Bachelor of Science (Advanced) Honours Class I in Molecular Biology and Genetics at the University of Sydney. Honours thesis investaged the potential of novel nanomaterials to deliver functional genetic material into the pollen tube of commercially important Australian crop species. Since completing Honours, 18 months of experience as a research assistant at the Children's Cancer Institute and Heart Research Institute. Strong passion for marine life and coral reef ecosystems.

Development and characterisation of heat evolved algal symbionts

2021 to 2025

Project Description

To develop heat-tolerant algal symbionts and then characterise various genetic and physiological aspects.

Project Importance

To potentially provide a degree of resilience for coral reefs in conditions expected under current trajectories of ocean warming.

Project Methods

Isolate algal symbionts from coral hosts and subject to ever-increasing water temperatures in order to generate heat-tolerant symbionts. The photosynthetic abilities and various genetic components will then be analysed.

Project Results

The hope of this project is to identify genetic modifications in the algal symbionts that are more tolerant of warmer conditions that can then be used as biomarkers when attempting to identify heat tolerant symbiont species.

Keywords

Algae,
Biochemistry,
Climate change,
Controlled Environment,
Coral reefs,
Corals,
Field based,
Genetics,
Management tools,
Manipulative experiments,
Microbiology,
Molecular techniques,
Physiology