Anna Koltunow

Dr Anna Koltunow: researching plant reproduction

Dr Anna Koltunow's research is focused on plant reproduction.

• 24 December 2008 | Updated 14 October 2011

Overview

• Current activities
• Background
• Academic qualifications
• Achievements

Current activities

Dr Anna Koltunow has research interests in plant seed and fruit development and is an internationally recognised expert in an asexual form of seed formation in plants called apomixis.

This process results in the formation of seeds that are genetic copies of the female parent.

Her current research focuses on seed development in the model plants Arabidopsis and Hieracium. 

Her research on apomixis is being applied to a range of crops where it should significantly economise hybrid seed production.

Dr Koltunow has a general interest in plant development and is committed to the training of postgraduate students in this field.

Dr Koltunow is based at the Waite Precinct in Adelaide, South Australia.

Background

Dr Koltunow held a postdoctoral position at the CSIRO Division of Horticulture which led her to study molecular characteristics of grapevine viroids. 

Dr Koltunow studied gene expression during anther development at the University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA.

She returned to Australia as an Australian Research Council (ARC) Fellow, to start a research program in sexual and asexual seed formation in plants.

Dr Koltunow has since been involved in collaborative research projects on seed and fruit development with various laboratories in the United States and Europe and has worked with the horticultural industry to develop seedless fruit.

Academic qualifications

Dr Koltunow has been awarded a:

• Bachelor of Science with First Class Honours from Flinders University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia 
• Doctor of Philosophy in Biochemistry from the University of Adelaide.

Achievements

Dr Koltunow has been:

• on the Board of the International Society for Plant Molecular Biology, 1997–2001
• chair of the organizing committee of the 8th International Congress of Plant Molecular Biology, held in Adelaide, 20-25 August 2006
• an Assistant Chief of CSIRO Plant Industry
• Chair of the National Horticultural Research Network
• on the boards of Provisor Pty Ltd and the Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) for Viticulture
• involved in the establishment of the Food Futures Flagship.

Dr Koltunow is:

• a stream leader in CSIRO's Theme 1038: New Horizon's in Plant Science
• an Affiliate Professor in the School of Agriculture and Wine, University of Adelaide
• a director on the Board of HortResearch (New Zealand)
• serving on the Board of the International Association of Plant Sexual Reproduction Research as past-president

See a list of recent scientific papers by Dr Koltunow in her publishing history.