Staff Profile

Career Summary

Biography

Research

Research keywords

• Abiotic stress tolerance
• Aquaporin and water transport
• Cell expansion and cell wall biosynthesis
• Seed, fruit and cotton fibre development
• Sugar metabolism, transport and signalling

Research expertise

My research focuses on elucidating (1) mechanisms by which sugar metabolism, transport and signalling regulate fruit and seed and fibre development and (2) molecular basis of plant cell expansion and cellulose synthesis. We use molecular, genetic, biochemical, cell biology approaches to address these issues, key for understanding fundamental Plant Biology and designing innovative tools to improve crop productivity and stress tolerance for food, fuel and fibre. Both research activities are funded by ARC Discovery Program as well as other national and international funding bodies. Major discoveries include:

• A substantial proportion of cell wall invertase (CWIN) activity is capped by its inhibitory protein in vivo. Elevation of CWIN activity by silencing its inhibitor increases seed weight and fruit sugar levels and delays leaf aging (Jin et al 2009 Plant Cell; Ruan et al 2010 Molecular Plant).
• Novel findings on the role of CWIN in endosperm nuclear division and embryonic provascular development, thereby regulating early seed development (Wang & Ruan 2012 Plant Physiology), contrasting to that of sucrose synthase (Sus) which is involved in cell wall synthesis in transfer cells and endosperm (Ruan et al 2003 Plant Cell; Pugh et al 2010 Molecular Plant).
• Identifying major cellular and biochemical bottlenecks that limit assimilate import to and utilization within reproductive organs, thereby causing seed and fruit abortion (Ruan et al 2012 Trends in Plant Science), especially under stress where, for example, low invertase activity could lead to flower and fruit abortion under heat stress (Li et al 2012 Journal of Experimental Botany).
• Dissecting roles of Sus in seed maternal and filial tissue (Ruan et al 1997,1998 Plant Physiology; 2003 Plant Cell; 2008 Functional Plant Biology). Over-expression of Sus enhances cotton fibre and seed development (Xu et al 2012 Molecular Plant; Jiang et al 2012 Plant Biotechnology Journal).
• Reversible gating of plasmodesmata (PD), modulated by callose turnover, coordinates membrane sugar and K+ carriers to control fibre elongation (Ruan et al 2001 Plant Cell; 2004 Plant Physiology). Similarly, developmental closure of PD in tomato fruit coordinates expression of membrane hexose transporters (Ruan & Patrick 1995 Planta; Ruan et al1997 Plant Cell & Environment; Jin et al 2009 Plant Cell).
• Vacuolar invertase regulates cotton fibre and Arabidopsis root elongation through osmotic dependent and independent pathways, respectively (Wang et al 2010 Plant Physiology) and a novel Sus protein targets to cotton fibre cell wall matrix during the secondary cell wall stage, probably underpinning intensive cellulose biosynthesis (Brill et al 2011 Plant Physiology).

Along my research career, I have also been highly active in research training. Since 2008, I have supervised 4 PhD and 2 Master students to completion as principle supervisor. Currently, I am supervising 5 PhD students (4 as principle supervisor), and 1 postdoc. The success of the research training was reflected by (1) Publication of their findings in top journals (e.g. Jin et al 2009 Plant Cell; Wang et al 2010 Plant Physiol) and their subsequent on-track employment as academic (Jin and Fallahi) and postdocs (Wang and Xu); (2) Presentations of their work at International meetings (e.g.15th International Symposium on Plant Membrane Biology 2010, Adelaide and 2nd International conference on Plant Metabolism, 2011, Qingdao) and (3) Receiving 1st class Honours (Jones, Palmer) and University Medal (Jones).

Fields of Research

Memberships

Committee/Associations (relevant to research).

• Editor - Frontiers in Plant Physiology

Editorial Board.

• Editor - Molecular Plant
• Editor - Plant Signalling and Behaviour

Awards

Research Award.

Invitations

Collaboration

• Prof Xiao-Ya Chen: Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China

• Dr Alisdair Fernie: Max-Planck-Institute, Potsdam-Golm, Germany

• Prof Wolf Frommer: Carnegie Institution for Science, Stanford, USA

• Prof John Patrick: University of Newcastle, Callaghan, Australia;

• Prof Steve Tyerman: University of Adelaide, Glen Osmond, Australia.

Administrative

Administrative expertise

UNIVERSITY EXPERTISE

• Director of Australia-China Research Centre for Crop Improvement (2008-)
• Institutional Biosafety Committee Member (2010-)
• SACO, School of Environmental & Life Science (2009)
• Biology Honours Committee Member (2010-)
• Manager of Biology Cold room (2010-)
• Coordinator BIOL1003 Lab-based 1st year course- ~160 students and 14 staff /assistants (2012-); BIOL 2220- ~60 students and 4 staff/assistants (2008-); BIOL 3330 ~40 students and 5 Staff & assistants (2009-2011).

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES

• Review Grants for funding Bodies NSF, NSFC, NSFI, USDA; manuscripts for major journals in Plant Biology.
• Editorial duties for three international journals Molecular Plant, Frontiers in Plant Biology; Plant Signalling and Behaviour.

Teaching

Teaching keywords

• Lab skills
• Plant Cell Development
• Plant Physiology

Teaching expertise

Developed the following effective teaching philosophy coupled with research-orientated course design and delivery:

(i) To deliver essential knowledge on contemporary Plant Biology;

(ii) To excite students’ passion to learn actively and deeply and

(iii) To link course content/lab skills with potential applications, career opportunities and relevance to economic and environmental issues.

Teaching in Professional Skills in Biology and Plant Cell Development and Physiology at 1000,2000 and 3000 levels.

Implementation of modifications of major parts of Plant Biology Courses I taught based on new advances in research discovery.

Providing effective feedback and changes in course content or assessment to improve teaching and learning outcome.

Overseeing implementation of coordinated actions in lab skill teaching.

Awarded Graduate Certificate in Tertiary Teaching