My name is Christopher Tom, and I am currently based at Sugar Research Australia (SRA) in Mackay. In my role as a Variety Officer at SRA, I’ve gained valuable firsthand industry experience, particularly in managing the final stage of the variety development program. This involves identifying elite clones suitable for release as commercial varieties. Prior to this, I was employed as a Cytogeneticist, working in both diagnostic and research capacities. The diverse experiences from these roles have fostered a passion for genetics, genomics, and plant breeding.
My project aims to apply genomic tools to exploit nematode resistance from wild sugarcane relatives, with the goal of developing new sugarcane varieties that possess nematode resistance. Successfully identifying genes associated with nematode resistance would be highly beneficial to the Australian sugarcane industry.
Plant-parasitic nematodes cost the Australian sugarcane industry $80 million annually. Currently, no commercial varieties exhibit resistance to nematodes, and there are no effective control measures to mitigate their impact. My project aims to identify resistant varieties and fast-track them into SRA’s breeding program, providing growers with options in areas where nematode populations are high.
I am grateful for this opportunity to undertake my HDR through the ARC Training Centre in Predictive Breeding and appreciate the support from SRA and the team at QAAFI in securing a place in the Centre.
In my spare time, I enjoy getting outdoors, and Mackay offers countless opportunities to get out and enjoy nature. Some of my main hobbies include taking my boat out freediving and fishing at the reef, as well as riding my mountain bike on the trails. Both activities are great for reducing stress and enhancing overall health.
