Associate Lecturer Dr Georgina Robbins combines genetics teaching with research on rhizobia, legumes, and mobile genetic elements.

You may know Associate Lecturer Dr Georgina Robbins (nee Stagg) through your genetics units. She has always had a passion for science, studying chemistry and physics during high school. However, she became more intrigued by biology when she made the move from Esperance to Perth to study Molecular Biology and Biomedical Science. She was drawn to the logical and factual nature of the scientific field. Working in science provides answers, while also creating opportunities for discussion and sense of discovery or problem-solving. 

Georgina has a busy schedule as Unit Coordinator for Genetic Engineering in Semester 1 and Unit Manager for Biochemistry in Semester 2, while also conducting research and supervising Honours students and undergraduate research projects.

Towards the end of her undergraduate degree, she took part in a semester research project that provided opportunities to build connections and learn more about the research field. This experience helped her develop a strong professional relationship with her supervisors and her interest in soil bacteria, and their mobile genetic elements. She became particularly interested in the process of nitrogen fixation and the symbiotic relationship between soil bacteria (rhizobia) and legume plants. In this relationship, rhizobia can infect legume roots and within root nodules fix inert atmospheric nitrogen into a bioavailable form for plant growth. Georgina highlights this experience as a great opportunity for meeting supervisors A/Prof Jason Terpollili and Dr Graham O’Hara from the Legume Rhizobium Sciences group at Murdoch University. Their mentoring and support provided huge inspiration for her focus of research.

She took a break after her Bachelor degree to travel through America before coming back to undertake Honours. Her thesis examined the integrative and conjugative elements (ICEs) of Mesorhizobium, a genus of commonly found soil bacteria. ICEs are mobile genetic elements that can excise from the host’s chromosome and be transferred to a recipient cell. Georgina’s work focused on these ICEs and their role in nitrogen fixation in the symbiotic relationship between rhizobia and legumes. After completing her Honours, she began working in her field as a quality control microbiologist, however soon she realised that the repetitive nature of this work did not suit her long-term interests.

Alongside working in the industry, Georgina continued to maintain her research capacity at Murdoch by  applying her knowledge of the symbiotic relationship between legumes and specific rhizobia strains such as Rhizobium leguminosarum biovar viciae. The 2021 study investigated the current commercial rhizobia inoculant impact in low-quality soil, caused by low pH, dryness, or general infertility. Overall, aiming to improve the growth of forage and grain legumes under these conditions through increase nitrogen fixation.

She returned for further studies commencing a PhD on the genetic determinants of host range in Mesorhizobium, specifically the Mesorhizobium ciceri WSM1284 strain. Her research explored the genetic behind why some strains of rhizobia could nodulate multiple legume species while others could not. She also established standardized procedures and troubleshooting protocols for deleting genes within rhizobia during this work.

Shortly after finishing her PhD, Georgina took maternity leave, and life became more focused on finding a balance between parenthood and her career. When she was ready to return, she helped to manage several of the genetics units and took on the Unit coordination role for Genetic Engineering. Being involved in these teaching roles has developed a strong interest in teaching and mentoring students in their genetics classes and research projects.

Georgina encourages MMFS students and graduates to make the most of their undergraduate experience by building relationships with your peers, by attending and participating in classes and taking part in projects and work experience opportunities. She highlights finding the right supervisors that can help foster specific research interests and build on your individual strengths. These activities provide opportunities to explore different work environments and develop strong connections with the people who can help guide and support your journey.

By Emma Hall, MMF302 

References

Robbins, G. R. (2025). Genetic determinants of host range in Mesorhizobium ciceri WSM1284 [PhD thesis, Murdoch University]. Murdoch University Research Repository.

Stagg, G. R. (2018). Creation and characterisation of genetically marked Mesorhizobium integrative and conjugative elements [Honours thesis, Murdoch University]. Murdoch University Research Repository.

Yates, R. J., Steel, E. J., Poole, C. M., Harrison, R. J., Edwards, T. J., Hackney, B. F., Stagg, G. R., & Howieson, J. G. (2021). Optimizing the growth of forage and grain legumes on low pH soils through the application of superior Rhizobium leguminosarum biovar viciae strains. Grass and Forage Science, 76(1), 44-56. https://doi.org/10.1111/gfs.12523