Forest Molecular Biology and Genetics Research Group |
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» How do trees grow?
» How does a fertilized egg develop into a giant tree?
» How do trees survive for many decades or even centuries – often under adverse conditions?
» How do trees cope with environmental stress and climate change?
» How do climate change and forest management impact on genetic diversity - e.g. of trees?
» How about diversity, distribution and function of soil microbes, as 'ecosystem engineers'?
» How can molecular tools help in the sustainable management of natural forests?
» What is the molecular basis of wood formation?
» How can we harness molecular knowledge for the production of more and better plantation-grown wood
- for structural applications;
- for pulp and paper;
- for bio-energy;
- on less land, faster and using less water?Our efforts to help answer some of these and other questions are driven by the global challenges presented by a predicted dramatic increase in world population and a growing demand for forest products which, in combination with climate change, will place more pressure on native forests and woodlands.
Novel and multidisciplinary collaborative research is needed and much hope is held for the possibilities created by recent advances made in tree genomics research.
We contribute to the global research effort in this field through our participation in the Cooperative Research Centre for Forestry (CRC-F), the International Eucalyptus Genome Network (EUCAGEN), the IUFRO Working Party on Molecular Biology of Forest Trees and many other collaborative projects in Australia and internationally. Our research results and publications are directly incorporated into Melbourne Model education programs (e.g. the Master of Forest Ecosystem Science).
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