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15 June 2005
Three leading international scientists have been awarded Federation Fellowships by the Australian Research Council to continue their research at Monash University. They are among 24 fellows announced today by federal science minister Dr Brendan Nelson.
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| Federation Fellow: Professor Alan Bond from the School of Chemistry. |
The fellows will take up positions in the university's schools of Chemistry, Biological Sciences and Materials Engineering.
Deputy vice-chancellor of research Professor Edwina Cornish said the fellows were an important boost to the university's research in green chemistry, plant genetics and materials engineering.
The Monash Federation Fellows are: plant geneticist Associate Professor John Bowman from the University of California, Davis, who will join the School of Biological Sciences; Professor Barry Muddle from Monash's Department of Materials Engineering whose expertise is in nanotechnology and light alloy engineering; and electrochemist Professor Alan Bond from Monash's School of Chemistry.
"We are delighted the international excellence of Alan and Barry's work has been acknowledged and that a scientist the calibre of Professor Bowman will be joining us," Professor Cornish said.
Dr Bowman's research will provide a better understanding of how plant architecture is genetically controlled. Leaves and other plant organs are derived from meristems, organised groups of self-renewing stem cells found at the tips of shoots and roots. The size, shape and polarity of plant organs are controlled by information derived from these meristems.
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| Federation Fellow: Professor Barry Muddle from the Department of Materials Engineering. |
Professor Bowman will investigate the role of three genetic programs in patterning meristem-derived plant organs. His research will provide information on how to manipulate the growth and development of plant organs, with broad implications for agriculture and forestry.
Professor Muddle will research the early stages of nanostructure formation and the factors that control their stability. Nanostructures can range from simple inorganic structures such as colloidal gold particles to complex biological molecules such as arrays of bacterial cell surface proteins.
Professor Muddle's research will have applications ranging from advanced light alloys to quantum dots in semiconductor compounds.
Professor Bond will use electrochemistry (the study of interactions between electric and chemical phenomena) to improve emerging technologies in green chemistry, nanochemistry, photoelectrochemical catalysis and sensors, His research is expected to provide commercial opportunities in the area of scientific instrumentation by transforming experimentally-generated or simulated data sets into instantly recognised images.
Vice-chancellor Professor Richard Larkins said it was wonderful to have three more Federation Fellows at Monash. "Research stars such as the three recognised today, and Amanda Lynch who joined Monash University as a Federation Fellow in 2004, attract world-ranking teams of scientists and post-graduate students around them and will ensure continued success for Monash as it further strengthens its outstanding research," he said.
Further information: Ms Penny Fannin, Media Communications, on 9905 5828 or 0417 125 700.
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