Find a supervisor
The following staff are available to supervise honours and masters research in the CropGEM Lab: Crop Genetics and Molecular Evolution Lab.
A/Prof Mohammad Pourkheirandish
Mohammad is a molecular biologist and plant geneticists with a passion for studying the molecular pathways that influence crop morphology and developmental variation. His research involves exploring natural diversity to identify genes with beneficial agricultural effects including sustainability, and investigations into the mechanism of crop domestication to enhance future crop adaptability, and the elimination of detrimental factors associated with domestication genes.
Project topics:
- Molecular basis of grain dispersal in cereals. We are investigating the mechanism by which grains separate from the stems in cereals and how understanding this mechanism can assist in the utilisation of environmentally-adapted wild crop genetics.
- Genetics and genomics of traits for crop enhancement. This research domain includes resilience to abiotic stressors like heat, drought, and salinity and the efficiency of nutrient uptake.
- Barley head loss tolerance. We are researching the mechanism of stem strength to prevent yield loss for Australian barley growers, as it significantly contributes to the final output.
- Negative consequences associated with crop domestication. We are investigating the detrimental factors closely linked to domesticated genes. The introduction of new diversity through cross-hybridisation has been impractical for the regions surrounding the domesticated genes due to strong selection for the domesticated alleles. We are working to challenge and change this situation!
Dr Tim Rabanus-Wallace
Tim is an evolutionary biologist and bioinformatician who applies innovative approaches to the challenges of agricultural genetics. Some of his work includes assembling genomes, creating new ways to visualise how crop genetic diversity is spread and shared among global communities, investigating the ecological impacts of past climate events, and working towards conservation strategies for Australian native grasslands. He has a particular focus on building creative bioinformatic skills, Formula 1 racing, the role of science in society, and long impassioned discussions requiring many whiteboards.
Project topics:
- The role of genome size in adaptation. What factors influence the size of genomes over evolutionary time, and what are the implications for agriculture? A comparative genomic study with a major bioinformatics component.
- Demographic history of the Australian native Kangaroo grass. Australia's dominant ecozone--the grassland mosaic--was decimated by colonial agriculture. We will use genetic marker data from the key species Themeda triandra to reconstruct the population's history using Bayesian phylogenetics including MSMC methods.