News
Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology Group presents Professor Caixia Gao.
From the 8th-10th of April 2015, the Plant Molecular and Biotechnology Group at the University of Melbourne had the privilege to host Professor Caixia Gao from the State Key Laboratory of Plant Cell and Chromosome Engineering Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences.
Professor Gao is a principal investigator whose main research interest is to develop high-throughput transgene technologies for common wheat (Triticumaestivum L.) and maize (Zea mays) and other major crops to satisfy the needs of crop improvement and gene discovery. Currently, Professor Gao has developed and patented advanced genome-editing techniques to create a strain of wheat resistant to a destructive fungal pathogen powdery mildew.
During Professor Gao’s stay with us, we were lucky enough to have Professor Gao present a seminar titled ‘Developing Genome Editing Technology for Crop Improvement.’
Welcome Exchange and Study Abroad Students!
On Wednesday the 18th of March 2015, Prof. Mohan Singh and Dr. Nanette Esparon organised a welcome mixer for exchange students studying at the University of Melbourne enrolled in Prof. Singh’s breadth subject Food for a Healthy Planet (UNIB10009).
Students had a chance to meet and mingle with local students, lecturers, tutors and research fellows from the Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences. Students also had the opportunity to meet Prof. Scott Russel from the University of Oklahoma. Prof. Russell is the Director of Samuel Roberts Noble Microscopy Lab at the University of Oklahoma and is visiting the Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology Group from March 16th-20th. Prof. Russell has been an honorary member of the Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology Group since 1997 and we are happy to have him back with us even if it’s only for a week.
The Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Science and the Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology Group would once again like to welcome all our exchange students from around the world including Norway, Brazil, China, Sweden, Canada and Germany. We hope your time at the University of Melbourne is enjoyable and we wish you all the best.
The Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology Group celebrates a new addition to the family.
On Friday 20th of February 2015, the Plant Molecular and Biotechnology Group celebrated the upcoming arrival of a new addition to our growing family with afternoon drinks at University House. Dr. Lim Chee Liew is expecting her first child- a baby girl this March and we would like to wish her all the best as she leaves us to start her maternity leave. Congratulations Dr. Lim Chee Liew, we can’t wait to meet the new addition to the Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology family.
Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology Group presents Professor Xiu-Jie Wang.
From the 15th – 21st February 2015, the Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology Group had the pleasure of hosting Professor Xiu-Jie Wang from the Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences http://omicslab.genetics.ac.cn/
Professor Wang is currently focused on developing novel computational methods to analyze the fast increasing genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics and other large-scale biological data, to identify new non-coding regulatory RNA genes in eukaryotic genomes, to decipher their transcription regulatory mechanisms and to construct non-coding RNA involved gene regulatory networks.
During Professor Wang’s stay with us, we were lucky enough to have Professor Wang provide us with a two-day intensive bioinformatics workshop using software developed by her group including GOEAST (Gene Ontology Enrichment Analysis Software Toolkit) and psRobot (Plant Small RNA Analysis Toolbox).
Dr. Noorina Seedat, Professor. Mohan Singh, Professor Xiu-Jie Wang and Professor Prem Bhalla in the Systems Garden at the University of Melbourne.
Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology Group Christmas 2014.
To celebrate a wonderful and productive year, the plant molecular biology and biotechnology group celebrated in style with a dinner at University House.
Good food, lots of laughs and a few bottles of bubbly to celebrate.
Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology Group presents Professor Dabing Zhang and Professor Wanqi Liang.
From the 22nd-26th of September 2014, the Plant Molecular and Biotechnology Group at the University of Melbourne had the privilege to host Professor/ Deputy Dean Dabing Zhang and Professor Wanqi Liang from the School of Life Sciences, Shanghai Jiao Tong University.
Professor Zhang presented a seminar on ‘Metabolic pathway required for pollen exine development in plants.’
An afternoon tea was held in honour of Professor Zhang and Professor Liang’s visit.
Food for a Healthy Planet
Prof. Mohan Singh- Group Director of the Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology Group, coordinates one of the largest breadth subjects at The University of Melbourne- Food for a Healthy Planet. Find out what Food for a Healthy Planet is all about. Do you eat food? Have you ever thought about how food impacts your lifestyle and the environment? What food is more nutritious and which is better for the sustainability of the planet? Follow the link to find out what Dr Anneline Padayachee has to say about the ‘Food for a healthy planet’ breadth subject at The University of Melbourne.
Food for a healthy planet: food facts for life
Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology Group presents Professor. Ashwani Pareek and Dr. Sneh Singla-Pareek.
On Monay the 19th of May 2014, the Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology Group at the University of Melbourne hosted seminars from two visiting scholars:
Professor. Ashwanu Pareek from the School of Life Sciences,
Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
http://www.jnu.ac.in/Faculty/ashwani/
And
Dr. Sneh Singla- Pareek,
International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology
Aruna Asaf Ali Marg 110 067 New Delhi, India
http://www.icgeb.org/pi-singla-pareek.html
Professor. Ashwani Pareek presented a seminar on New Insights into salinity stress of rice obtained from the “OMICS” investigations. And Dr. Sneh Singla- Pareek presented a seminar on Multigene Engineering Bridges the Yield Gap in Rice under Abiotic Stress Conditions.
An afternoon tea was held in honour of Professor. Ashwani Pareek and Dr. Sneh Singla-Pareek’s visit.
Dean’s lecture with Anthony Pratt, Executive Chairman VISY
Mr. Anthony Pratt, Executive Chairman VISY, delivered a presentation at the University of Melbourne titled “Creating a sustainable green revolution” on 15 April 2014.
To download the full audio of the presentation click here: http://content.lecture.unimelb.edu.au:8080/ess/echo/presentation/063726d4-12c7-4f9f-84cb-d877434313b2/media.m4v
You can also read the full presentation transcript by click here: http://www.land-environment.unimelb.edu.au/docs/news-and-events/deans-lecture-series/anthony-pratt-deans-lecture-transcript.pdf
There’s also an abridged version on The Australian: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/sustainable-green-revolution-our-key-to-help-feed-world/story-e6frg8zx-1226885658520
Food for a Healthy Planet Prezi Competition
On Thursday 3 October 2013 the Food for a Healthy Planet team held an event showcasing the finalists and announcing the winners of the Many Faces of Obesity student competition. University of Melbourne students and Melbourne High Schools
(Yr 10-12) were challenged to answer some difficult questions related to obesity and our society and present their ideas in the form of an engaging prezi/video clip.
First place winner Elaine Konadu Osei-Safo was awarded $1500 from MSLE for her efforts. Elaine is a first year Science student who’s very interested in health, fitness, nutrition as well as psychology.
Click here to read the full story and to watch the winning presentations: http://www.land-environment.unimelb.edu.au/news-and-events/news/ffahp-prezi-competition-winners-announced.html
Mohan Singh, ‘Food lies at the core of a healthy, sustainable society’
The fundamental role of food is to provide nutrition for the body but it is much more than that. Food lies at the heart of our health and the health of our environment.
Environmental sustainability directly impacts food supply and, in turn, food production directly affects the health of our natural environment.
Prof Mohan Singh is Associate Dean of Strategic Partnerships and Professor of Agri-Food Biotechnology
Melbourne School of Land and Environment, The University of Melbourne
To read this story from The Conversation:
http://theconversation.com/food-lies-at-the-core-of-a-healthy-sustainable-society-18455
XXII International Congress on Sexual Plant Reproduction
University of Melbourne
From the 13th-17th of February 2012, the XXII International Congress on Sexual Plant Reproduction: Plant Reproduction For Food was held at the University of Melbourne. Over 210 delegates and sponsors attended the conference from more than 25 countries. The conference provided an exciting, motivating and stimulating environment which provided everyone with the opportunity to network with colleagues. The conference marked a new turning point in plant reproduction biology by managing to seamlessly combine core strengths in cutting edge biology with wider perspectives on how fundamental discoveries in plant reproductive biology can make a significant contribution to issues like food security and sustainability in a changing climate.
Photos of the conference can be found on the flickr website (http://www.flickr.com/photos/76117487@N06/sets/)
Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology Laboratory 