramachandran VK, Arrese-Igor C, Larrainzar E, Poole PS (2020) A novel biosensor to monitor proline in pea root exudates and nodules under osmotic stress and recovery. Plant Soil 452 :413-422
Pini F, East AK, Appia-Ayme C, Tomek J, Karunakaran R, Mendoza-Suarez M, Edwards A, Terpolilli JJ, Roworth J, Downie JA, Poolea PS (2017) Bacterial biosensors for in vivo spatiotemporal mapping of root secretion. Plant Physiol 174 :1289-1306
Thilakarathna MS, Raizada MN (2018) Visualizing glutamine accumulation in root systems involved in the legume–rhizobia symbiosis by placement on agar embedded with companion biosensor cells. Phytobiomes Journal 2 :117-128
Kaczmarczyk A, Vorholt JA, Francez-Charlot A (2013) Cumate-inducible gene expression system for sphingomonads and other alphaproteobacteria. Appl Environ Microb 79 :6795-6802
Doi Y (2015) L-lactate production from biodiesel-derived crude glycerol by metabolically engineered Enterococcus faecalis: Cytotoxic evaluation of biodiesel waste and development of a glycerol-inducible gene expression system. Appl Environ Microb 81 :2082-2089
Hoffmann L, Sugue MF, Bruser T (2021) A tunable anthranilate-inducible gene expression system for Pseudomonas Appl Microbiol Biot 105:247-258
Abe K, Miyake K, Nakamura M, Kojima K, Ferri S, Ikebukuro K, Sode K (2014) Engineering of a green-light inducible gene expression system in Synechocystis PCC6803. Microb Biotechnol 7:177-183
Eaton RW (1996) p-Cumate catabolic pathway in Pseudomonas putida F1: Cloning and characterization of DNA carrying the cmt operon. J Bacteriol 178 :1351-1362
Eaton RW (1997) p-Cymene catabolic pathway in Pseudomonas putida F1: Cloning and characterization of DNA encoding conversion of p-cymene to p-cumate. J Bacteriol 179 :3171-3180
Fahräeus G (1957) The infection of clover root hairs by nodule bacteria studied by a simple glass slide technique. J Gen Microbiol 16 :374-381
Perrine-Walker FM, Kouchi H, Ridge RW (2014) Endoplasmic reticulum-targeted GFP reveals ER remodeling in Mesorhizobium-treated Lotus japonicus root hairs during root hair curling and infection thread formation. Protoplasma 251 :817-826
Jensen HL (1942) Nitrogen fixation in leguminous plants. II. Is symbiotic nitrogen fixation influenced by Azotobacter? Proc Linn Soc NSW 67: 205-212
Allen EK, Allen ON (1950) Biochemical and symbiotic properties of the rhizobia. Bacteriol Rev 14 :273-330
Kovach ME, Elzer PH, Hill DS, Robertson GT, Farris MA, Roop RM, 2nd, Peterson KM (1995) Four new derivatives of the broad-host-range cloning vector pBBR1MCS, carrying different antibiotic-resistance cassettes. Gene 166 :175-176
Pédelacq JD, Cabantous S, Tran T, Terwilliger TC, Waldo GS (2006) Engineering and characterization of a superfolder green fluorescent protein. Nat Biotechnol 24 :79-88

Student travel grant awardees report – IBMP Cairns 2024

Samuel James Nix – ANU (ACT)

Samuel Nix | ANU Research School of Biology

Overall, the conference was a fantastic experience. There were multiple plenary talks that I enjoyed. Robert Furbank’s C4 Rice Project presentation was a good presentation on how difficult multi-gene transgenic projects can be approached. It was also interesting to see how biotechnology has advanced in the past 15 years and how that impacted the feasibility of the project. Another talk I enjoyed was Mohammad Ishiyaku’s presentation on GM Cow Pea, a great success story about how a GM crop can be embraced by a developing country and the local communities and be adapted to meet the commercial desires of the public. A fun plenary talk was Susana Coelho’s on sex evolution in brown algae. Additionally, I presented my poster Elucidating and Engineering Cell Specific Cyclic Electron Flow in C4 photosynthesis and I won an award! Lastly, and most importantly, I made new connections with fellow scientists during the conference.

Sara Jalali – UoA (SA)

Sara Jalali | Researcher Profiles (adelaide.edu.au)

I, Sara Jalali, had the privilege of attending the International Plant Molecular Biology (IPMB) Conference in Cairns, Australia, from June 24th to June 28th, 2024. This conference was an invaluable experience, allowing me to engage with leading researchers in molecular biology, a field that directly relates to my PhD work. The event facilitated the exchange of innovative ideas and the discussion of potential collaborative research opportunities. Additionally, it helped me expand my professional network and stay informed about the latest advancements in plant molecular biology. I am deeply grateful to the ASPS for funding my travel, enabling me to participate in this enriching event.

Rana Alqusumi – UWA (WA)

Profile: Rana Alqusumi (plantenergy.edu.au)

At the end of June 2024, I attended the IPMB 2024 Congress in Cairns, thanks to the ASPS travel award. The event prominently featured emerging researchers in plant molecular biology. It was an honour to listen to scientists from around the world discuss their latest advancements in plant science. One of the highlights was a presentation by Prof. Mitter from the University of Queensland, who shared her team’s research on using clay nanosheets for delivering RNAi as pesticides. This innovative application of nanotechnology in crop protection was particularly enlightening. Additionally, I had the pleasure of engaging with fellow plant researchers, exchanging insights about our respective fields of work. The congress provided ample opportunities for networking and collaboration. Beyond the academic experience, I also enjoyed exploring the city of Cairns. Overall, attending the IPMB 2024 Congress was an enriching experience offering valuable knowledge and memorable interactions.

Saber Sohrabi – UoA (SA)

Saber Sohrabi | Researcher Profiles (adelaide.edu.au)

I, Saber Sohrabi, attended the International Plant Molecular Biology (IPMB) Conference, which took place from June 24th to June 28th, 2024, in Cairns, Australia. By participating in this conference, I had the chance to connect with researchers in my field of study, exchange ideas, and explore potential collaborations for future research projects. The conference focused on molecular biology, aligning perfectly with my PhD project. This experience allowed me to expand my professional network, stay updated on the latest developments, and establish myself as an active member of the academic community. I would like to thank the ASPS for funding my flights to attend this conference.

Alicia Quinn – Monash (VIC)

LinkedIn | Twitter AliciaQuinnSci

Attending the IPMB 2024 conference in Cairns was a great opportunity to see the latest research in plant molecular biology and meet the people behind the work. The conference started strong with two excellent plenaries that set the tone for the rest of the week: Gerry Turpin on protecting Indigenous knowledge and Tetsuya Higashiyama on signalling during reproduction. The concurrent sessions were equally diverse – covering everything from evolution to cell signalling – and it was a challenge deciding what to attend. Presenting my work in the metabolic engineering session was a highlight, and the supportive audience made it a fantastic experience. I really enjoyed the evening poster sessions and it was great to chat about the exciting research currently underway. This conference was an invaluable experience and I’m grateful for the support from ASPS to attend. I look forward to the next one!

Editors’ note

Phytogen will be back for our next issue in late October Don’t forget, registration and abstract submission for the local ASPS meetings for each state/territory in Australia and New-Zealand are now open!

For those working outdoors, remember to stay protected, cool and hydrated out there.

August 2024 Phytogen

28 August 2024

Welcome to the August 2024 edition of Phytogen!

Remember to register and/or submit an abstract for your local ASPS hybrid conference happening in late November. For more info, register or submit an abstract click HERE

This issue we are celebrating the achievements of two amazing scientists, Prof Ros Glendow who was elected to the Australian Academy of Scientist, and Prof Keiko Torii who was awarded the Purple Ribbon in Japan. We also have a Science Meets Parliament 2024 report, a contribution from ASPS Cell Biology Representative and we continue to highlight our students awardees of the travel grant of the International Plant and Molecular Biology (IPMB) conference held in Cairns in June.

Lastly, we continue to spotlight our student members with our dedicated section launched last month. This issue, we have Lucas Auroux, a PhD student at LaTrobe University who is also the student representative of the Website and Communications Sub-Committee (WCSC) and co-editor of Phytogen. Students, if you would like your work highlighted in Phytogen and our social media, please contact Phytogen editors Razlin (razlin.azman@csiro.au) or Lucas (l.auroux@latrobe.edu.au).

Celebrating achievements of ASPS community

“On behalf of ASPS, I congratulate Ros and Keiko on their elections to their respective national academies of science. I would also like thank both for being engaged and active members of ASPS. They have made valuable contributions to our awards processes and the promotion of our Society. Their desire and excitement to understand the biology of plants is an inspiration for all plant scientists and they are exceptional role models for early-career researchers. It is wonderful and absolutely fitting that their achievements have been recognised at these high levels”

Prof Martha Ludwig, ASPS president

Prof Ros Glendow

On behalf of the editorial team, I congratulate and celebrate Ros’ election as a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science in 2024. With such a distinguished and impactful career, it’s hard to summarise and pay tribute to all she has done for plant science research and teaching. Ros has been a key figure in the Monash Agtech LaunchPad, Australian Academy of Science’s Committee for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, and Australian Plant Phenomics Facility just to name a few. In addition, she was the president of ASPS (2010 – 2012) and Global Plant Council (GPC; 2018 – 2019). She served the ASPS in as a discipline representative several times and is a regular participant at our conferences. She was awarded life membership of ASPS in 2018 and was the JG Wood Lecturer in 2019. Look out for the “Konzo: Forgotten but Not Gone” webinar on September 5th, 2024, hosted by the Global Plant Council where Ros will be interviewing Dr Julie Cliff on Konzo, a neurological disease linked to the consumption of improperly processed cassava. Click HERE to register.

Ros is an ecophysiologist, and a world leader in the field of cyanogenesis, investigating the process of cyanide release in plants in response to herbivory. Using cyanogenesis as a model, she has integrated opposing theories of plant defence into a single overarching theory demonstrating that these bioactive compounds are intricately involved in nitrogen management within the plant, and that this is the evolutionary driver, not herbivore resistance. Her work explains why so many crop plants are cyanogenic and helps predict changes in nutritional value of plants in response to environmental challenges. Check out her talk on this topic here. She is passionate about plants and the need to communicate the issues around sustainable food production.

Ros was pivotal in leading and transforming the Monash undergraduate program on scientific practice and communication. During her tenure as ASPS president, she established social media presences for ASPS on X (formerly known as Twitter) and Facebook, choosing the handles @asps_ozplants name to distinguish from any other ASPS groups. In celebration of the 60^th anniversary of ASPS in 2019 Ros penned this reflection piece. While president of the GPC she worked with plant scientist organisations globally to increase visibility and counter ‘plant blindness’. Ros wrote frequently on this topic and the role of professional societies on global plant research. Ros also talked about her career and her experience on the Global Plant Council’s The Academic Odyssey Series (click for link).

I had the pleasure of speaking to Ros for this edition of Phytogen

Q: Looking back on your career, what do you think was the most pivotal moment in your career, and what advice can you give to the next generation of plant scientists?

A: For me, it was when I was successful in getting my own funding, based on my original idea. For those still early in their career, my advice would be start small. Build up your reputation and learn how to manage project deliverables and budgets. Develop your research and teaching portfolio and look out for prizes and awards

Q: How important are professional societies such as ASPS?

A: Immensely important, they allow you to form networks and form collaborations. It used to be that you would only cross paths with your peers at conferences, where initial discussions could lead to collaborations. But with a global network such as ASPS and GPC, there is an added benefit of connecting to other researchers you may not cross paths with at conferences and meeting. It allows you to think outside your usual space and try something different.

Prof Keiko Torii

I also congratulate and celebrate Keiko for her Medal of Honor with Purple Ribbon from the Emperor of Japan. The award is a prestigious national honour awarded for contribution to the academic and artistic development of Japan. Keiko has been honoured numerous times in Japan with the Asahi Prize in 2021, Saruhashi Prize in 2015, Inoue Prize for Science in 2015 and Science Lectureship Award from Chiba University in 2014. Internationally, she has been recognised with the Stephen Hales Prize from American Society of Plant Biologists and Bateson Lecture from John Innes Centre, both in 2023. In 2012, she was elected to the American Association for the Advancement of Sciences (AAAS), follow by election to the American Society of Plant Biologists in 2015, and this year was elected to the National Academy of Science (USA).

If you take a look at her profile at the University of Texas where she is the Johnson & Johnson Centennial Chair in Plant Cell Biology since 2011, one cannot help but be inspired by this amazing scientist. Since 2011, she is a Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Betty Moore Foundation (HHMI-GBMF) investigator, an endowment that recognises innovative plant scientist researchers. Until 2022, she also ran second lab at the Institute of Transformative Biomolecules (WPI-ITbM) at Nagoya University, Japan as an Oversea Principal Investigator.

The Torii lab researches stem cell maintenance and the cell-to-cell communication required to correctly pattern tissue during development, focusing on stomatal development as a model. Her work on cell-to-cell communication has also focused on the mechanisms that determine organ size and shape in plants. Some of her achievements include discoveries of key signalling ligands, receptor kinase signalling pathways, and master regulatory transcription factors that specify stomatal patterning and differentiation. Her research and collaboration ranges from cell-cell signalling in plant development to maintenance of lineage-specific stem cells, influence of extrinsic peptide and chemical signals in cell-fate decisions and patterning, and creation of an artificial ligand–receptor system to manipulate plant developmental signalling.

A browse of the Torii lab webpage clearly shows that she understands how important it is to communicate your science. Probably one of the best lab websites out there! In addition, she is also active on X (@KeikoUTorii). Checkout this video of Keiko giving a talk for the Gatsby Plant Science Summer School 2022, showcasing her ability to communicate her complex research. In another video, Keiko talks about her life, research and her success after relocating from Japan to America. With her numerous awards, Keiko is an inspiration to us all. Hopefully, one day we can welcome her to Australia for an ASPS conference.

Section written by Razlin Azman, co-editor Phytogen.

Science Meets Parliament 2024 Report

Report by: Nijat Imin, School of Science, Western Sydney University.

I co-represented the Australian Society of Plant Scientists (ASPS) at Science Meets Parliament (SMP) in March 2024. Science Meets Parliament (SMP) is a national gathering of STEM professionals designed to foster closer collaboration between STEM professionals and the nation’s decision-makers, shaping better policies for the future. Over 360 delegates and more than 90 parliamentarians participated in the event. The goal is to increase communication and collaboration between these two groups. As noted by Professor Brian Schmidt during his presentation, “SMP is a unique event in the world that links researchers with policymakers. Solutions need a collaborative, interdisciplinary approach, and policy makers need to make sure their policies are evidence-based”. I found the event to be a valuable experience and enjoyed the sessions. The event’s centrepiece was the Indigenous engagement session, “Next Steps to Elevate and Invest in First Nations Knowledges as a Priority.” Indigenous STEM researchers led a discussion on how to ensure Indigenous knowledge receives dedicated focus within national science and research priorities.

Below are some other highlights.

Industry and Science minister Ed Husic announced the changes to the Global Science and Technology Diplomacy Fund (GSTDF). Up to $6 million in total grants are now available for Australian researchers to partner with counterparts in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, New Zealand, Japan, the Republic of Korea and Brazil.
Ambassador Caroline Kennedy delivered a speech about collaboration between the United States and Australia on scientific issues. The Ambassador highlights three areas of collaboration: health care, national security, and climate change
Speaking at the National Press Club today, Science & Technology Australia President Professor Sharath Sriram made a powerful case for rapidly reaching the 3% target to turn Australia into an innovation nation, revealing how to create an innovation ecosystem that will secure the country’s economic future, and warned of the consequences of failing to do so. He discussed the potential economic benefits of this investment. Australia currently spends less than 2% of GDP on R&D. If Australia invested 3% of GDP on R&D, the economy would grow by $100 billion and create 42,000 jobs. A connected innovation ecosystem is key to turning Australian ideas into products. Without this ecosystem, Australia will be a nation of consumers rather than creators.

I had the privilege of dining with the Honourable Warren Entsch, Member of Parliament, along with several other scientists. During the meal, we listened intently as he shared insights into his life’s journey and remarkable career accomplishments. I had the opportunity to visit and interview Member of Parliament Rowan Ramsey. It was fascinating to gain a firsthand glimpse into the work and responsibilities of an elected official. During our insightful discussion, we explored a range of topics related to plants, the environment, and agriculture. I emphasised the paramount importance of plant research, to which Mr. Ramsey voiced his strong agreement and support. It was a wonderful opportunity to engage with our policymakers. Also, it was equally wonderful to be in a room filled with enthusiastic scientists from diverse disciplines and all regions of Australia. There was an abundance of stimulating discussions, and many new connections were forged. I would highly recommend this experience to anyone.

Check out some images from Nijat’s Science Meets Parliament 2024 experience

Cell Biology Representative Update

Dr Crystal Sweetman, Flinders University (South Australia) | Bio: Dr Crystal Sweetman – Flinders University | X: CrystalSweetman

I would like to take this opportunity to introduce the Plant Molecular Physiology group at Flinders University, consisting of several wonderful research leaders working in plant cell and molecular biology. These include Prof. Kathleen Soole, A/Pro.f Peter Anderson, Dr Sunita Ramesh, Dr Yuri Shavrukov, Prof. Colin Jenkins and Em/Prof. David Day. Below, I mention a few recent and exciting activities from within the group.

The first two projects that I’d like to mention, and happen to be involved with, aim to (i) diagnose and (ii) treat (or prevent) oxidative stress in crops. With Professors Soole & Jenkins and researchers at Washington State University, as well as Longreach Plant Breeders and support from the Foundation of Food and Agriculture Research, we are exploring a new, high-throughput phenotyping tool for oxidative stress in wheat based on peroxisome abundance. Meanwhile, alongside A/Prof. Peter Anderson and industry partners Sylvaco and Field Systems, we are exploring the effectiveness of Aussie hardwood pyrolysis products as naturally-derived antioxidant mixtures. These are exciting times in the Flinders laboratories as we investigate cellular indicators of oxidative stress and the mechanisms of treatment strategies for improving stress resilience in crops.

Left: Miss Lauren Philp-Dutton (PhD candidate), Dr Crystal Sweetman and Prof. Kathleen Soole spending time with drought-stressed wheat in the Flinders greenhouses. Middle: Miss Lauren Philp-Dutton and Mr Mitchell Eglinton (Longreach Plant Breeders and Honours student) collecting field samples for peroxisome abundance measurements. Right: Miss Jamie Lowe (Honours student), Dr Crystal Sweetman and A/Prof. Peter Anderson in a Flinders greenhouse with plants used for pyrolysis treatment experiments.

We are also working on two projects dealing with aspects of drought responses in chickpea, one supported by DFAT and the other by GRDC. These projects involve Dr Ramesh, Professors Day & Soole and PhD candidate Katie Schleyer, in collaboration with SARDI and University of Adelaide researchers. Dr Sunita Ramesh has several projects on the go, mainly focussing on plant stress tolerance mechanisms and plant-soil-microbe interactions. This includes a collaborative project with partners at the University of Adelaide on heat stress in wheat, and with post-doc Dr Nick Booth on the role of GABA in cell signalling and stress tolerance. Another major research project for Dr Ramesh and Prof. Day is investigating communication between nitrogen fixing rhizobia and legumes, with Dr Penny Smith at La Trobe and Em/Prof. Steve Tyerman at the University of Adelaide.

Left: Dr Crystal Sweetman, Prof. Kathleen Soole and Miss Katie Schleyer (PhD candidate) with chickpea in the Flinders greenhouses. Middle: Dr Sunita Ramesh and Right: Dr Nick Booth handling wheat samples

Dr Yuri Shavrukov has also been very busy working with genetic markers for various traits in cereals and legumes, particularly with recent Bolashak Fellows from Kazakhstan. Yuri also recently visited multiple institutes in Kazakhstan, making important connections with researchers and executives. We look forward to welcoming more research fellows next month!

Dr Yuri Shavrukov meeting with executives at Kazakh Agrotechnical University, discussing links with Flinders University and a new Kazakh-Australian Innovation Research Centre.

Flinders researchers have recently enjoyed engaging with members of the Ag industry in South Australia, participating in grower days such as “Flinders in the Flinders (Ranges)” as well as PIRSA-SARDI site visits. We also look forward to our first season engaging with the Long Term Trials of Drought Resilient Farming Practices Grant with SARDI, “Soil and microbial amelioration to enhance the drought tolerance of crops”. Incidentally, Flinders has committed a PhD scholarship to this project, so please mention this opportunity to any prospective postgrads in your area!

Now, a final spruik from me as we count down to this year’s ASPS hybrid meeting. The Adelaide node will be held at the new Flinders City Campus in Festival Plaza on Nov 28^th and followed by a one-day Workshop on Plant Soil Microbe interactions on Nov. 29^th, supported by Flinders’ College of Science & Engineering. Please engage with your society by submitting an abstract and joining us in person this November – I look forward to seeing some excellent plant cell biology (and other) presentations!

Student travel grant awardees report – IBMP Cairns 2024

Suyan Yee – ANU (ACT) | X: @scienceYeeSu

I attended IPMB2024 in Cairns last month, with generous support from the ASPS Student Travel Award. There, I presented my ongoing PhD work on cell-specific abiotic stress responses in C4 plants, as part of the ‘Coordinating Photosynthesis’ session. This conference was a great opportunity to connect with the international plant science community, learn about emerging research technologies, and expand my professional networks. A highlight from the talks was the session on ‘Biomolecular Condensates’, where the speakers shared their exciting research on stress-induced subcellular lava lamps, a.k.a stress granules. The IPMB2024 organisers also incorporated ‘Student Night’ into the program to foster networking amongst peers, which was a great way to meet some future academic colleagues. Learning from my supervisors, a key takeaway from attending conferences like IPMB2024 are the knock-on effects it can have, such as the collaborative projects that arise from simple discussions over coffee and pastries.

Jordyn Coutts – Monash University(VIC) |X: @JordynCoutts

Attending IPMB2024 was a very worthwhile experience. There was an excellent variety of talks, so that no matter if your interests were in pure or applied research, there were always multiple symposiums of interest at the same time to choose from. I loved that there was research across a variety of model organisms and crops. I could talk with other scientists during the breaks, lunches, poster sessions and dedicated networking events all throughout the conference. This meeting was the perfect opportunity for me to showcase my research and make valuable connections while learning great science.

Guilherme (Yoshi) Yoshikawa – UOA (SA)

With the support of ASPS through the Student Travel Award, I attended the International Plant Molecular Biology (IPMB) Congress in June 2024, in Cairns, and presented a poster. This was a fantastic opportunity to meet international scientists (and finally match faces to prolific international names in my literature review), connect with fellow students, and exchange perspectives on many subjects. The most fruitful interaction for my project, in floral architecture modifications in wheat, was a chat with Prof Vijayraghavan and Dr Peesapati visiting from Bangalore, who have done similar work in rice. On a personal level, I was inspired by the early career advice from A/Prof Demirer, who is visiting from California. To top this experience off, Cairns has astonishing ancient and endangered biodiversity and is right next to the Great Barrier Reef. I’m extremely grateful to ASPS for making it possible to attend an event so important to my career.

Anna Phillipova – UoM (VIC)

I enjoyed IPMB 2024 in Cairns a lot and the travel award from the Society made it possible for me to travel there. It was a great opportunity to connect with the scientific community and share the results of my PhD projects. Networking with scientists from all over the world gave me the burst of encouragement that I especially need now to finish my PhD. I also found this conference was a great platform for inspiring new ideas that would help me plan my future career.

Sonali Koundal – UWS (NSW)

I am delighted to share my wonderful experience at the International Plant Molecular Biology Conference (2024) held in Cairns this year. Firstly, I would like to extend my gratitude to the IPMB committee for giving me the opportunity to present a portion of my research work and selecting for Travel Grant Award. It was an incredible experience to hear about the groundbreaking work being done by renowned researchers and scientists in their respective fields. I presented my talk in the “Carbon Fixation Group,” focusing on how protected cultivation is enhancing the rate of photosynthesis with an emphasis on sustainability in research. I must say, the conference was exceptionally well-organized and meticulously planned, with each session offering its own unique insights and wealth of knowledge. The plenary sessions were particularly outstanding, both at the beginning and the end of the conference, showcasing the meticulous effort put in by the organizing committee. It was also a fantastic opportunity to connect with students and researchers from all over the world, sharing diverse scientific perspectives and areas of interest. Overall, it was an incredible experience to be part of such a remarkable conference.

Student contribution

Lucas Auroux

PhD candidate, La Trobe Institute for Sustainable Agriculture and Food (LISAF – AgriBio research center), Lewsey lab, Department of Animal, Plant and Soil Sciences, School of Agriculture, Biomedicine and Environment, La Trobe university.

Bio: Lucas Auroux Profile | La Trobe University | LinkedIn: Lucas Auroux | X: @AurouxLucas

Guided by an innate sense of curiosity, Lucas Auroux’s studies have taken him around the world to La Trobe University, where he is now undertaking a PhD. “My scientific interest in epigenetics, molecular biology and biotechnology has led me to different cities in France and Germany, and to different laboratories. I have worked with many people who have made me want to continue my studies by showing me different aspects of plant biology research.” “After completing my Masters, I saw a PhD position available in Professor Mathew Lewsey’s laboratory at AgriBio – a world-class facility for agricultural biosciences research and development – to work with Dr Lim Chee Liew.” “The facilities and the quality of the research encouraged me to jump into this new chapter down under.”

Lucas’ PhD is focused on the area that he loves most: genomics. “I am trying to understand how the genome of each cell of the embryo wakes up in the seed during germination, a crucial step in plant development,” he explains. To do so, Lucas uses cutting-edge technologies in omics and spatial biology, coupled with computational biology. “This research will help us to optimise the germination process in crops, which is essential for maintaining steady high-yielding crops for a growing world population impacted by a changing climate.”

Image: transversal section of Arabidopsis seed stained with DAPI. Image by Lucas Auroux

Last year, Lucas published his first paper and also made it to the cover of the journal (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/moda.20). In addition to his research, Lucas has been involved in teaching first and third year undergraduates the two last semester. Recently, he was appointed President of the HDR student Society of his research institute (AgriBio Student Society). He is also the student representative of the Website and Communications Sub-Committee (WCSC) and co-editor of Phytogen for ASPS

Image: Cover art for Modern Agriculture: Volume 1, Issue 2 designed by Lucas Auroux.

More information on the issue is available at Modern Agriculture: Vol 1, No 2 (wiley.com)

Editors’ note:

Phew that was a lot for one issue! Phytogen will be back for our next issue in late September. Don’t forget, registration and abstract submission for the local ASPS meetings for each state/territory in Australia and New-Zealand are now open.

July edition

31 July 2024

Welcome to the July 2024 edition of Phytogen!

With the colder months upon us there are plenty of amazing scientists to celebrate. This issue we have plant-microbe interaction news courtesy from Dr Stephanie Watts-Fawkes

Then, a major part of this issue will spotlight students awardees of the travel grant of the International Plant and Molecular Biology (IPMB) conference held in Cairns last month.

Lastly, we have launched a new section dedicated to highlighting our student members. Our first student contributor is Zane Marks who is the ASPS student representative. If you would like your or your students’ work highlighted in Phytogen and social media, please contact our editors Razlin (razlin.azman@csiro.au) or Lucas (l.auroux@latrobe.edu.au).

Plant-Microbe Interaction Representative

Dr Stephanie Watts-Fawkes

Update from Plant-Microbe Interactions representative

Stephanie Watts-Fawkes

During the 2023 ASPS meeting in Hobart, I had the pleasure of co-chairing the “plant nutrition and beneficial plant-microbe interactions” session along with previous discipline representative, Assoc. Prof. Eloise Foo. We heard from invited speaker Dr Dugald Reid (La Trobe University) who gave us an overview of his research over the last few years on genetic strategies to enhance nitrogen fixation. Later in this article, I will highlight a recent publication from Dr Reid’s research. During the session, we were also presented with research from the rhizobial and mycorrhizal domains by several ECRs including PhD students Karen Velandia (UTAS) and Thi Diem Nguyen (University of Adelaide), and postdoctoral researcher Dr Tess McBride (Western Sydney University). It was a well-received session, and we now look towards planning of the 2024 ASPS satellite meetings.

Caption for image: Ms Thi Diem Nguyen, Dr Stephanie Watts-Fawkes, Ms Rucha Patil at the conclusion of the plant-microbe interactions session at ASPS 2023.

In June, there were two landmark publications released by Australian researchers (led by two ASPS discipline representatives) that have made fundamental contributions to our understanding of plant-microbe interactions. A team at Western Sydney University’s Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment including first authors Drs Mingkai Jin and Kristine Crous (environmental ecophysiology representative) published their results from a six-year free air CO2 enrichment study in Nature. They found that a mature Eucalyptus forest subjected to elevated CO2 was phosphorus (P)-limited, due to competition with soil microbes for P, even though the trees were efficient at taking up and using P taken from the soil. This has implications for Australia’s old Eucalyptus forests as atmospheric CO2 continue to rise, with no ‘new’ P being deposited belowground.

In late June, a team led by Dr Dugald Reid (whole plant representative), in collaboration with researchers from Aarhus University, Denmark, published their work to identify and characterise the “fixation under nitrate (FUN)” transcriptional regulator, a ‘switch’ for nitrogen (N) fixation in legumes, in Nature. FUN was initially found through a genetic screen of some 150,000 plants through modulation of soil nitrate availability. The authors found that the activity of FUN, and thus the metabolic activity in root nodules, is dependent on internal zinc (Zn) concentration. A lower Zn concentration in nodules, which occurs when there are higher levels of nitrate in the environment (and less need for N-fixation), activates FUN, which then initiates the breakdown of the nodule. Identification of FUN has implications for designing legume crops that may continue to fix N even when soil N is not limiting, which may improve crop N use efficiency.

In the next few months, Australian beneficial plant-microbe researchers will be heading to the International Conference on Mycorrhiza in Manchester, UK (5th-9th August), and the International Conference on Legume Genetics and Genomics (30th Sept – 3rd Oct) and Australian Nitrogen Fixation Conference (4th – 5th Oct), both in Brisbane. In case you hadn’t heard, for the mycorrhiza enthusiasts the next edition of ICOM will be held in Cairns on the 13th-17th July, 2026, with Assoc. Prof. Jonathan Plett (Western Sydney University) spearheading the organisation of what is sure to be a wonderful event.

Editor’s note: You can read more about Stephanie’s research on the University of Adelaide profile page or follow her on X (@myco_research) for her research updates.

Student travel grant awardees report – IBMP Cairns 2024

Hanh Vo – Utas (TAS)

The International Plant Molecular Biology (IPMB) Congress 2024 was an unforgettable experience. This was an amazing opportunity for me to strengthen current network and made new connections. As someone who is in the last stretch of her PhD project, I had the chance to share my work so far, and talked to possible new employer for my postdoc. Moreover, many students also were also at the conference, which was encouraging and helped me to gain confident for networking. I was lucky to have the ASPS grant to travel and selected

from competitive abstracts to give a ten-minute talk in the “Water, Drought and Heat Stress” session on Thursday. The presentation went well, and I got some good, thoughtful questions after to answer and think about. Overall, I love the opportunity, and would like to thank ASPS for the student travel grant and my supervisors for helping me with the presentation.

Linh Ton – UWA (WA)

I deeply appreciated the support from ASPS through Travel Grant 2024 and the financial support from GRS-UWA, which enabled me to attend the IPMB 2024 in Cairns. Attending such a huge congress in plant molecular biology at the Cairns Convention Centre was an amazing experience during my PhD journey. It was a great opportunity for me to connect with researchers around the world. I presented my poster on establishing an Agrobacterium-mediated transformation protocol in canola (Brassica napus) to improve resistance against Turnip mosaic virus (TuMV) and had the opportunity to talk to other researchers with a similar research focus. The plenary talks and presentations covered the emerging technologies and current topics in plant molecular biology. I was thrilled to know about the updates on RNA biology studies and their application in plant protection against plant pathogens. I was surrounded by the energetic and stimulating atmosphere until the last talk by Sir David Baulcombe on his lifelong studies on RNA biology. I am looking forward to attending the next IPMB conference, which will be in China.

Juel Datta – QUT (QLD)

I am in my second year of PhD at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT). My main objective of the PhD research is to understand the molecular mechanisms of juvenility in Citrus using different biotechnological approaches. Recently, I had the opportunity to visit and to present my research as poster at the International Congress on Plant Molecular Biology (IPMB 2024) in Cairns, Australia. To attend the event, I received a travel award from the Australian Society of Plant Scientists (ASPS). The program brought like-minded scientists around the globe to know and share about the current plant molecular research. Undoubtedly, it was a perfect place for networking for the early career researchers and students. The plenary sessions, oral and poster presentations by fellow scientists were outstanding and forward-looking for future opportunities. I am grateful to the host of IPMB, ASPS and QUT for providing a chance to attend such a conference.

Ejiro Evivie – ANU (ACT)

LinkedIn: Ejiroghene Evivie

The 13th International Plant Molecular Biology (IPMB) Congress held in Cairns united plant scientists from around the world. Whether they be student researchers or experts, it was a full house of curious minds. Thanks to the ASPS for giving me a travel award that enabled me attend. The congress was inspiring and worthwhile as sessions covered a wide range of topics, from Mathematical Modelling in Plant Biology to Nanotechnologies. Gene editing, advancements in plant biotechnology and genetic engineering were not left out and generally covered in the Plenary sessions. There were abundant opportunities for networking. This enabled me to connect with peers who share similar research interests with me, exchange ideas, and create potential collaborations. Overall, attending the IPMB congress was deeply inspiring and renewed my enthusiasm for plant molecular biology. I returned home encouraged, driven to apply some knowledge and insights drawn from the conference in my own research.

Muhammad Mahmood – ANU (ACT)

X: @duruk165

As a student interested in plant science, I was compelled to participate in the 13th International Plant Molecular Biology (IPMB) congress. This conference is a golden opportunity for students and researchers to showcase Australia’s science on the world stage of plant molecular sciences. I attended as a delegate representing the Australian Society of Plant Scientists (ASPS), which also sponsored my participation. This conference was immensely beneficial, enhancing my research experience, fostering relationships with fellow students, and facilitating interactions with other scientists and researchers. Conferences like IPMB provide a great platform to discuss on-going research with other scientists and get their insights. I was fortunate to be part of this prestigious conference and had the chance to present my research as a poster. This gave me the opportunity to discuss my work and establish collaborations with other labs. I am deeply grateful to ASPS to giving me a travel award to attend IPMB Congress and would encourage all researchers and students to participate in future conferences. These events provide a crucial platform for engaging with fellow scientists and students.

Student contribution

Zane Marks

PhD candidate, University of Adelaide

Socials: Linkedin

Seed priming is the exposure of seeds to an external agent to promote germination, abiotic stress tolerance and physiological benefits to plants1. Several types of priming exist including Nutri-priming (the use of micro or macro nutrients)2, Redox-priming (the use of an oxidative agent)3 and Hydropriming (the use of water as the agent). As a part of my PhD project, we are exploring these priming methods, both separately and in combination, in the re-emerging crop industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa). Industrial hemp is a fibre, flower, and seed crop recently reintroduced to Australia with many states making progress towards implementing the crop on a larger scale4. We investigated the cultivar Han Ne and documented how seed priming affected plant growth and productivity under drought stress conditions. It was observed that there was a significant difference (p<0.001) in seed yield and harvest index when combination primed compared to priming with water (hydropriming) under well-watered conditions. Further analysis on the seeds produced will help to establish whether there was any impact on seed quality, nutritional profiles, and stress tolerance. In future studies we aim to investigate what the underlying mechanisms of seed priming are in hemp and how they contribute to desirable phenotypes. We hope through this study that we can develop an accessible tool set to improve hemp performance for at home growers and farmers alike.

References:

Farooq, M. et al. Seed priming in field crops: Potential benefits, adoption and challenges. Crop and Pasture Science 70, 731–771 (2019).
Ali, N. et al. Micronutrient seed priming improves stand establishment, grain yield and biofortification of bread wheat. Crop and Pasture Science 69, 479–487 (2018).
Hussain, S. et al. Redox priming alleviates dormancy and improves salinity tolerance of seeds and seedlings of medicinal halophyte Zygophyllum simplex L. Journal of Applied Research on Medicinal and Aromatic Plants 30, (2022).
Schultz, C. J. et al. Consumer and health-related traits of seed from selected commercial and breeding lines of industrial hemp, Cannabis sativa L. Journal of Agriculture and Food Research 2, 100025 (2020).

Editors’ notes:

Look out for the next Phytogen edition in late August! In the meantime, please keep your eyes open for the local ASPS meeting that will happen in each state/territory in Australia and New-Zealand! Registrations and abstract submission will open soon…

“If you think in terms of a year, plant a seed; if in terms of ten years, plant trees; if in terms of 100 years, teach the people.”– Kong Qiu (Confucius, 551 BCE- 479 BCE), Chinese philosopher.

Newsletter written and edited by Lucas Auroux, Dr. Razlin Azman and Dr. Janet Wheeler.

June edition

30 June 2024

Hello ASPS members,

In this short edition of Phytogen we have a research profile from ASPS member Dr Francine Perrine-Walker (The University of Sydney). See below.

Rare gardening and botanical books for sale!

An expert gardener’s 50 yr lifetime collection of gardening books is for sale, the entire collection is worth around $6,000.

It includes rare and specialist horticultural and botanical books. Some of these are out of print and simply no longer available. Others are leather bound etc. There are also stunning coffee table picture books. The seller, Graeme, would prefer not to sell the books individually, but in large ‘chunks’ or as a complete set, as much is possible. Graeme is asking $3,500 for the entire gardening book collection, or for offers for parts of it. The books can be collected from Alphington, VIC 3078.

The final list and prices for the sale of this magnificent gardening book collection can be accessed HERE.

The list is also available as a google doc if the file is too large.

If you are interested in any of these books please contact Liz Boulton, 0407072480 or liz_boulton@hotmail.com

We are hoping these can go to someone who will obtain genuine value from them.

Research Profile: Dr Francine Perrine-Walker, The University of Sydney.

Investigating Plant-Microbe Interactions: A plant scientist’s stumbling guide using fluorescent stains and microscopy

Where does one begin when investigating the infection process of plant pathogens? My project investigated the interaction of the plant pathogenic oomycete, Phytophthora palmivora, with various horticultural crops such as cocoa.

Phytophthora as a plant pathogen resembles true fungi as it forms hyphae (h) and spores as shown in Fig. (a and b).

In its asexual stage, Phytophthora sp. forms chlamydospores (#) which are thick-walled, long-term survival spores and sporangia (*) where short-lived, one-celled, flagellated zoospores are kept safe until fully developed for release in the presence of water.

In its sexual stage, the pathogen forms oospores (white and black arrowheads in Figs d-g) resulted from fertilization of the oogonium (female organ) by an antheridium (male organ). Some species are homothallic (self-fertile) while others are heterothallic i.e., requiring cross fertilization.

The marvel of this pathogen? Unlike true fungi, its cell walls contain cellulose instead of chitin! How does one tell them apart when infecting a plant cell?

In the absence of transformed lines with fluorescent tags such as the Green Fluorescence Protein, basic techniques can still shed some light on this pathogen’s cell wall structures. By growing them on agar plates and mating cultures, fluorescent stains such as Calcofluor White (CW) and Aniline Blue (AB) can be used to detect β-1,4-glucans such as cellulose and chitin (Fig.d) and

β-1,3-glucans (Figs. a, b, c and g) respectively. Note when stained with CW, cell wall structures appear blue while with AB, they appear yellow under fluorescence respectively. The latter is the most abundant form of β-glucans in the cell walls of plant

fungal pathogens and, β-1,3-glucans have been shown to act as MAMPs (microbe-associated molecular patterns)

and play a role in plant immune responses.

However, such methods cannot describe the dynamic changes in cell wall content during infection. This requires cutting edge molecular tools other than GFP in combination with high-end microscopy.

Dr Francine Perrine-Walker (The University of Sydney)

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Welcome to the March 2025 Phytogen!

Women shaping the future of plant science in Australia

Celebrate women: today and everyday

Beth & Alison

Meet our Guest Editors

Conversations

Sadia Majeed met Dr Rachel Walshe

Dr Alison Gill met Dr Tatiana Soares de Costa

Hanh Vo met Dr Tory Clarke

Gabriella Jessica and Eleanor Imlay met Professor Christine Beveridge

Amy Liu met Dr Kim Johnson

Dr Nipuni Peththa Thanthrige met Dr Rebecca Thistelwaite

Research Profiles: Women delivering plant science impact

Beth Penrose is an Associate Professor at Charles Darwin University in the Northern Territory. Her work is focused on improving the sustainability and profitability of pasture and livestock systems in Australia and Asia.

Eloise Foo is a lab leader and lecturer in the School of Natural Sciences at the University of Tasmania.

Bonnie Armour is the Carbon Farming and Soil Extension Officer for the Hills and Fleurieu Landscape Board, based in Adelaide.

Xiaoxiao Zhang is a Group Leader in the Research School of Chemistry at the Australian National University in Canberra. Her work uses synthetic biology to engineer novel disease resistance in cereal crops.

Marta Peirats-Llobet is a Research Fellow at La Trobe University. Her research uses spatial technologies to understand seed development and germination.

Global Plant Council Webinar

Editors’ note

Welcome to the February 2025 Phytogen!

ASPS Leadership Transition

Thank you Prof Martha Ludwig!

Welcome, Professor Brent Kaiser!

ASPS Award Applications now OPEN

ASPS Student Representatives

Student Contribution

Editors’ note

Welcome to the first edition of Phytogen for 2025!

2025 ASPS Student reps

Chamika Ratnayake (Queensland)

Lucas Auroux (VIC)

Winners’ Reports from 2024 ASPS Conference

Editors’ note

Welcome to the last edition of Phytogen for 2024!

2024 ASPS Local Conferences

ASPS 2024 annual general meeting

Student Contribution

Editors’ note

Welcome to the November 2024 edition of Phytogen!

2024 ASPS Award Winner Spotlight: Peter Goldacre Award

2024 ASPS Award Winner Spotlight: Education and Outreach Award

2024 ASPS Award Winner Spotlight: JG Wood Lecture

Be part of ASPS!

Environmental & Ecophysiology Representative

Student Contribution

Editors’ note

Welcome to the October 2024 edition of Phytogen!

2024 ASPS Award Winner Spotlight: Jan Anderson Award

Be part of ASPS!

Genetics and Molecular Biology Representative

Student Contribution

Student travel grant awardees report – IBMP Cairns 2024

Editors’ note

Welcome to the September 2024 edition of Phytogen!

Celebrating achievements

Be part of ASPS!

Education Representative Update

R.N Travel Fellowship Report

Research Spotlight

Student travel grant awardees report – IBMP Cairns 2024

Editors’ note

Welcome to the August 2024 edition of Phytogen!

Celebrating achievements of ASPS community

Prof Ros Glendow

Prof Keiko Torii

Science Meets Parliament 2024 Report

Cell Biology Representative Update

Student travel grant awardees report – IBMP Cairns 2024

Student contribution

Editors’ note:

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