Ulrike Mathesius is a German–Australian plant microbiologist in the Division of Plant Sciences at
Australian National University
The Australian National University (ANU) is a public university, public research university and member of the Group of Eight (Australian universities), Group of Eight, located in Canberra, the capital of Australia. Its main campus in Acton, A ...
(ANU). She is an
Australian Research Council
The Australian Research Council (ARC) is the primary non-medical research funding agency of the Australian Government, distributing more than in grants each year. The Council was established by the ''Australian Research Council Act 2001'', ...
(ARC) Future Fellow at the ANU,
National Tertiary Education Union
The National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) is an Australian trade union for all higher education and university employees. It is an industry union, and the only union working exclusively in the Australian university sector.
Overview
The ...
(NTEU) member and Professor at the ANU in plant science, biotechnology and plant-microbe interactions. Her research focuses on root microbe interactions and
symbionts
Symbiosis (Ancient Greek : living with, companionship < : together; and ''bíōsis'': living) is any type of a close and long-term
parasites
Parasitism is a close relationship between species, where one organism, the parasite, lives (at least some of the time) on or inside another organism, the host, causing it some harm, and is adapted structurally to this way of life. The en ...
. Mathesius won the 2013 Fenner Medal awarded by the ARC for research in biology (excluding the biomedical sciences) for outstanding early-career researchers under the age of 40.
Background
Mathesius was born in
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
where she received her Diploma in Biology (BSc Hons) at the
Technical University of Darmstadt
Technical may refer to:
* Technical (vehicle), an improvised fighting vehicle
* Technical area, an area which a manager, other coaching personnel, and substitutes are allowed to occupy during a football match
* Technical advisor, a person who ad ...
in 1995. She came to Australia in 1993 after spending two years as an undergraduate and spent a year at the ANU's Research School of Biological Sciences (RSBS) working with four different research groups which sparked her interest in a research career. After she finished her degree in Germany, she won an international post-graduate scholarship to the ANU. She carried out her PhD at the RSBS between 1996 and 1999, which focused on the symbiosis between
rhizobia
Rhizobia are diazotrophic bacteria that fix nitrogen after becoming established inside the root nodules of legumes (Fabaceae). To express genes for nitrogen fixation, rhizobia require a plant host; they cannot independently fix nitrogen. I ...
and
legumes
Legumes are plants in the pea family Fabaceae (or Leguminosae), or the fruit or seeds of such plants. When used as a dry grain for human consumption, the seeds are also called pulses. Legumes are grown agriculturally, primarily for human consu ...
. She joined the NTEU when she finished her doctorate. This was followed by post doctoral research at RSBS in the area of plant proteomics between 1999 and 2001. In 2002 she moved to the School of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology with a Post Doctoral Fellowship from the ARC. She then held an ARC Research Fellowship and is now an ARC Future Fellow working on the developmental regulation of nodulation, parasitic gall development and lateral root formation in legumes. Mathesius has two young children and lives in
Canberra
Canberra ( ; ) is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the Federation of Australia, federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's list of cities in Australia, largest in ...
.
Research
Mathesius investigates how soil microbes shape the plant by developing and applying techniques at a molecular, cellular and whole plant level. A central idea of her work is that microbes 'hijack' plant signalling pathways for their own purposes. Her research laboratory specializes in investigating quorum sensing, the chemical signalling systems bacteria use to coordinate gene transcription leading to collective behaviour and defining the mechanisms that symbiotic and pathogenic organisms use to manipulate plant development. They have discovered, that plants using a sophisticated surveillance and response system, can distinguish between harmful and beneficial bacteria and mimic their chemical communication signals in an attempt to thwart their offensives. This has implications for utilising microbes to alter crop plant performance and for trying to develop nitrogen-fixing symbioses in non-legumes.
Awards and recognition
* 2013 – Fenner Medal: Awarded by The Australian Research Council
* 2011 – Australian Awards for University Teaching for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning: Awarded by The Australian Government Office for Learning and Teaching
* 2009 – Joint College Award for Excellence in Education: Awarded by The ANU College of Medicine, Biology & Environment and the ANU College of Physical & Mathematical Sciences
* 2009 – Vice Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Education, for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning: Awarded by The Australian National University
* 2007 – Peter Goldacre Award: Awarded by The Australian Society of Plant Scientists
* 2006 – Rebeiz Foundation for Basic Research Prize: Awarded by Rebeiz Foundation for Basic Research
* 2006 – ACT Young Tall Poppy Science Award: Awarded by The Australian Institute for Policy and Science