Media Release: September 18, 2008
MPBCRC SCIENTIST WINS GOLDACRE AWARD
Dr Jason Able has been awarded the prestigious Goldacre award from the Australian Society of Plant Scientists for his work with the Molecular Plant Breeding CRC.
The Goldacre award celebrates research by early career scientists. Dr Able won the award for his work investigating and manipulating genes in wheat that are essential for processes during meiosis.
"Successful reproduction depends on precise timing and coordination of a series of events during meiosis. By studying these processes, we can develop more effective plant breeding programs which can enhance food production," Dr Able explained.
"Cereal crops provide around 70% of the world's food supply. It's essential that we understand what's happening at a basic reproduction level."
Dr Able's research interests lie in understanding the molecular mechanisms that control chromosome pairing and recombination within cereals, specifically bread wheat.
"Jason's achievements in the field of meiosis have been groundbreaking", says Dr Glenn Tong, CEO of the Molecular Plant Breeding CRC (MPBCRC).
"Previous research on meiosis has focused on simpler organisms such as yeast and Arabidopsis. Dr Able's research on bread wheat provides an important knowledge base for one of the most important staple food crops in the world", Dr Tong said.
"This research informs other areas of the MPBCRC's work, helping our breeding programs develop significant improvements in drought, salinity and disease tolerance", Dr Tong explained.
"Dr Able has also played an important role mentoring young scientists within the MPBCRC, supervising a number of post-graduate students. His commitment is helping to establish the next generation of plant scientists", says Dr Tong.
Dr Able will accept the award and prsent his research in September at ComBio, the Combined Annual Conferences of the Australian Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, the Australia and New Zealand Society for Cell and Developmental Biology and the Australian Society of Plant Scientists. The research will also be published in Functional Plant Biology.
Contact:
Molecular Plant Breeding CRC
P: +61 3 9479 1698
E: mpb@molecularplantbreeding.com
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