Wild Plant Genomics 

Ecological and Evolutionary Genomics

How are fitness landscapes shaped by local ecology?

How are divergent genomes challenged by gene flow?

Can genetic and evolutionary rescue build resilient populations?

The Field group studies 'plant genomics in the wild' to understand evolutionary processes and inform conservation and horticulture. The goals range from understanding the processes underlying adaptation and speciation, identifying the genetic and biochemical basis of functional traits, to addressing practical challenges in the restoration of threatened plants and improving productivity and resilience of commercially or ecologically important native plants – issues of immense importance for evolutionary ecology and conservation biology, horticulture and global food security.

Some currently active projects include (see links for more detail):

• Flower colour evolution: unlocking the genetic and biochemical potential of kangaroo paws for horticulture and conservation. 

• Genetic Rescue : Back from the brink- Integrating ecology, genetic and evolutionary rescue to restore threatened plant populations (e.g. Conospermum, Grevilleas, Eucalyptus)

• Super Seed for adaptive potential of threatened plants: ecological and evolutionary genetic approaches for locating adaptive variability to cope with a changing climate and altered fire regimes.

• Native seed production areas: Building resilient Seed Production Areas in a changing world using genetic and ecological tools.

• Speciation, hybrid zones and fitness landscapes: using long term pedigrees, ecological and evolutionary genomic approaches to understand barriers to gene flow and heritability of fitness in Snapdragon, Kangaroo paw and Eucalyptus hybrid zones.

We are based at Macquarie University (Applied Biosciences) in Sydney, centred in a global biodiverse hotspot and a playground for understanding the processes driving the evolution of biodiversity. Previously our lab was at Edith Cowan University (ECU) and University of Vienna.