Plant genetics comes under microscope

GENOME mapping of wheat and plant DNA sequencing is all in a day’s work for SABC researcher Danielle Cash.

The Murdoch Bachelor of Science student is using an Independent Study Contract from the Agriculture Department to help further her studies into plant genetics.

“The West Australian wheat industry is plagued by a fungal pathogen that destroys the wheat crop and costs the industry millions of dollars a year,” said Ms Cash.

“Some varieties of wheat however have shown different levels of resistance to the pathogen.

“With the Agriculture Department, I am looking at four strains of wheat - one susceptible to the pathogen and three that are resistant at differing levels.

"I have extracted a gene - Rga-4 - that is known to be involved in disease resistance and examined the DNA sequences for this gene from all four strains to try and detect any difference in the DNA sequences - which might indicate the source of resistance to this pathogen.”

Working under the auspices of Murdoch Molecular Geneticist Dr Michael Francki and Professor Rudi Appels of the SABC (State Agricultural and Biotechnology Centre), Ms Cash hopes eventually to become a plant geneticist.