Dr Michelle Watt: helping wheat roots take up water

Dr Michelle Watt researches how roots grow and take up water from soil, and how they interact with soil microorganisms.

• 24 May 2010 | Updated 24 November 2011

Overview

• Current Activities
• Background
• Academic qualifications
• Achievements

Current Activities

Dr Michelle Watt researches how roots grow and take up water from soil, and how they interact with soil microorganisms.

The new information is applied to the genetic improvement of wheat, to develop new wheat varieties with root systems that take up more water from soil and have greater productivity in water-limited conditions.

Background

Dr Watt completed her Bachelor and Master of Science degrees at Carleton University in Canada on maize roots, and how they adapt to dry soil conditions.

She came to Australia in 1996 to conduct her doctoral studies at the Australian National University in Canberra, focusing her research on roots that Australian native plants produce, which are specialised to take up soil phosphorus very efficiently.

She joined CSIRO in 2001, when she started research on wheat roots.

Academic Qualifications

Dr Watt has been awarded a:

• Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Biology from Carleton University, Ottawa, 1992
• Master of Science in Plant Biology from Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada
• Doctor of Philosophy in Plant Sciences from the Australian National University, Canberra, 2000.

Achievements

Dr Michelle Watt was awarded the CSIRO Julius Award, 2008–2011

See a list of scientific papers published by Dr Watt on the next page.