Dr Thi Thao Ninh

Dr. Thao Ninh obtained her PhD degree from School of Agriculture and Food Sustainability, The University of Queensland in 2021. Her research during her doctoral studies aimed to uncover the function of the Heterotrimeric G proteins in plants. By using gene editing technology CRISPR/Cas9 to knockout G alpha and G beta gene in tomato, Dr. Thao found that the phenotypes of tomato G alpha/beta-knockout mutants are very similar to those observed in monocots, but not in Arabidopsis. Her research results, therefore, raise important questions about whether some G protein functions/signaling have been lost in Arabidopsis during evolution. In 2023, Dr. Thao joined the Mitter group as postdoctoral researcher. Her current research focuses on using CRISPR/Ca9 technology in crop improvement including modulation in fruit appearance in strawberry, disease resistance in tomato, plant architecture in avocado and other preferred traits of various crops.