Director's welcome

Welcome to the Plant Breeding Institute web pages.

As you will see, the Institute is involved in research and teaching in the areas of plant breeding and genetics. We are diverse, but also have particular expertise in cereal genetics, especially of wheat. We cover the spread of research from molecular studies, to field-size experiments. We work where the outcomes are directed to specific industries within Australia, and also where the results are expected to be globally important.

We have a particular large concentration of work on the cereal rust diseases, covering both the fungal pathogens themselves, their interactions with the cereal plants, the genetics of resistance in the cereals, and the applied work of pre-breeding, and providing services in rust resistance breeding and evaluation to public and private cereal breeders.

We are supported in these endeavours by a range of research and development funders, from the Australian Research Council (at the more basic level), through the various rural Research and Development Corporations, international agencies, government departments, and to private industry (at the more applied level).

Please get in contact to work with us, whether you are an undergraduate student interested in studying plant genetics, or you are an international agency or company interested in large research and development projects.