Have you ever wondered how a plant knows when to grow? Or how flowers know when to open?

My PhD aims to investigate some of these questions. I am currently working with garden peas, and looking at the genes that help plants make these decisions.

I was born and raised in Britain, and after finishing school, I decided to enrol in a Bachelor of Science at Aberystwyth University in Wales. During my degree I became interested in genetics and pretty little flowers. This led me to undertake my Masters in plant genetics, where I was investigating speciation in plants with accordance to flowering habits.

In 2010, I packed my bags and headed down under to Australia. I lived and worked in Cairns as a scientist looking at pests and pathogens in sugar cane. Not long after this I travelled to the outback of Western Australia to work as an environmental scientist in a gold mine. From here I made my move, all the way down south to Tasmania to start my PhD at the University of Tasmania. I hope that the work I am doing here can further the plant breeding industry by improving crop yields.

 

For further information: www.utas.edu.au/plant-science