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Biography

Professor Robert Henry conducts research on the development of new products from plants. He is Professor of Innovation in Agriculture and was foundation director of the Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (QAAFI), a Research Institute of the University of Queensland established in collaboration with the Queensland Government. He was previously Director of the Centre for Plant Conservation Genetics at Southern Cross University, Research Director of the Grain Foods CRC and Research Program Leader in the Queensland Agricultural Biotechnology Centre. His current research targets plant genome sequencing for the capture of novel genetic resources for diversification of food crops to deliver improved food products.

Robert Henry has been involved in establishing several Cooperative Research Centres in Australia and has contributed to the management of research funding by Rural Research and Development Corporations.

He is a graduate of the University of Queensland (B Sc (Hons)), Macquarie University (M Sc (Hons)) and La Trobe University (Ph D). He was awarded a higher doctorate (D Sc) by the University of Queensland for his work on variation in plants, is a Fellow of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute, Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering and, a recipient of the Guthrie Medal for his contributions to cereal chemistry. He has been recognized as a highly citied scientist (ISI) in agriculture
Robert Henry’s research seeks to improve food and energy security by applying biochemical and molecular tools to the development of improved crop varieties. This research involves analysis of domesticated crops, wild relatives of crop species and potential new crop species.

His research aims to define the basis of human selection for quality in food and non-food crops. These traits are critical to satisfying food and energy security because new plant varieties that may have higher yields may not be accepted for production by farmers if they fail to meet consumer expectations of quality and as a result are not marketable.

Current research focuses on the major global food crops, rice and wheat and the leading current and potential energy crops, sugarcane and eucalypts and adapting agriculture to climate change.

Analysis of nutritional and functional characteristics ranges from determination of human preferences for properties of foods from bread to coffee and the chemical composition that determines the suitability of plant biomass for biofuel or biomaterial production.

Whole genome sequencing and targeted sequencing of the functional parts of the genome allow associations between genetic variation and important traits to be established. Chemical and biochemical dissection of vital traits is facilitated by linking genetic variation at the whole genome level to function at the biochemical and molecular level.

Activities

Employment (1)

University of Queensland: Brisbane, AU

Professor of Innovation in Agriculture (Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation)
Employment
Source: Self-asserted source
Robert Henry

Education and qualifications (4)

University of Queensland: Brisbane, AU

2000 | D Sc Plant Variation
Education
Source: Self-asserted source
Robert Henry

La Trobe University: Bundoora, VIC, AU

1982 | Ph D Plant Cell Wall Biosynthesis
Education
Source: Self-asserted source
Robert Henry

Macquarie University: Sydney, NSW, AU

1980 | M Sc (Hons) Carbohydrate metabolism
Education
Source: Self-asserted source
Robert Henry

University of Queensland: Brisbane, AU

1977 | B Sc (Hons).Biochemistry
Education
Source: Self-asserted source
Robert Henry

Funding (5)

Australia, the centre of diversity and the centre of origin of rice?

2015 to 2018 | Grant
Australian Research Council (Canberra, AU)
GRANT_NUMBER:

DP150100137

Source: Self-asserted source
Robert Henry

Understanding Coffee Quality

2013 to 2016 | Grant
Australian Research Council (Canberra, AU)
GRANT_NUMBER:

LP130100376

Source: Self-asserted source
Robert Henry

Australian wild rice characterisation

2012 to 2015 | Grant
Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (ACT, ACT, AU)
Source: Self-asserted source
Robert Henry

Future biofuels

2012 to 2014 | Grant
Queensland Government (QLD, QLD, AU)
GRANT_NUMBER:

Research Partnerships Program 2011/12

Source: Self-asserted source
Robert Henry

Genomic strategies for reducing losses during processing and improving the nutritional value of wheat in human diets

2012 to 2014 | Grant
Australian Research Council (Canberra, AU)
GRANT_NUMBER:

LP120100412

Source: Self-asserted source
Robert Henry

Peer review (52 reviews for 29 publications/grants)

Review activity for ACS sustainable chemistry & engineering. (1)
Review activity for Agronomy. (1)
Review activity for Biofuels, bioproducts & biorefining : (6)
Review activity for Biotechnology for biofuels (4)
Review activity for BMC genomics (2)
Review activity for BMC plant biology (2)
Review activity for Canadian journal of plant science. (1)
Review activity for Cereal chemistry. (1)
Review activity for Climatic change. (1)
Review activity for Crop & pasture science. (1)
Review activity for Genes. (2)
Review activity for Genome biology. (3)
Review activity for Genome. (1)
Review activity for GigaScience. (1)
Review activity for Journal of agricultural and food chemistry. (1)
Review activity for Legume science. (1)
Review activity for Nature communications (2)
Review activity for Nature food. (1)
Review activity for Nature plants. (1)
Review activity for New phytologist. (1)
Review activity for Plant cell reports. (2)
Review activity for Plant methods. (1)
Review activity for Planta. (1)
Review activity for PloS one. (1)
Review activity for Rice. (3)
Review activity for The plant genome. (4)
Review activity for The Plant journal. (1)
Review activity for Theoretical and applied genetics. (3)
Review activity for Tropical plant biology. (2)