Research highlights - Professor Christine Beveridge

Professor Christine Beveridge is conducting exciting research on stem cells, hormones and sugar signalling in plants, with a focus on understanding the role of plant hormones in the regulation and coordination of plant development.

Buds lie dormant in the axils of plants, until the plant is pruned, at which point these buds grow into shoots. The mechanism behind growth inhibition in the absence of pruning is poorly understand. Stem cells are being regulated in plants, but we don’t know how or why they stay dormant or how they are released from dormancy. Christine’s lab is using model plants such as pea, tomato and Arabidopsis to unlock the mechanisms that inhibit cell growth, and determine how these dormant cells are regulated and activated. If these factors could be identified at the gene level, this information could be utilised to change the structure and yield of plants, thus enhancing crop productivity and having huge implications for crop management.

Prof. Beveridge became a Laureate Professor at UQ in 2018, and will direct the upcoming Australian Research Council (ARC) Centre of Excellence for Plant Success in Nature and Agriculture. The Centre will connect researchers such as Daniel Ortiz-Barrientos working on plant adaptation, Milos Tanurdzic working on gene regulation in plants through to crop science researchers (Graeme Hammer, Mark Cooper and Dave Jordan). The focus of the new Centre is to understand how gene networks can be better utilised to drive innovation, to better inform various fields and industries, from conservation through to agriculture.

Central Glasshouse Services are proud to support her ongoing research and look forward to working with Christine in the year to come.