Professor German Spangenberg on Plant Gene Technology
Plant Gene Technology in a Climate of Change for Food, Feed and Energy:
Significant progress has been made in the development and exploitation of plant gene technologies derived from genomic discoveries. These will find applications in food, feed, health, bioenergy and bioindustry and contribute to addressing challenges for global food security in a climate of change. Recent advances and applications of high-throughput methodologies for plant functional genomics – from genome to phenome - in crops and pastures that provide the knowledge base for these developments will be described. Selected examples of current approaches on the molecular genetic dissection of biosynthetic pathways and developmental processes in plants will be presented. Strategies for product development and application of molecular methodologies to plant improvement addressing high impact outcome scenarios for productivity, environmental and societal benefits will be outlined. These include plant gene technology based approaches for enhancing tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses in crops and pastures.
Professor German Spangenberg:
Professor German Spangenberg is Executive Director, Biosciences Research Division of the Victorian Department of Primary Industries (DPI), he is Director of the Plant Biotechnology Centre and Professor (Adjunct) with the Department of Botany at La Trobe University.
German received his PhD from the University of Heidelberg and Max-Planck-Institute of Cell Biology in Heidelberg, Germany. Professor Spangenberg is Chief Scientist and Research Director of the Molecular Plant Breeding Cooperative Research Centre and Chairman of the Victorian AgriBiosciences Centre.
He also leads the Victorian Microarray Technology Consortium, the Victorian Bioinformatics Consortium and the Victorian Centre for Plant Functional Genomics nodes for agrifood applications, and serves on the Boards of these consortia in Victoria.
German was the recipient of the Australian Thinker of Year 2006 Award ‘in recognition of his world class innovations in pasture plant genomics and biotechnology and his leadership in bringing these innovations to the marketplace for the benefit of the wider community and temperate grassland agriculture worldwide’.
In 2007, German was elected Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering ‘for his inspiring and innovative research in agricultural biotechnology and as a world leader in pasture plant genomics and gene technology’.
Details
5.30pm, September 24th
The Lower Theatre
Land and Food Building
Parkville Campus
Bookings for this event are recommended.
If you have any enquires please call Stuart Peace on 8344 0102. If you would like to reserve a place please complete the following form: