Project description of our students

Ciara Danes

Detection of DNA insertions in SDN-1 plants

Gene editing has the potential to address many of the challenges facing modern agriculture, from enhancing drought tolerance and disease resistance to increasing crop yields. However, the commercialisation of gene-edited crops in Australia is a complex process where developers must meet strict regulatory requirements that are often time-consuming, labour-intensive, and expensive. 

My project aims to develop a streamlined and cost-effective method for accurately genotyping genome-edited plants. The focus of this is to improve the commercial accessibility of gene editing technologies for plant breeders. The approach will involve a computationally efficient analysis pipeline designed to identify shared sequence similarity between transformation plasmids used during gene editing and the crop’s full genome. 

By simplifying the genotyping process, this project will help reduce regulatory bottlenecks, lower development costs, and ultimately accelerate the adoption of gene-edited crops in Australian agriculture. 

Piyumal Demotte

Machine Learning for epistatic detection and crop phenotype prediction 

Crop breeders now have access to massive, low-cost genotype datasets and machine learning can uncover subtle patterns linking these genetic markers to agronomic traits, but most current prediction models treat genetic markers as independent, overlooking the epistatic interactions that often control yield, stress tolerance, and quality, therefore this project builds a machine-learning pipeline that engineers and selects epistatic features from whole-genome data to deliver more accurate, biologically informed phenotype predictions for modern crop-improvement programs. 

Audrey Henry

A synergistic Indigenous Knowledges approach to Responsible and Inclusive Innovation in crop science research practice 

This research is a collaborative exploration of conventional and cultural farming practices at the Bundjalung owned Namabunda Farm, set against the backdrop of gathering a Bundjalung perspective on potential planting of genetically modified and/or gene edited grain crops in northern NSW. By conducting ancillary workshops to gather insights from grain growers in the region, the research also seeks to bring together perspectives from these groups as to the role of genetic science in Australia’s agricultural future.  

This research seeks to exemplify and advocate for how First Nations and community leadership in research can improve the social and economic sustainability and equity of innovations related to farming and crop science in Australia. 

In order to focus on an iterative and collaborative approach to research which foregrounds Bundjalung perspectives, the yarning method and Indigenous Storywork methodology will be used to gather these insights. Yarns with the Bundjalung community focus on potential benefits and/or draw-backs of growing GM crops on Country as they see them, as well as expectations for how agriculture and food science more generally could equitably collaborate with First Nations people in this region. 

Michail Sergeev Ivanov

The Island Mentality of a Tall Poppy: Toward Coexistence, Confidence and Cooperation in the Regulation of Australia’s Genetically Modified Crops 

This research project will examine the regulation of genetically modified (‘GM’) and genome edited crops in Australia and its associated social issues. When regulation is referred to, it encompasses all instruments which guide conduct (including: laws, policies and codes of conduct). 
Grounded in the context of Marsh v Baxter – Australia’s only reported case concerning GM crop “contamination” – I seek to consider how the coexistence of GM and non-GM crops is currently regulated and whether there is scope for improvement.  

By speaking to interested persons, I intend to understand their values and interests (ideological, economic or otherwise) and consider how they might be better represented in regulation, so that the interests of all are, to a greater extent, catered to across the board. 

My work involves semi-structured interviews with interested persons (otherwise referred to as “stakeholders”). In addition to my literary output, I am making a documentary film to show not only the innovations in this area, but the values of all interested persons, especially those of Australia’s growers. 

Alex Jose

Improving chickpea productivity by enhancing nodulation under acidic and low N conditions

Chickpea is Australia’s most significant pulse crop by value and is currently the critical break crop for cereal production in the northern grain-growing region of Australia. There is growing interest in expanding the area sown to chickpea in other regions, particularly where there are limited non-cereal break crop options such as Western Australia and southern New South Wales. In these areas, chickpea production is limited by the prevalence of acidic soils that significantly reduce crop growth and yield potential.

While improving productivity of chickpea in acid soils is one direct measure to improve yield, it needs to be coordinated with the ability of the plants to interact with their nitrogen-fixing symbionts, a known limitation in acid soils. Reduced nodulation in acid soils is due both to the reduced competitiveness, attachment and nod factor production of rhizobia in acid soils, as well as potentially the changes in root exudation, resource allocation and stress responses in the plant that could interfere with nodulation.

The objective of this project is to increase chickpea nitrogen fixation and soil N legacy in acid soils by understanding the major factors restricting chickpea nodulation at low pH and enhancing tolerance to acid soils through selection and directed evolution of rhizobia and through genetic engineering of chickpea.

Benjamin Suleman Kurya

Use of gene editing to introduce agronomically desirable traits in barley 

In Australia, poor soil fertility and weed infestation are major yield limiting factors in barley production costing farmers a combine value of more than 250 million annually. A cost efficient and environmentally smart solution is to use gene technology (gene editing) to introduce smart barley cultivars that can survive with less fertilizer and tolerate herbicides application to complement zero-till system. 

Gene editing is a powerful technique that introduces precise changes in an organism’s genome, offering significant savings in time, cost and effort compared to conventional breeding that introduces random changes which is tedious and time-consuming. Organisms generated through some gene editing process are classified as transgenic. However, certain gene editing approaches can produce changes same as conventional breeding and are therefore considered non-transgenic. An example of such techniques is the site directed nuclease 1 (SDN1) gene editing technique. My PhD research uses SDN1 method to precisely modify two important genes in barley, aiming to enhance herbicide tolerance and nitrogen use efficiency in the plant.  

Herbicide tolerant refers to the ability of a plant to withstand the application of non-selective herbicide such as glyphosate with no damage. To introduce herbicide tolerant in barley using SDN1 gene editing approach, I designed and synthesised guide RNAs targeting specific sites within the Acetyl CoA Carboxylase (ACCase) gene, the known site of action for group 1 herbicide. The gene editing construct was delivered into immature barley embryos through an Agrobacterium mediated transformation method. Currently, the embryos are regenerating leaves in the growth chamber before being latter transferred to the glasshouse. The next step will involve validating the regenerated plants for herbicide tolerant in the glasshouse and the field.  

Nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) is the ability of a plant to utilise available nitrogen efficiently or better. This part of my research aimed at assessing the performance of gene-edited barley lines previously modified for NUE capabilities. The target of this modification is the strigolactone (SL) gene. The gene edited SL barley plant is the first of its kind in barley and the world at large. To assess the potential of this plants, I grow them along with the un-edited barley plant under low and high nitrogen soils in the glasshouse. Results show that the gene edited plants are able to tolerate poor soil conditions better than the un-edited barley plant. This suggest that the edited plants have improved nitrogen use efficiency compared to the un-edited barley plants under low nitrogen soils. Furthermore, I tested the gene expression of both the gene edited and un-edited plants through RNA sequencing. The preliminary results suggest that the gene edited plant have elevated levels of genes that are responsible for utilising nitrogen compared to the un-edited barley plants. The next step in this objective would be to test the performance of these edited plants in field condition to assess their real-world potential. 

Reducing fertilizer use can help the environment and also reduce farmers cost. Herbicide tolerant crops can complement the implementation of the zero-tillage system in Australia. All together my PhD research is aiming to deliver smart barley cultivars that can tolerate poor soil conditions and herbicide application. 

Xiaoce Mary Ma

Improved yield and harvestability in Canola by reducing pod shatter related losses 

Mary, who comes from China, earned her Bachelor and Master degrees in Biotechnology at ANU. She is now undertaking a PhD in the ARC Training Centre for Future Crop Development at ANU, under the supervision of Dr. Julian Greenwood. She is also partnering with NSW DPIRD.  

Mary’s project aims to address the critical agricultural challenge of canola (B. napus) production called pod shatter. Pod shatter is a natural mechanism for canola to disperse seeds but can cause severe seed loss during canola harvest. 

To mitigate this issue, the project aims to identify and characterize the genes expressed during pod development that influence pod shatter susceptibility. By comparing pods with varying shatter levels—examining both how pod looks like and gene expression patterns—we aim to pinpoint differentially expressed genes that contribute to pod shatter. This project also aims to investigate the function of key genetic factors regulating pod shatter through the cutting-edge genome editing technique CRISPR/Cas9 and base editing. 

This integrated strategy combines observations of plant traits, gene expression pattern, and other biological insights to identify reliable indicators and breeding methods, ultimately leading to canola varieties that are more resistant to pod shatter.  

Ultimately, the findings will contribute to sustainable agricultural practices and global food security by reducing seed loss and improving harvestability. 

Muhammad Arslan Mahmood

Genomic interventions to combat blackleg disease in canola

Arslan joined the Training Centre in 2023 as a PhD student after completing his B.Sc. in Agriculture at the Islamia University of Bahawalpur (IUB) and his M.Phil. in Biotechnology at the Pakistan Institute for Engineering and Applied Sciences (PIEAS), Pakistan. During his undergraduate and graduate studies, Arslan received formal training in microbiology and biotechnology which sparked his curiosity about microbial studies. 

At the Training Centre, Arslan’s work focuses on improving canola’s disease resistance to help it thrive under stressful situations. The constant microbial pathogens present in an environment are a significant challenge for plant growth and productivity worldwide and Arslan believes that biotechnological interventions and gene-editing technologies are valuable tools for addressing these challenges. 

Specifically, Arslan investigates the role of canola genes in the infection process initiated by the blackleg pathogen (Leptosphaeria maculans) and by knocking out these genes, what will be the impact on canola’s growth and immunity. Previously reported studies in wheat, barley, tomato and citrus have shown evidence that suppressing such genes could provide effective and broad-spectrum disease resistance against fungal and bacterial pathogens.  

Previously reported studies in wheat, barley, tomato and citrus have shown evidence that suppressing such genes could provide effective and broad-spectrum disease resistance against fungal and bacterial pathogens. Manipulation of genes can be carried out by different genome editing technologies including CRISPR-Cas9 which can disrupt genes efficiently. Based on the previous examples, I adopted a similar approach. This fundamental research can be applied to engineer canola plant genes to minimise yield losses attributed to blackleg disease.   

Manipulation of genes can be carried out by different genome editing technologies including CRISPR-Cas9 which can disrupt genes efficiently. Based on the previous examples, I adopted similar approach  to engineer canola  genes to minimise yield losses attributed to blackleg disease. 

Sadia Majeed

Unlocking the Hidden Power of Photosynthesis in Canola 

Canola is one of Australia’s most important crops, contributing to the food industry, farm income, and the national economy. Like all plants, canola depends on photosynthesis, the process of converting sunlight into energy, for growth and seed production. And improving photosynthesis is seen as a promising way to boost crop yields without using more land or resources. 

But most traditional breeding programs focus on traits like yield or disease resistance and often overlook how much potential lies in plant physiology, especially photosynthesis. While leaves are known to be the main site of photosynthesis, there’s natural variation in how efficiently different canola varieties perform this process. In addition, canola pods also photosynthesise and may contribute directly to seed filling and oil yield at a very critical period of seed filling when there is no leaf available to support seed growth that determines yield. 

Therefore, my PhD research is exploring both the natural variation in leaf photosynthesis and the photosynthetic contribution of pods across a range of canola varieties. I’m using tools like gas exchange and fluorescence to measure photosynthetic performance, and Phenospex technology to track growth curves and biomass development non-destructively over time. 

In addition to studying natural variation, I’m also working with three transgenic canola lines, Rieske, PIP, and PGLP1, which have been engineered to improve different parts of the photosynthesis pathway. By comparing these lines with wild-type plants, I aim to understand whether boosting photosynthesis through genetic modification can lead to better growth and yield. 

By combining physiology, genetics, and cutting-edge phenotyping tools, this project supports the Future Crops Centre’s mission to deliver resilient, high-performing crops ready to meet future challenges. 

Ebtihal Mohamed

Investigation of the genetic diversity of seed oil traits in carinata  

There is great interest in developing carinata as a cover crop and producing biofuel sustainably from this species. Currently, carinata is an under-studied crop and there are only a hand full of publications describing the seed oil of this species and attempts to modify it. This project will focus on the seed oil of B. carinata and important traits.

Asma Zia Muhammad Hanif

Tiny tech, robust harvest: Developing nanotechnology enabled CRISPR gene editing in Chickpea

Australia is biggest exporter of chickpea, a globally significant legume. The development of sustainable crop varieties is crucial for global food security. But this development is hindered by various hurdles in a typical gene editing pathway which includes laborious tissue culture and prolonged screening times for getting a transgene free seed. 

 A cutting-edge approach, nanotechnology-enabled DNA-free gene editing, offers a precise and efficient method to improve crops such as chickpea without integrating foreign genetic material which are hard to gene-edit and regenerate by traditional methods. 

At the core of this innovation is gene editing technology, primarily utilizing the CRISPR-Cas9 system. This system acts as a highly specific molecular tool, capable of making targeted modifications to a plant’s inherent genetic code. Distinct from conventional genetic modification (GM), which often involves introducing genes from different species, DNA-free gene editing directly delivers the editing components (e.g., Cas9 protein and guide RNA). This method prevents the stable integration of exogenous DNA into the plant’s genome, potentially offering a more streamlined regulatory pathway and addressing concerns related to transgenic organisms. 

The critical role of nanotechnology in this process lies in its ability to overcome the delivery challenge. Plant cell walls pose a formidable barrier to the direct uptake of gene-editing precursors. Nanoparticles, designed as incredibly small delivery vehicles (e.g., carbon nanoparticles, lipid nanoparticles), are engineered to efficiently traverse these cellular defences. They encapsulate, compact and protect the big gene-editing machinery, ensuring its direct and precise delivery to the target sites within the plant cell. This feature of nanoparticles has been tested in wheat and tomato so far. 

By integrating the specificity of gene editing with the efficient delivery capabilities of nanotechnology, my project represents a significant step forward in developing DNA free chickpea in less time as compared to conventional gene editing methods and can help develop new chickpea varieties with desirable traits such as enhanced disease resistance, improved abiotic stress tolerance (e.g., drought, heat), increased yield, and augmented nutritional profiles. 

Zuzana Plšková

Enhancing wheat yield, photosynthesis and resilience via altering SAL1 function

Australia is one of the world’s largest grain exporters, with wheat and barley production worth $17.2 billion in 2022-2023. However, prolonged droughts driven by climate change present a significant threat to crop yields, compromising Australia’s economic stability and export capabilities. Developing wheat and barley varieties that maintain high yields under both optimal and water-limited conditions is crucial for securing future grain production.  

Wheat is a challenging crop to genetically improve due to its large, complex genome. There is a trade-off between grain yield and stress resilience, where improving one decreases the other, and very few genes could potentially improve both. My research focuses on optimizing that trade-off by targeting a gene called SAL1. In my project, I will analyse the effects of SAL1 mutations in wheat and see how they impact yield and stress resilience, investigate SAL1 localization, and further explore its role in cellular metabolism. Additionally, I will target SAL1 in barley to explore how its function compares across cereals. 

By evaluating results from both crops, my research could open the door for targeting other gene families in other crops for similar improvements. Ultimately, these findings will contribute to the development of new elite varieties, while ensuring practical applications that benefit breeders and growers alike. 

Reshma Roy

 Unlocking the Potential of Brassica carinata – A Super Crop for the Future  

Brassica carinata is a promising crop with multiple benefits—it is highly adaptable, resistant to pests, and can be used for biofuels, cover cropping, and improving soil health. Scientists and farmers are interested in its potential because it can thrive in challenging environments and support sustainable agriculture. Research has already shown that it has superior environmental resilience compared to other Brassica species.  

One major problem limits its widespread adoption: it flowers and matures too late. This makes it difficult to fit into farming cycles and reduces its efficiency as a rotational crop or biofuel source. Additionally, genetic transformation methods for Brassica carinata are still inefficient, making it challenging to modify the crop for better traits.  

My research aims to accelerate flowering in Brassica carinata using CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing to modify the Short Vegetative Phase (SVP) gene, which controls flowering time. By making precise genetic changes, I hope to develop early flowering varieties that are better suited for agriculture and industry. I am also optimizing tissue culture and transformation techniques to improve gene editing success. These advancements could make Brassica carinata a more viable and widely adopted crop for sustainable farming and biofuel production.  

Why Does Flowering Time Matter?  

Flowering time is a crucial trait in agriculture. If a plant flowers too late, it may not fit well into farming schedules, leading to lower yields or competition with main crops. My research aims to develop Brassica carinata varieties that flower earlier, making them more suitable as cover crops and for biofuel production.  

How Am I Doing This?  

0. Studying Flowering Behaviour I analyse how different environmental factors, such as day length (photoperiod) and cold exposure (vernalization), affect flowering time in Brassica carinata.  

1. By studying 124 different varieties, I identify naturally early flowering plants that could be used in future breeding programs.  

• Gene Editing for Faster Flowering I use CRISPR/Cas9, a cutting-edge gene-editing technology, to modify a key gene called SVP (Short Vegetative Phase), which delays flowering.  

• By “turning off” this gene, I aim to create plants that flower earlier without reducing their yield or adaptability.  

• Developing Efficient Genetic Transformation Methods Since gene editing requires efficient plant regeneration, I work on optimizing tissue culture techniques to improve the success rate of genetically modified plants.  

Why Is This Important?  

• Better Crops for Farmers: Early flowering Brassica carinata can be grown in rotation with major food crops, improving soil health and reducing the need for chemical fertilizers.  

• A Sustainable Biofuel Source: The oil-rich seeds can be used for biofuel, reducing reliance on fossil fuels.  

• Environmental Benefits: The plant is resilient to climate change, can grow in poor soils, and helps with soil conservation.  

By combining genetics, biotechnology, and traditional breeding, my research contributes to making Brassica carinata a more viable and sustainable crop for the future. 

Alex Seward

Establish the role of HKT in driving crop salinity tolerance and yield in a water limited environment

Soil salinity is a significant abiotic stress that negatively affects global crop production in both irrigated and rainfed regions. More than 50% of the Western Australian wheat belt is affected by dryland salinity, causing agricultural losses of >$500 million per annum in WA alone, and it is estimated that salinity results in losses of $1.3 billion yearly for the Australian economy. It is projected that by 2050 almost 50% of all arable land will be affected by salinity, leading to severe yield loss and threatening global food security. 

Bread wheat is one of the most widely cultivated cereal crops worldwide, and accounts for over 20% of global calories consumed. Whilst modern cultivars of bread wheat have been selected for their ability to limit sodium uptake from the soil, they are still considered a salt sensitive crop, and yield is severely reduced when grown in moderate-to-highly saline environments. Despite the vast majority of research focusing on further limiting the uptake of sodium from the soil, this has not led to the successful release of a bread wheat cultivar with improved salinity tolerance. It is therefore critical that attention shifts towards other principles of salt tolerance in order to alleviate the growing pressures of soil salinity. 

My project focuses on a recently discovered bread what landrace called Mocho de Espiga Branca, which lacks the ability to limit sodium uptake from the soil, and accumulates over 60-fold as much sodium as current elite varieties. Despite this high sodium accumulation, it seems to grow perfectly normally, with no detriment to biomass or yield. This discovery provides a new avenue into the realm of tissue tolerance, where wheat may be able to accumulate higher levels of sodium without the typical yield penalties seen in current elite cultivars. Discovering the underlying mechanisms behind the Mocho de Espiga Branca phenotype may allow us to unlock new pathways towards growing cereal crops in areas with higher salinity and lower water availability. 

Hiu Lam (Rita) Tam

Genome biology and virulence evolution of wheat stripe rust fungi 

Wheat stripe rust fungus (Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici) is a globally important fungal pathogen that threatens wheat production. While resistance breeding is effective, its durability is frequently challenged by the pathogen’s rapid evolution and exotic incursions that introduce novel virulence. Its ability to adapt is linked to a fungi-specific genome organisation known as dikaryotism, where each cell contains two haploid genomes housed in distinct nuclei. Dikaryotism enables the fungus to adopt diverse reproductive pathways to generate genetic diversity. Understanding how such organisation contributes to its evolutionary adaptive potential is crucial for improving pathogen surveillance. However, traditional short-read based genomic approaches often lack the resolution to capture full variation between these nuclei. To address this, my PhD research leverages long-read sequencing and multi-omics approaches to explore the genome biology and virulence evolution of this pathogen. The first part of my PhD explored how dikaryotism shapes key eukaryotic genome features, including notorious genomic “dark matter” often characterised by high repetitiveness, such as centromeres, transposable element hotspots and ribosomal DNA arrays. I also examined inter-nuclear genomic variations, allele-specific expression and DNA methylation profiles underlying genes potentially involved in host infections. A key finding was that allelic expression imbalances are frequent in secretome genes and are associated with gene-body methylation differences. This suggests that epigenetically mediated allele-specific expression may allow the pathogen to selectively silence recognised avirulence alleles to evade host immune recognition. Building on these findings, I am currently developing a phased pan-genome for wheat stripe rust fungus to capture genomic and gene content variation across global lineages, with the aim of improving our understanding of their evolutionary histories and informing lineage-specific molecular diagnostics. The outcomes of this research have the potential to contribute to more sustainable and cost-effective disease management strategies, and to support both academia and industry in addressing future biosecurity challenges. 

Hong Ting (Natalie) Tsang

Harnessing Synthetic Biology for Retrograde Signalling

Chloroplasts are essential organelles in plant stress signaling, particularly through retrograde pathways that communicate environmental changes to the nucleus. A key player in this process is hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), which can act as a rapid signaling molecule when spatially controlled. Despite the importance of these pathways, tools for precisely manipulating and monitoring signal origin, especially at the chloroplast, remain limited. 

Current approaches largely rely on native protein reporters or global treatments, which lack the spatial resolution and synthetic flexibility needed to separate or fine tune chloroplast-based signaling. In particular, there is a gap in tools that enable customizable localization of synthetic components to specific chloroplast subdomains. 

This project applies synthetic biology to address this limitation by first identifying and validating targeting sequences that direct proteins specifically to the chloroplast’s inner and outer envelopes. These sequences are then used to localize engineered protein constructs, including TIP1;1 variants, for modulating membrane-associated signaling. The project’s second phase involves constructing a synthetic retrograde signaling circuit that links chloroplast-localized sensors to nuclear gene expression. This framework enables the programmable control of plant stress responses, paving the way for future applications in biosensing and adaptive trait design. 

Rebeccah Tyrrell

Improving energy use efficiency and photosynthesis in wheat to boost yield

An emerging target of plant yield improvement is the re-channelling of energy away from other costly processes and into yield, termed ‘energy-use-efficiency’ (EUE). Our field trial data, part of the International Wheat Yield Partnership (IWYP), revealed new target genes involved in controlling key respiration processes negatively correlated with wheat yield. In my project, I aim to study the effects of these genes, and manipulate them for yield improvements. 

Current methods of manipulating gene expression are done by completely removing the function of a gene (‘knocking it out’) or enhancing its expression well above native levels (‘overexpressing it’), but these genes are important for plant function so it may be more beneficial to ‘tune’ down their expression instead of switching it off. To achieve this, I am studying how regulatory structures and sequences within the RNA can be used to more precisely ‘tune’ gene expression. So far, I have found short sequences in the RNA which can be used to produce measurable changes in expression in a high-throughput single-cell system. Next, I aim to characterise the newly discovered RNA sequence and conserved regions for their potential to regulate the expression of my target EUE genes. Better understanding these regulatory regions may offer new, more subtle ways of controlling gene expression in an environmentally responsive manner, that could lend themselves to applications towards plants with increased EUE and fitness. For example, a region may be used to more flexibly turn genes on/off in response to small changes in water availability or light. 

Another goal of my project is to develop a pipeline of testing EUE in plant cells using fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS) and respiration measurements (using an Agilent SeaHorse XF Analyzer). It can take many months to produce a transgenic wheat plant or new breeding line to test genes linked to yield, but with single cells we may be able to measure the effects of up to 20 genes on respiratory traits at a time! 

Positive gene candidates and regulatory elements will be used to generate stable wheat transgenics that will be tested in field applications for yield in collaboration with my industry partner InterGrain. Uncovering these mechanisms and determining their regulatory potential will reveal new ways to regulate gene expression. By gaining a better understanding of these mechanisms, discovering which regions regulate what, and applying them effectively, smarter, more yield-stable germplasm may be developed. 

Christina Wenzl

Envisioning the Future of Foods: The Intersections of Sustainability, Gene Technologies and Consumer Food Values in Australia 

Australia’s high consumption of animal protein has been widely reviewed by scientists as ‘unsustainable.’ At the same time, there is growing academic and industrial interest in the role of using gene technologies in enhancing the ‘sustainability’ of food production systems. 

Yet, while ‘sustainability’ is a widely used term, it remains highly contested, with no universally accepted definition among scientists or publics. Additionally, little research exists on the attitudes of consumers who are reducing or avoiding animal protein regarding the use of gene technologies to develop crops used as plant-based protein sources. 

This research, therefore, examines: (a) the ‘sustainability’ claims made in the literature on using gene technologies to “enhance” crops, (b) how Australian consumers conceptualize and define ‘sustainability,’ (c) their attitudes toward the use of gene technologies to improve the ‘sustainability’ of crops used as plant-based protein sources, and (d) how reducing or avoiding animal protein influences these attitudes.” 

This research uses qualitative methodologies including focus groups with key community groups, and thematic analysis of key resources such as popular media and scholarly literature published in the field of plant sciences, agricultural biotechnology and related disciplines. 

Ava Wilkinson

Transforming Markets for Future Crop Technologies 

Unlocking the future of crop technology involves not only adapting to the market but actively shaping it. Market-shaping emerges as a viable strategy to transform the agricultural landscape and shape the future crop technologies market. Market-shaping refers to the intentional efforts by firms and other market actors to influence market structures, expectations, and practices, among other factors. Future crop technologies, which encompass genetic modification, gene editing, and other innovative technologies aimed at enhancing crop sustainability, require widespread change to gain acceptance and facilitate further market development. 

This research project aims to understand how managers, organisations, and other market actors, such as regulators, intentionally seek to influence or transform the market for future crop technologies. 

This research will systematically review the theoretical foundations underlying the market-shaping concept, proposing it as a theory. Furthermore, by collecting longitudinal data, it will investigate the evolution of developing, establishing, and implementing market-shaping strategies over time through interviews with managers across the agri-biotech industry. 

Yiting Xie

Individual-Plant Level Flowering Prediction in Wheat and Canola Biotechnology Field Trials via Automated Machine Vision Approaches 

Accurate prediction of flowering time is a critical requirement in biotechnology field trials, where each genetically modified plant must be individually monitored to meet biosafety regulations. In countries such as Australia, researchers are required to forecast the onset of flowering at least 14 days in advance to allow for timely containment measures and prevent unintended gene flow. Flowering varies significantly among individual plants due to micro-environmental and genetic differences. To meet regulatory requirements, researchers must visually assess plant development through frequent manual inspections, typically conducted two to three times per week. This process is labour-intensive, prone to subjectivity, and difficult to scale across large trial sites. Manual inspections are one of the major contributors to the high operational cost of biotechnology field trials. These trials can cost between 600 and 1000 AUD per square metre due to licensing, inspection, and monitoring requirements, while conventional trials typically cost only 2 to 5 AUD per square metre.  

The research project introduces a fully automated, image-based system for predicting flowering at the individual plant level in wheat and canola. For wheat grown under warm-season conditions, hyperspectral imaging is used to detect subtle physiological signals at early developmental stages (e.g., Zadoks stages 37 to 41, from flag leaf visibility to booting) to support flowering time prediction. Under normal and cool growing conditions, RGB imagery combined with environmental data enables the detection of spike emergence for more accurate anthesis forecasting. These models achieve approximately 80% accuracy in individual-level flowering prediction. In contrast, canola exhibits more stable timing between the green bud stage and anthesis. Once a plant reaches the green bud stage (BBCH 51–55), flowering typically occurs within 14 to 21 days. The automated machine vision system targets this stage as a reliable morphological indicator for early anthesis prediction. Using high-resolution RGB imagery and advanced object detection algorithms, the model achieves up to 95% accuracy in detecting individual green buds under field conditions. 

This system offers a scalable, regulation-ready alternative to manual inspections. It reduces labour demands, improves the accuracy of flowering documentation, and lowers the cost of compliance in biotechnology field trials. The outcome supports more efficient deployment of GM crops and encourages the broader adoption of automated phenotyping technologies in agriculture. 

Rose Zhang

Exploring the role of aquaporins in chickpea (Cicer arietinum) drought resistance

Water is the most universally limiting determinant of crop yield in Australia and increasing rainfall extremes will pose a critical threat to future crop production. As the world’s largest exporter of chickpea, it is crucial for Australian growers to maintain and improve chickpea production under current and future drought conditions. To address this challenge, my PhD research harnesses emerging molecular approaches to enhance chickpea drought resistance beyond what has been possible through traditional breeding methods. My project is shaped by invaluable discussions with various industry bodies in the Australian agricultural space, where I have been inspired to address the barriers facing improved lab-to-field research translation in chickpea drought research. Namely, we lack realistic approaches for examining drought stress outside of the field (e.g., in laboratories). To build enduring tools for chickpea drought research, and for drought research more broadly, I’ve developed a robust method for realistically simulating Australian drought conditions in chickpea under glasshouse conditions. Using this method, I’m building a comprehensive drought-focused transcriptomic and proteomic resource for chickpea. Ultimately, this resource will facilitate the identification of key gene or protein targets for building greater drought resilience in this critical pulse crop.