-->
- Want to work in the Centre? See our latest job opportunities!
- Teaching plants to be better spenders
- Future heat-waves a threat to Aussie plants
- Plant Energy Biology goes virtual
- Drought-proof crops
- Plants in touch with world around
- Root tip epigenetics dissected
- Global patterns found in temperature response of leaf respiration
- An epigenetic switch during embryonic development
- Australia and the 'genomics revolution'
- Common antibiotic inspires hunt for new herbicide
- CropPAL, a global crop research pal!
- New Future Fellow will investigate ways to improve crop productivity.
- Plant Energy Biologist a Knowledge Nation 100 Rock Star!
- Dr Sandra Tanz named a WA Tall Poppy.
- PEB helping in the fight against East African crop plagues.
- The latest in ARC funding awarded to PEB.
- PEB addresses G20 nations challenge.
- Antarctic trip of a lifetime for two PEB PhD students!
- Laura Boykin attends UN Solutions Summit to tackle Global Goals.
- Vice-Chancellor's award for Olivier Van Aken and Joshua Mylne.
- PEB dominant among top ASPB journal authors.
- Stressed out plants send animal-like signals.
- Tall poppy for Dr Caitlin Byrt!
- A 400 million year old signalling system in plants.
- EMBO Fellowship for Dr Aimone Porri.
- Ian Small new Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science.
- Sunflower protein 'scissors' a promising finding!
- Goldacre award for Dr Mark Waters!
- Publication awards for PEB scientists.
- Salt tolerance gene identified in soybean.
Centre Overview
The Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology (PEB) is a cutting edge research centre focused on better understanding the way in which plants interconvert forms of chemical energy in response to environmental change.
Our Mission and Vision
To define the complex system that determines overall energy efficiency in plants. To discover the key signals, 'gatekeeper' cells, and (epi)genetic controls that regulate this energy system. To manipulate these in combination, to tune energy efficiency across the whole plant to enhance yields.
Our vision is to enhance plant energy efficiency by simultaneously optimising energy capture, conversion and use in changing environments to improve the sustainable productivity of plants.
Strategic Priorities
- To elucidate the fundamental mechanisms of energy biology regulation
- To be a leading Centre for advanced training and education of plant and computational biologists in Australia
- To build strategic collaborations for Australia in the international science community
- To enhance plant biotechnologies to build technological innovations to aid Australian agricultural innovation
Our Centre
Plant Energy Fast Facts
- 4 Collaborating Universities: The University of Western Australia, The Australian National University, The University of Adelaide and La Trobe University.
- 10 Chief Investigators.
- 8 Partner Investigators in USA, Germany, Finland, Sweden and China.
- Partnerships with Grain Research and Development Corporation, Agilent Technologies, Photon Systems Instruments and Groupe Limagrain - Vilmorin & Cie.
- Over 110 internationally competitive staff and students.
- $26 million (2014-2020) from the Australian Research Council and $14 million from companies and the partner universities to fund the Centre through to 2020.
- Centre authors have contributed to over 250 publications in the last 5 years including key breakthroughs published in Nature, Cell, Science, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA and The Plant Cell.
- Over the last 5 years, more than 21% of Australian publications in the top-ranked plant science journals were authored or co-authored by Centre staff.
- 170,154 people saw our travelling 'Secrets of a Tiny Powerplant' science photography exhibition which also won the "Science as Art Prize" at the Australian Science Communicators Conference.
- 13,000 members of the public "liked" our "Science is Amazing" Facebook page.
- A prospective audience of 5,530,441* for our Science Posters during National Science Week (*from Conads Advertising report).
- Over 670 positive media commentaries internationally.
Plant Research Centre, Adelaide
La Trobe AgriBio Building
ANU Linnaeus Building
Centre Headquarters: Bayliss Building, UWA
University Nodes
