Dr Eveline Kong
Research Fellow
Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation
Researcher biography
I am a researcher specializing in plant biotechnology and plant physiology. My work focuses on advancing the clonal propagation of coconuts and other high-value species through innovative in vitro methods, aimed at enhancing sustainability and productivity in agriculture. My current focus is to understand industry focused research question on blueberry root wrapping and associated crown disorder.
Current Focus:
- Clonal propagation of four high-value plant species (turmeric, saffron, lemon myrtle, gladiolus)
- Determine the bioactivity of two Australian native plants
- Investigating blueberry root wrapping and associated crown disorders
Areas of Expertise:
- Plant biotechnology
- In vitro culture methods
- Coconut biology and in vitro propagation
- Crop phenotyping and physiology
My research plays a vital role in improving agricultural practices, contributing to food security and sustainability. My work is particularly relevant to those interested in plant science, sustainable agriculture, and the physiology of high-value crops.
Book Chapters
Kong, Eveline Y.Y., Mu, ZhiHua, Vidhanaarachchi, Vijitha R. M., Nguyen, Quang Thien, Sisunandar, Sisunandar, Kalaipandian, Sundaravelpandian and Panis, Bart (2024). Coconut biotechnology. The coconut: botany, production and uses. (pp. 143-158) edited by Steve W. Adkins, Julianne M. Biddle, Amirhossein Bazrafshan and Sundaravelpandian Kalaipandian. Wallingford, United Kingdom: CABI. doi: 10.1079/9781789249736.0010
Lacerda, Claudivan Feitosa, Kong, Eveline Y.Y., Neto, Miguel Ferreira-, Cave, Robyn, Bezerra, Marlos Alves and Gheyi, Hans Raj (2024). Coconut ecophysiology. The coconut: botany, production and uses. (pp. 14-30) edited by Steve W. Adkins, Julianne M. Biddle, Amirhossein Bazrafshan and Sundaravelpandian Kalaipandian. Surrey, United Kingdom: CABI. doi: 10.1079/9781789249736.0002
Nulu, Naga Prafulla Chandrika, Yang, Chongxi, Kong, Eveline Y. Y., Ramesh, S. V., Bazrafshan, Amirhossein, Nguyen, Van Anh, Kalaipandian, Sundaravelpandian and Adkins, Steve W. (2024). Coconut (‘Kalpavriksha’-‘Tree of Life’): A Prologue. Coconut-Based Nutrition and Nutraceutical Perspectives. (pp. 1-16) Singapore: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-981-97-3976-9_1
Journal Articles
Kong, Eveline Y. Y., Biddle, Julianne Maree, Sisunandar, Sisunandar, Kalaipandian, Sundaravelpandian, Bazrafshan, Amirhossein, Mu, Zhihua and Adkins, Steve W. (2025). Initiation of direct shoot organogenesis in coconut using immature inflorescence. Plants, 14 (20) 3123, 3123. doi: 10.3390/plants14203123
Kong, Eveline Yee Yan, Biddle, Julianne, Kalaipandian, Sundar, Bazrafshan, Amirhossein, Mu, Zhihua and Adkins, Steve W. (2025). Improvement of somatic embryo maturation and shoot formation in somatic embryogenesis of Asian coconut varieties. Scientia Horticulturae, 343 114069, 1-13. doi: 10.1016/j.scienta.2025.114069
Mu, Zhihua, Li, Zhiying, Nulu, Naga Prafulla Chandrika, Kalaipandian, Sundaravelpandian, Biddle, Julianne M., Bazrafshan, Amirhossein, Kong, Eveline and Adkins, Steve W. (2025). A photomixotrophic system to improve the growth of in vitro-cultured seedlings of coconut (Cocos nucifera L.). Horticulturae, 11 (3) 224, 224-3. doi: 10.3390/horticulturae11030224
Bazrafshan, Amirhossein, Sudarma, Sisunandar, Kalaipandian, Sundaravelpandian, Biddle, Julianne M., Mu, Zhihua, Kong, Eveline Yee Yan, Nulu, Naga Prafulla Chandrika and Adkins, Steve W. (2025). New method for enhancing coconut (Cocos nucifera L.) embryo dehydration: an important step towards proficient cryopreservation. Plants, 14 (4) 600, 1-14. doi: 10.3390/plants14040600
Mu, Zhihua, Li, Zhiying, Bazrafshan, Amirhossein, Kalaipandian, Sundaravelpandian, Kong, Eveline Yee Yan, Biddle, Julianne, Nulu, Naga Prafulla Chandrika and Adkins, Steve (2024). Temporary immersion culture: a potential in vitro culture method for the clonal propagation of coconut. Horticulturae, 10 (9) 946, 946. doi: 10.3390/horticulturae10090946
Kong, Eveline Y. Y. , Biddle, Julianne , Kalaipandian, Sundaravelpandian and Adkins, Steve W. (2023). Coconut callus initiation for cell suspension culture. Plants, 12 (4) 968, 968. doi: 10.3390/plants12040968
Kong, Eveline Y.Y., Biddle, Julianne, Foale, Mike, Panis, Bart and Adkins, Stephen W. (2021). The potential to propagate coconut clones through direct shoot organogenesis: a review. Scientia Horticulturae, 289 110400, 1-16. doi: 10.1016/j.scienta.2021.110400
Kalaipandian, Sundaravelpandian, Mu, Zhihua, Kong, Eveline Yee Yan, Biddle, Julianne, Cave, Robyn, Bazrafshan, Amirhossein, Wijayabandara, Kusinara, Beveridge, Fernanda Caro, Nguyen, Quang and Adkins, Steve W. (2021). Cloning coconut via somatic embryogenesis: a review of the current status and future prospects. Plants, 10 (10) 2050, 1-16. doi: 10.3390/plants10102050
Kong, Eveline Y. Y., Biddle, Julianne, Foale, Mike and Adkins, Steve W. (2020). Cell suspension culture: a potential in vitro culture method for clonal propagation of coconut plantlets via somatic embryogenesis. Industrial Crops and Products, 147 112125, 112125. doi: 10.1016/j.indcrop.2020.112125
Kong, Yee Yan Eveline and Sani, Hamsawi (2016). Establishment of axenic explants and callus induction of Vernonia amygdalina Del. Borneo Journal of Resource Science and Technology, 6 (2), 28-34. doi: 10.33736/bjrst.341.2016
Conference Papers
Akter, Saleha, Lin, Ching-Wen, Gleeson, Maddy, Kong, Eveline, Smyth, Heather, Sultanbawa, Yasmina and Hayward, Alice (2025). Safety assessment of selected native Australian plant extracts using mammalian cell lines. Trop Ag 2025, Brisbane, QLD Australia, 11-13 November 2025.
Lin, Ching-Wen, Akter, Saleha, Gleeson, Maddy, Kong, Eveline, Nguyen, Thoa, Seididamyeh, Maral, Bobasa, Eshetu, Shen, Yu-Kai, Smyth, Heather, Sultanbawa, Yasmina and Hayward, Alice (2025). Bioactivity evaluation of Backhousia angustifolia and Decaspermum humile: underexplored Myrtaceae species from Australia. Trop Ag 2025, Brisbane, QLD, Australia, 11-13 November 2025.
Kalaipandian, Sundaravelpandian, Kong, Eveline Yee Yan, Bazrafshan, Amirhossein, Hu, Magnolia, Nulu, Naga Prafulla Chandrika, Adkins, Steve and Galea, Victor (2025). Cloning technology for the mass production of date palm and coconut plantlets. World summit on crop science and engineering, Paris, France, 27-29 March 2025.
Kong, Eveline Yee Yan, Biddle, Julianne, Sisunandar, Sudarma, Panis, Bart and Adkins, Steve W. (2020). Effect of BAP and TDZ on direct shoot organogenesis in coconut (Cocos nucifera L.). 2020 World Congress on In Vitro Biology, San Diego, CA United States, 6-10 June 2020. Heidelberg, Germany: Springer. doi: 10.1007/s11626-020-00453-6
Kong, Eveline Y. Y., Biddle, Julianne and Adkins, Steve W. (2019). The effect of medium type and subculture frequency on the formation of friable embryogenic callus for coconut cell suspension culture. International Tropical Agriculture Conference (TropAg 2019), Brisbane, QLD, Australia, 11-13 November 2019. Basel, Switzerland: MDPI. doi: 10.3390/proceedings2019036034
Theses
Kong, Eveline Yee Yan (2022). Clonal propagation of coconut (Cocos nucifera L.) by somatic embryogenesis and organogenesis. PhD Thesis, School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, The University of Queensland. doi: 10.14264/c91a79e
Kong, Eveline Yee Yan (2017). Establishment of callus and cell suspension cultures for biomass production and phytochemical characterization of Vernonia amygdalina Delile. MPhil Thesis, Faculty of Resource Science and Technology, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak.