Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Senator Murray Watt with 2023 Science and Innovation Awards winner Ashley Jones and FWPA Statistics & Economics Manager Kevin Peachey.
Australian National University’s Dr Ashley Jones has won the forest and wood products industry category in the 2023 Science and Innovation Awards for his work in identifying the dynamic plant RNA modifications needed to combat myrtle rust. Source: Timberbiz
The 2023 Science and Innovation Awards for Young People in Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry is a competitive grants program that supports young people to undertake a project on an innovative or emerging scientific issue, including biophysical and social sciences, which will contribute to the ongoing success and sustainability of Australia’s agriculture, fisheries and forestry industries.
The Science Awards aim to encourage science, innovation and technology in rural industries and help to advance the careers of young researchers, scientists, producers and innovators through national recognition of their research ideas.
Ashley’s project will explore the plant RNA responses and what dynamic RNA modifications occur during fungal attack, to help breed plants with superior immunity and fighting skills to combat myrtle rust infections.
These ‘active instructions’ for attacking the plant cells could be key to the fungus evading plants’ immune systems.
“I really want to understand how myrtle rust is getting through the plant’s immune system and infecting these plants so badly,” Dr Jones said.
“And can I identify anything in these plants that could actually give it a better way to combat myrtle rust?
“At the moment, it has been devastating with its infection. Australian plants are really unprepared.”
Myrtle rust is spreading worldwide, and has spread along the east coast of Australia, infecting hundreds of iconic Australian plant species including eucalyptus, bottlebrush, paperbark, tea tree and lilly pilly.
The bright yellow powdery fungus kills the leaves, causes severe defoliation and ultimately kills the tree.
Dr Jones also has experience in human diseases working with ACT Health as part of the ANU’s COVID-19 team. He helped sequence variants of the virus and was involved in contact tracing and analysing genomic strains to link individual cases to major outbreaks. Ashley says the larger aim of his myrtle rust project is to better understand plant immune systems and infectious disease – something that will support sustainable agriculture in an ever-changing environment.
“Australia’s always going to be challenged by new fungi and new pathogens,” he said.
“There are over 150 dynamic modifications that occur in RNA, and we know so little about them.
“These may be the key to how fungi and other pathogens are able to rapidly develop resistance to plant immune systems and attack their hosts.
“Most of our forestry and crops are grown from specific seed lines… they can all be very heavily infected with any potential threat.”
With this project, Dr Jones aims to help identify, breed and promote sustainable agricultural plantations with improved plant immunity and fighting skills to combat myrtle rust infections.
The awards are coordinated by the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES), part of the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and were attended and presented by Hon Murray Watt, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry at the awards dinner on Wednesday 8 March held in conjunction with the 2023 Outlook Conference.
Winners have been provided funding to undertake a project on an emerging scientific issue or innovative activity which will contribute to the success of Australia’s agriculture sector.
FWPA is a proud sponsor of this award, which showcases up and coming young scientists in the forest and wood products sector, encouraging innovation and providing well-deserved recognition to these young change-makers of Australia.
