Mansi Gandhi
Understanding plant-microbe interactions With a relentless passion for plants, a strong desire to secure the world’s food resources and numerous papers and awards under his belt, Dr Jonathan Plett from Western Sydney University is one of Australia’s most promising scientists.
L
22 | LAB+LIFE SCIENTIST - Aug/Sep 2017
in next door and proceeded to turn their entire property into a huge flower garden. When they saw how enthralled I was with their achievement, they offered to teach me how to grow flowers. So ast year, Plett’s research and engagement
I roped my father into the deal and, through their
on the relationships between plants and the fungi in
tutelage and a lot of sage advice from my father, I
soils saw him receive the much-coveted 2016 NSW
planted my first flower garden and spent the next
Young Tall Poppy Science Award. Issued by the
five years learning how to grow a whole range of
Australian Institute of Policy and Science, the Young
perennial flowering plants, bushes and vines. I have
Tall Poppy Science Awards recognise promising
never looked back — every house I have lived in
young scientists who achieve scientific excellence
since has always had at least a corner of the yard
and demonstrate a commitment to sharing their
or patio dedicated to growing plants, and this has
passion and knowledge.
naturally extended now into my work.
Plett is one of the many interesting speakers at
So I suppose that the possibility of being able
this year’s ComBio conference, being held at the
to turn my passion for plants into a career was what
Adelaide Convention Centre from 2–5 October.
drew me into studying science and eventually into
We interviewed him to learn more about his past,
a career in research.
present and future in the world of plants.
LLS: What’s your lab’s current research focus?
Lab+Life Scientist: How did you become
JP: Currently my group is focused on trying to
interested in plant science?
understand how the plant immune system works.
Jonathan Plett: The love of research runs in the
Specifically, we are trying to understand how the
family — my father and brother are both engineers,
plant is able to filter/identify/interpret chemical and
my mother was in the field of Biblical studies and
protein signals from soil-borne microorganisms
my cousin’s in English literature. I, on the other
(microbes) to determine if a given microbe will be
hand, loved plants. From a young age, how plants
beneficial or detrimental to plant health. We hope
grow and flower and flourish has fascinated me.
to use this information to breed new crops or select
My father had a huge veggie garden that he
new stock for forestry plantations that are better
would dedicate hours to every week, from early
able to withstand disease-causing microbes, while
spring to the final frost. As a young child, he’d let
fostering relationships with other microbes that can
me look through seed catalogues with him and let
benefit their health and productivity.
me pick out a few seeds that I could plant and grow
LLS: Tell us about your ‘eureka’ moments.
myself. This began a lifelong passion for growing
JP: One of the most exciting eureka moments in
plants. When I was 10, an English couple moved
our lab was a couple of years ago. We had spent
www.LabOnline.com.au | www.LifeScientist.com.au