Presented by Prof. Robert Henry
QAAFI Director
ABSTRACT
Food security is underpinned by innovations in agricultural production. Continuing rapid advances in genomics are providing tools for more effective delivery of advances in agricultural production. Genomics helps identify new genetic resources for food and agriculture, new strategies for adapting agriculture to climate, define ways to improve the nutritional and functional value of foods and deliver tools for greatly accelerated genetic improvement. Robert Henry will describe recent developments and current research on the application of genomics to major crops in his work with QAAFI.
About Prof. Henry
Prof. Robert Henry, is a graduate of the University of Queensland, B Sc (Hons), Macquarie University, M Sc (Hons) and La Trobe University (Ph D). In 2000 Professor Henry was awarded a higher doctorate (D Sc) by UQ for his work on analysis of variation in plants.
Before being appointed QAAFI Director in May 2010, he was Director of the Centre for Plant Conservation Genetics at Southern Cross University, a centre which he established in 1996. Other previous positions held by Professor Henry include Research Director of the Grain Foods Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) (until 2010) and Research Program Leader in the Queensland Agricultural Biotechnology Centre (until 1996).
Professor Henry’s speciality research area is the study of agricultural crops using molecular tools. He is particularly interested in Australian flora and plants of economic and social importance and has led the way in research into genome sequencing to capture novel genetic resources for the diversification of food crops to deliver improved food products.
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