From Rht genes in wheat to PIN genes in sorghum: A life in crop science

This seminar takes a big-picture look at a career in crop science, tracking Professor Borrell’s research from his early days at The University of Melbourne studying Rht genes in wheat, to his 25-year stint with the Queensland Government investigating drought adaptation in cereals, finishing with his more recent research at The University of Queensland on PIN genes in sorghum. It’s a story of how team research combines discovery science with impact. Andrew will also address the question of what motivates us to do scientific research anyway. He will focus on his early- to mid-career with the aim of highlighting some learnings that might have relevance to younger scientists.
Professor Andrew Borrell is a crop physiologist with the Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation at The University of Queensland. His research interests include the physiological/molecular basis of drought adaptation in cereals, focusing on traits that impact water supply and demand, the efficiency with which resources are utilized by crop plants, and novel water-saving technologies for rice-based cropping systems in Asia. He is particularly interested in the nexus between climate change, water, agriculture, and food security. Andrew is a Churchill Fellow and has previously served as Centre Leader of Hermitage Research Facility for more than a decade.