The primary aim of our work is to understand the mechanisms employed by plants to thrive in nutritional extremes, such as saline or acidic soils. Ultimately we plan to breed or genetically engineer crop plants to increase their productivity on such soils.  More details of our program are given in the Research Overview; also in our Nutriome Network website.

Our main tools are molecular, genetic and physiological. Most work done in the laboratory involves the development of transgenic plants and the application of a range of physiological techniques to explore the mechanisms and control of ion transport within the plant. In the environment of the ACPFG, we are now also able to use the tools of forward genetics to positionally clone genes conferring Na+ tolerance.

This site will allow you access downloadable full text of our recent publications and theses, and read the aims of our current projects. If you have any queries about our work, please do not hesistate to get in touch.

You can read a bit more about our aims in an Australian Research Council Feature Article.

New news!
We have just been awarded an Australian Research Council Discovery Grant of nearly $1.5m, to investigate processes in the root that control the accumulation of solutes in the shoot. We will be using gene activation in specific cell types in the root of Arabidopsis, and assaying effects on shoot nutrient content and abiotic stress tolerance.