Dr Alice Hayward
Researcher biography
I am a plant molecular physiologist in the Mitter Lab at the Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation. Our team primarily focuses on innovating tissue culture technologies for plant species in close partnership with industry and stakeholders. We deliver world-first propagation protocols for difficult and recalcitrant crops species as well as biotechnologies for crop improvement and cryobanking of recalcitrant plant germplasm. We also have a dedicated research stream in crop genomics and molecular biology. We aim to improve efficiency and resilience in our plant industries as well as support conservation of our key germplasm and endangered species. Our flagship species has been the avocado, and our team has been involved with producing the first genome sequence for avocado as well as the world's first commercial tissue culture pipelines for avocado propagation and cryopreservation. We are now extending this to other key crop species such as macadamia, as well as endangered native species with collaborators. Our ongoing vision is continued extension of these technologies to new species and crops for both horticultural and environmental outcomes.
**We are always looking for motivated Honours, MPhil and PhD applicants - get in contact if this is you!**