News Archive

Nov 5th, 2020

In 2020, PEB hit a milestone 1000 publications. To celebrate, we’re recounting some of the biggest, weirdest, most impactful and most surprising discoveries of the last 15 years.

Once every five days. That’s how often our researchers have published papers in peer-reviewed scientific journals, on average, since the ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology (PEB) was founded in 2005.

The world-leading Australian...

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Webinar: Creating Crops for the Future: Challenges, Technology and Sustainable Solutions

Nov 1st, 2020

This seminar has passed. A recording can be viewed at: https://youtu.be/Rt63wUB9XTI

One of the most urgent scientific challenges of the 21^st century lies in ensuring that we have enough food for the growing global population. Join us for this special event where three experts in the field of plant science will speak on how scientists...

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Rediscovering the first known plant cyclic peptide

Oct 28th, 2020

In June 2019, a botanist cut a handful of dark, shiny leaves from a slender understory tree in the rainforest of northeastern Australia.

Original story published by ASBMB Today. Written by Laurel Oldach.

In...

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Professor Ryan Lister: the on/off switch for our genes

Oct 2nd, 2020

How Jurassic Park inspired WA’s joint Scientist of the Year to become a world leader in epigenomics.

Written by Michelle Wheeler. Originally published by Particle.

As a teenager, UWA’s Professor Ryan Lister read a book that would inspire his...

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Ryan Lister a WA Scientist of the Year

Sep 30th, 2020

A researcher from The University of Western Australia who has made significant advancements in understanding molecular programming in cells which determines how living creatures function has been awarded joint Scientist of the Year in the 2020 Premier’s Science Awards.

Professor Ryan Lister, Chief Investigator at the ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology and a Professor of Genome Sciences at the Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research is a pioneer in the field of epigenomics – the study of the molecular code that...

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UWA finalists announced in Premier's Science Awards

Aug 5th, 2020

Six leading academics and four students from The University of Western Australia have been announced as finalists in the 2020 Premier’s Science Awards, which celebrate the achievements of the Western Australian science community.

Professor Wendy Erber from UWA’s School of Biomedical Sciences, Professor Ryan Lister from the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology and Professor Eric May from the Faculty of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences were among the...

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UWA PLANT BIOCHEMIST AWARDED ARC LAUREATE FELLOWSHIP

Jul 7th, 2020

A plant biochemist from The University of Western Australia who is working to create sustainable protein resources from crops for new industries has been awarded a prestigious national Fellowship.

Professor Harvey Millar from UWA’s School of Molecular Sciences and Director of the ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology has received a prestigious Australian Research Council (ARC) Laureate Fellowship, announced today by the Minister for Education,...

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Three UWA scientists named Fellows of the Australian Academy of Science

May 25th, 2020

Three top science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) researchers from The University of Western Australia have been elected as 2020 Fellows of the Australian Academy of Science. They make up the total number of scientists representing WA from 24 Australians elected as Fellows this year.

Fellows of the Australian Academy of Science are among the nation’s most distinguished scientists, elected by their peers for groundbreaking research and contributions that have had substantial impact to advance knowledge.

UWA’s Professor Robyn...

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Genetic discovery sheds light on sodium accumulation in barley crops

May 25th, 2020

An international team of scientists have identified a naturally occurring gene variation that influences sodium content in barley crops. The finding could help to advance the development of barley varieties with greater yield and better resilience to varying salt conditions.

In the latest issue of Communications Biology, the research team led by scientists at the James Hutton Institute together with researchers from the ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant...

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Wheat breeding tool set to optimise energy use efficiency

Apr 21st, 2020

Researchers report important progress in developing a new tool to realise the next generation of wheat yield gains.

Article originally published by author Dr Gio Braidotti in GRDC's GroundCover. Read in full here. The tool takes the form of an index that...

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How invasive plants use fire to overtake natives

Apr 21st, 2020

Last summer’s horrific fires may have fundamentally changed Australian forests forever.

The bushfires of the 2019/20 summer were the most destructive Australia has ever seen. With more than 20% of...

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How did plants conquer land?

Mar 11th, 2020

An international study has found a drought alarm system that first appeared in freshwater algae may have enabled plants to move from water to land more than 450 million years ago - a big evolutionary step that led to the emergence of land animals, including humans.

Originally published by ANU Newsroom

Professor Barry Pogson, from The Australian National University (ANU) and one of the study's senior researchers, said humans...

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New science Ambassadors aim to put science on national agenda

Mar 6th, 2020

Science & Technology Australia (STA) has today announced 16 STEM Ambassadors who will work together with their local MP to help bridge the gap between science and government in Australia.

This announcement was originally published by Science & Technology Australia.

These STEM Ambassadors...

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How Science is Supersizing Your Veggies

Feb 26th, 2020

Have you ever thought that fruit and vegetables in the supermarket are getting bigger? That’s not just your imagination. And it’s not by accident either.

Written by Alex Dook, originally published by Particle.

Scientists like Dr Brendan O’Leary from the ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology...

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Scientists Uncover How Invasive Plants Gain a Headstart After Fire

Feb 25th, 2020

New research from The University of Western Australia has shed light on why some invasive plants make a better comeback after a fire, out-competing native species in the race for resources.

The findings, published today in Nature Communications, could help to improve revegetation efforts in regions affected by bushfires.

During bushfires, organic compounds called karrikins, named...

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Plants and Animals Sense Nutrients in the Same Way

Jan 28th, 2020

Researchers at The University of Western Australia have discovered that plants and animals use the same signalling process to manage their nutrient levels. The knowledge could help improve the use of energy in crops, leading to better yields in the future.

The study, published in the journal The Plant Cell, showed the similarities in how plants and animals balance their nutrient and energy levels was linked to a protein called Target of Rapamycin (TOR)....

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New Algorithm Reveals Many Previously Unknown Potential Antibiotics in the Human Gut

Dec 19th, 2019

We typically think about antibiotics as drugs that our doctors prescribe. But they are actually molecular bullets that bacteria use to kill each other – humans merely borrowed and adapted these bioactive compounds to fight infections.

Article originally published by the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering.

Since many bacteria produce bioactive compounds the question...

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Genetically Modified Myths Examined

Dec 5th, 2019

Five common misconceptions about GMOs explored and explained by geneticist James Lloyd.

Article authored by Plant Energy Biologist Dr James Lloyd for the Curious Meerkat science blog. Read article in full

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ARC Discovery funding successes for Plant Energy Biology

Dec 5th, 2019

Researchers from the ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology have been awarded a number of Australian Research Council Discovery Grants to commence projects in 2020.

Dr Megan Shelden from The University of Adelaide, together with Professor Stan Miklavcic from the University of South Australia has been successful in securing funding for the project Root-To-Shoot: Modeling the Salt Stress Response of a Plant Vascular...

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Australian Academy of Science Grant for Dr Mark Waters

Dec 5th, 2019

Congratulations to Dr Mark Waters, and six other recipients of the Australian Academy of Science’s 2020 Thomas Davies Research Grant for Marine, Soil and Plant Biology.

Dr Waters from the University of Western Australia’s School of Molecular Sciences and affiliate to the ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology will study interactions between light and smoke signals in plant development, using mutant seedlings of...

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