Murdoch University’s Honorary Professor in Biotechnology and Agriculture, Professor Peter Langridge, is among 22 Australians recognised for their outstanding contributions to science.
Professor Langridge, from the Centre for Crop and Food Innovation in the Food Futures Institute, was recently elected a 2022 Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science (AAS). Fellows of the AAS are considered among the nation’s most distinguished scientists.
Professor Langridge was heralded for his research revolutionising plant development in Australia and internationally - specifically the development and implementation of cereal breeding technologies, in which he initiated the application of molecular marker technology in large cereal and legume breeding programs in South Australia while working at The University of Adelaide.
These technologies were ultimately adopted by all major cereal breeding programs in Australia. At the same time, Professor Langridge trained many postgraduate students in emerging breeding technologies.
He has also pioneered the introduction of plant functional genomics into Australian crop improvement programs and was a member of a core group that initiated the international barley genome sequencing program.
Currently he Chairs the Scientific Board of The Wheat Initiative - a global partnership initiated by research and funding organisations from several countries and endorsed by the G20 Agricultural Ministers to improve world food security.
Professor Langridge said he was honoured to be recognised by the AAS. Reflecting on his 40-year career, he was particularly proud of his work integrating advanced genome discoveries for crop improvement in Australia.
Agricultural science is truly international and over the years the partnerships and collaborations with colleagues and students from around the world has made my work both satisfying and enjoyable."
Professor Langridge has published more than 250 papers and chapters and published his first book - Plant Genomics: Methods and Protocols. He has also been an Australia Day Ambassador since 2015, an Honorary Fellow of Food Standards Australia and New Zealand, and received honours from scientific institutes all over the world.
Professor Rajeev Varshney, Director of the Centre for Crop & Food Innovation, and International Chair in Agriculture & Food Security at Murdoch, said Professor Langridge was a distinguished crop geneticist, long-term collaborator and mentor for both himself and many Murdoch graduates.
“We are very excited to have Peter as Honorary Professor with the Centre now elected to the Australian Academy of Science. It is a recognition of dedicated efforts, scientific contributions and research leadership of Peter for agriculture research in Australia and globally,” Professor Varshney said.
For more information on the fellowship visit here, and here for his achievements.