Agriculture experts
Murdoch University works at the forefront of the new era of environmentally sustainable agriculture. The University has been Western Australia’s leader in adopting a sustainable approach to agriculture and providing solutions using biotechnology and bioinformatics.
Murdoch’s research has a strong track record in both livestock and cropping; and in managing environmental, policy and epidemiological issues associated with agricultural practices.
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Professor Shashi SharmaDr Shashi Sharma is an expert in policy, regulation and science relating to biosecurity risk management, market access and trade and agriculture protection. He has extensive first-hand experience of working in several countries in Asia and Africa, the UK and the USA. He is a strong advocate of biosecurity as an integral part of global food security and has been internationally speaking on biosecurity and food security issues for a number of years. He is former Director, Plant Biosecurity at the Department of Agriculture and Food Western Australia, ex-Head and Professor, Division of Nematology at the Indian Agriculture Research Institute and Scientist at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics. He has authored/co-authored over 200 publications, including two books. Presently he is Leader of the Safeguarding Trade program of Australia’s Plant Biosecurity Cooperative Research Centre. He sits on several national and international committees and has until recently served as Chairman of three industry committees in Western Australia – the Grains Industry Biosecurity Committee, the Horticulture Industry Biosecurity Committee and the Bee Industry Consultative Committee. |
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Professor Michael JonesPlant biotechnology and genetic manipulation He specialises in plant biotechnology, biosecurity, genetically modified plants and the molecular basis of interactions between plants and plant pathogens. He heads the Plant Biotechnology Research Group with about 15 researchers. His expertise includes molecular diagnostics and marker-assisted breeding, with current major contributions in plant virology and host-pathogen interactions of plant parasitic nematodes. In recent work his group has used new ‘short read’ nucleic acid sequencing technologies coupled with sequence assembly and analysis to identify 50 plant viruses either new to Australia or to science. In the plant nematology, his group has sequenced the transcriptomes of three plant parasitic nematodes, and used this information to develop GM plants with novel resistance to economically important nematodes. He has published over 230 research articles, including co-authoring two books. As a member of the Commonwealth Government ‘Australian Biotechnology Advisory Council’ (ABAC, 2003-2008)), he contributed to advising government ministers on national biotechnology policy. He has also participated in many debates on GM crops. |
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Professor Glenn AlbrechtSustainability, environmental history and environmental politics Glenn Albrecht is an environmental philosopher with both theoretical and applied interests in the relationship between ecosystem and human health. He has pioneered the research domain of ‘psychoterratic’ or earth related mental health conditions with his concept of ‘solastalgia’ or the lived experience of negative environmental change. Professor Albrecht is the Director of the Institute for Social Sustainability. |
Dr Wayne ReeveMicrobiology, microbial genomics Dr Wayne Reeve is a senior lecturer in the School of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology and teaches in Cell Biology, Microbiology and Biochemistry units. He has completely established the genomes of five microsymbiotic bacteria and has 20 more in a sequencing facility production pipeline. He currently coordinates the activities of the US funded GEBA-RNB (Genome Encyclopedia of Bacteria and Archaea-Root Nodule Bacteria) project consisting of an international consortium of 32 scientists from 15 different countries involved in sequencing the genomes of 100 geographically distinct root nodule bacteria. |
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Professor John HowiesonSustainable agriculture, nitrogen fixation in legumes Professor John Howieson is an internationally recognised expert in sustainable agriculture, specialising in the nitrogen fixation of legume crops. Professor Howieson was the Foundation Director of the Centre for Rhizobium Studies at Murdoch University and he has led the discovery program for several new pasture and forage legumes in Australian agriculture. Currently he is on the steering committee for the project “N2Africa: Putting nitrogen fixation to work for smallholder farmers in Africa”. This US$20 million program is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. |
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Associate Professor Robert TrengoveSeparation science and metabolomics Associate Professor Rob Trengove is the Director for the Murdoch Separation Science and Metabolomics Laboratory and the node leader for the Murdoch Node of Metabolomics Australia. Professor Trengove has pioneered the development of MS-based ‘omics techniques for more than 20 years, collaborating with Australian and International researchers and industry. He currently leads a team of more than 15 researchers working on a diverse range of topics including HIV/AIDs, iron disorders, desalination, microalgae lipidomics, fungal and bacterial metabolomics. Professor Trengove has published more than 50 high-impact journal articles and has ongoing commercial contract research arrangements with major industry players in the petrochemical, clinical and animal health pharmaceutical sector. |
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Dr Kirsty BaylissPlant biosecurity and crop disease, development of new plant varieties Dr Kirsty Bayliss is a plant pathologist and has worked on plant diseases affecting many crops including pastures, legumes and oilseeds as well as native ecosystems and tree plantations. Dr Bayliss has also worked in plant tissue culture and plant biotechnology, specifically in the production of new varieties of plants. In her current role she is responsible for coordinating the education and training program within the Cooperative Research Centre for National Plant Biosecurity. Dr Bayliss is also a member of the international QUADs biosecurity education program, aimed at developing international standards for teaching biosecurity. Based at Murdoch University, she lectures in biosecurity, plant pathology and plant biotechnology and is currently the Academic Chair for courses in biosecurity. |
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Professor John PluskePig nutrition and physiology Professor Pluske conducts research related to the nutrition and digestive physiology of pigs (particularly weanling pigs) but has also worked in a number of other monogastric species including dogs, horses and chickens. His other research interests encompass alternatives to antimicrobials in piglet diets, the role of nutrition and the environment in modifying immune function and the gastrointestinal microbiota, feedstuff evaluation, and controlling enteric diseases in pigs without antimicrobials. Professor Pluske is the Director of the Animal Research Institute at Murdoch University that aims to strategically unite, foster and grow animal-based research, postgraduate education and delivery to its stakeholders for the University. The Institute represents a key collection of researchers in four core activities, namely production animal research, companion animal research, animal biosecurity and health, and wildlife biology and systems. |
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Associate Professor Mehmet CakirAgricultural biotechnology, gene discovery and breeding in wheat and barley Associate Professor Mehmet Cakir is nationally and internationally recognised in agricultural biotechnology area with a particular expertise in gene discovery and breeding for biotic and abiotic stresses in wheat and barley. His research interests include breeding for biosecurity threats to Australia, such as Stem rust strain Ug99 and Russian Wheat Aphid. He is currently leading the global Russian Wheat Aphid Project with research partners from the USA, France, Turkey, Syria, Iran, South Africa, Kenya, Ethiopia and Argentina. |
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Professor Nick CostaSustainable grazing, rumen ecology and nutrient management Professor Nick Costa researches livestock grazing systems and the impact of trace elements, in particular the minerals selenium and copper in sheep and cattle which may be limiting productivity and reproduction among Western Australian livestock. He specialises in sustainable grazing systems and the fundamentals of livestock nutrition and grazing management. |
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Professor David PethickBiochemistry – from the paddock to the plate Professor David Pethick is an agricultural scientist specialising in biochemistry and livestock nutrition. He researches carbohydrate and fat metabolism in sheep, cattle and horses and studies the biochemistry of exercise.Professor Pethick conducts consumer taste panels to discover the qualities needed for repeat purchase of meat products, and will soon study the human health qualities of meat, such as lamb’s Omega3 and iron content which may provide useful marketing tools for the industry in the future. |
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Professor Richard BellSoil fertility and land management Professor Richard Bell is an expert in soil fertility and land management. He specialises in soil management in highly weathered soils, fertility and management constraints associated with acid, salt-affected and degraded soils, fertiliser requirements for field cropping, rehabilitation of degraded land, the physiology and agronomy of food legumes, canola, wheat and rice, and mine rehabilitation. |
To reach these experts for media enquiries, contact:
| Rob Payne Media & Communications Coordinator Phone: 08 9360 2491 r.payne@murdoch.edu.au |
Candice Barnes Media & Communications Coordinator Phone: 08 9360 2474 c.barnes@murdoch.edu.au |
Pepi Smyth Media & Communications Coordinator Phone: 08 9360 1289 p.smyth@murdoch.edu.au |
For all other enquiries, please ring reception on 08 9360 6000.
