Virtual lecture by Dr Eloise Foo, co-winner of the M.R. Banks Medal
3 pm, 21 June 2020 via Zoom webinar
“Dating in the dark – The underground world of beneficial plant-microbe relationships”
In this talk Dr Foo will take you on a journey into the wonderful world of plant-microbe symbioses.
Register in advance for this webinar using this link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_x0bK9gGNQPe8NWbSdX2JIA
The Royal Society of Tasmania
M.R. Banks Lecture 2020
Dr Eloise Foo, co-winner of the RST M.R. Banks Medal 2019
21 June 2020 via Zoom webinar
Title: Dating in the dark – The underground world of beneficial plant-microbe relationships
Abstract
Plants need nitrogen, which is abundant in the atmosphere; however, they can’t absorb it that way. This is why most gardeners and commercial growers add nitrogen fertiliser to their soils. I’m working on understanding how bacteria work with some plants to draw nitrogen out of the air and make it available to the plant. Importantly this very specialised plant–bacteria relationship shares similarities with another much more widespread plant–fungi association to access phosphate, another important nutrient for plant growth. By understanding both the differences and similarities, we hope to expand plant-bacterial associations into major crops.
In this talk Dr Foo will take you on a journey into the wonderful world of plant-microbe symbioses and reveal some of the key communication and control mechanisms plants use to make sure these relationships are happy ones!
Bio
Eloise completed her PhD in plant developmental genetics at the University of QLD in 2004 under the supervision of Prof Christine Beveridge (a UTAS alumna). She then moved to UTAS to work with Prof J Reid and A/Prof J Weller examining how light influences plant development. She was subsequently awarded two independent fellowships from the ARC at UTAS and during this time she established a new research area examining the role of plant hormones in plant-microbe symbioses. She has been chief investigator on two large ARC Discovery grants and is a member of the recently funded ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Success, an Australia-wide research group looking to harness the power of plants for improving agricultural and ecological outcomes. Eloise lectures in plant biology and genetics and leads a research group. She is an active member of Equity and Diversity activities at UTAS and takes a keen interest in mentoring. She is a member of the Australian Society of Plant Scientists and in 2018 was awarded the inaugural ASPS Jan Anderson Award for most outstanding mid-career female in plant science in Australia and NZ. Eloise is editor of several leading international plant journals.
