Dr Colleen MacMillan
Senior Research Scientist & Cotton Fibre Quality Team Leader
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CANBERRA ACT 2601 AUSTRALIA
Biography
- Originally from South Africa.
- BSc(Hons): University of Melbourne. Honours research on pollen-tube cell wall synthesis of tobacco.
- PhD: University of Melbourne. Molecular biology of gibberellin synthesis and signalling in flowering of Lolium perenne (perennial ryegrass), via environmental cues of vernalization and daylength
- PostDoctorate: ensis / CSIRO Forestry and Forest Products. Genes for eucalypt wood strength and stiffness.
- Research Scientist: CSIRO Forest Biosciences. CSIRO Plant Industry. CSIRO Agriculture and Food. Molecular regulation, synthesis, and biomechanics of secondary cell walls of eucalypts, cotton, Arabidopsis, tobacco.
- Inaugural Agriculture and Food Inclusion of Diversity Initiative - CSIRO Business Unit Executive Lead
Research-career narrative. Fascinated by #secondarycellwalls and their uses for #biodegradable #renewable plant-based industries and commodities. After all, life on earth as we know it would not exist without plant #secondarycellwalls. Research of #secondarycellwalls spans - from transcription factors, networks, biosynthetic genes, carbohydrate synthesis and deposition, cell-wall proteins, biomechanics - in tobacco pollen tubes, tobacco wood development, eucalypts wood development and traits, cotton quality traits, Arabidopsis.
Other research interests: flowering, plant hormones (gibberellin synthesis and signalling), vernalization, photoperiod particularly in grasses and model plants.
Science-organisation strategic activities. Passionate about the inclusion of diversity for science excellence, innovation, and impact.
Other Interests
Circular Economy and sustainable fibres and materials. Co-Chair of "Threads+Opportunities: science engineering sustainable fibres, for closing the loop in Australia: https://events.csiro.au/Events/2022/February/8/Threads-and-Opportunities
Research on Intersectionality and Structural Change through Inclusion - https://www.mdpi.com/2078-1547/12/1/5
Connecting diverse science and scientists - CSIRO Agriculture and Food Seminar Series: https://research.csiro.au/agseminarscbr/
Professional Areas
Fields of Research
Current
- Crop and Pasture Biochemistry and Physiology (070303)
- Crop and Pasture Biomass and Bioproducts (070304)
- Crop and Pasture Improvement (Selection and Breeding) (070305)
- Cell Development, Proliferation and Death (060103)
- Synthetic Biology (060113)
- Gene Expression (incl. Microarray and other genome-wide approaches) (060405)
- Plant Cell and Molecular Biology (060702)
- Plant Developmental and Reproductive Biology (060703)
Current Roles
-
Research Scientist
Cotton Biotechnology -
Team Leader
Cotton Fibre Quality -
Project Leader
Crop Secondary Cell Walls for differentiated products (various projects)
Academic Qualifications
-
2004
PhD
University of Melbourne -
1994
Grad. Dip. Education
University of Melbourne -
1993
BSc (Hons)
University of Melbourne
Achievements and Awards
-
1999
PhD Scholarship
Dairy Research and Development Corporation
Community and Corporate Citizenship
-
2016-current
CSIRO SAGE SAT (Science in Australia Gender Equity Self Assessment Team)
-
2022-current
CSIRO Agriculture and Food Business Unit Inclusion and Diversity Team - Adjunct and Champion
-
2011-2013
CSIRO Plant Industry Gender Equity Committee
Publications
We have publications by Dr Colleen MacMillan