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One of the most prevalent environmental challenges encountered by plants is their exposure to a broad range of temperatures.
- Summary of the project
- Eligibility criteria
- Readings
- Contact the research team leader
- How to apply
- Scholarships
Summary of the project
In addition to daily, weekly and seasonal changes, the temperatures at which plants grow in specific ecosystems are varying both by increasing mean temperature and greater extremes of temperature both high and low as a result of global climate change.The consequences for plants exposed to these extremes are numerous and arise through a number of diverse mechanisms. These include changes in their structural properties, such as membranes, as well as perturbations of various physio-biochemical and metabolic processes of plant cells including photosynthesis and respiration.
These changes can have dramatic implications on plant biosynthesis, cellular maintenance and biomass allocation and ultimately crop productivity. Understanding how plant growth responds to different temperatures is vital to projecting the impact of climate change on the biosphere.
Plant mitochondria play a fundamental role in cellular responses to varying environmental conditions as they are responsible for ATP production and the synthesis of a vast array of carbon skeletons used for the biosynthesis of a number of compounds including amino acids and organic acids.
They are also the site of production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and have a sophisticated collection of antioxidant proteins and metabolites to limit their production.
During exposure to extreme temperatures a number of mitochondrial processes are disturbed, ultimately leading to decreases in ATP production, biosynthesis and the overwhelming of antioxidant defences, which results in the accumulation of ROS.
In this project it is hoped that by deciphering the molecular mechanisms that allow plants to tolerate a wide range of temperatures we will be able to apply this knowledge to produce more thermally tolerant crop plants.
This project will involve examining plant mitochondrial metabolism using cutting edge proteomics, lipidomics and metabolomics approaches and innovative mass spectrometry techniques to better understand plant thermal responses.
Eligibility criteria
General UWA PhD entrance requirements can be found on the Future Students website.
Requirements specific to this project:
- Laboratory experience in molecular plant science, molecular biology or biochemistry or a similar discipline
- An understanding of the principles of proteomics/lipidomics/metabolomics and mass spectrometry
Readings
- Taylor, N. L., Fenske, R., Castleden, I., Tomaz, T., Nelson, C. J., and Millar, A. H. (2014) Selected reaction monitoring to determine protein abundance in Arabidopsis using the Arabidopsis proteotypic predictor. Plant Physiol 164, 525-536
- Jacoby, R. P., Millar, A. H., and Taylor, N. L. (2013) Application of selected reaction monitoring mass spectrometry to field-grown crop plants to allow dissection of the molecular mechanisms of abiotic stress tolerance. Front Plant Sci 4, 20
- Taylor, NL (2014) Plant Metabolism International Innovation 154 93-95. Download as PDF or Word document:
Contact the research team leader
Once you have ensured that you meet the eligibility criteria and are ready to discuss a proposal, contact the research team leader to identify a potential supervisor. - Research team leader: Associate Professor Nicolas Taylor
- I was first attracted to the study of plants as I am particularly interested in how a sessile organisms survive in a changing environment. After studies at Massey University in New Zealand I moved to UWA for my PhD studies. Following this an EMBO fellowship took me to Oxford University in the UK before I was recruited back to UWA as an expert in protein mass spectrometry.
How to apply
After you have discussed your project with the research team leader you should be in a position to proceed to step two of the UWA application process: 'Lodge an application'.
Different procedures apply to domestic and international students.
Scholarships
Domestic students
All domestic students may apply for Research Training Program and University Postgraduate Awards (UPA) scholarships.
The Australian Government's Endeavour Awards and Scholarships are available to Australian applicants for study in participating countries and regions.
International students
A range of scholarships are available from international organisations and governments. The full list, organised by country, is available on the Future Students website.
In addition, all international students may apply for International Research Training Program scholarships.
The Australian Government's Endeavour Awards and Scholarships are available to international applicants from participating countries and regions.
Indigenous students
Indigenous students are encouraged to apply for Indigenous Postgraduate Research Supplementary Scholarships.
Forrest Foundation scholarships
All international and Australian students who wish to study towards the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) at The University of Western Australia may apply for Forrest Scholarships.
University information
CRICOS Code: 00126G
