Overview
Background
Professor Henry, is a graduate of the University of Queensland, B Sc (Hons), Macquarie University, M Sc (Hons) and La Trobe University (Ph D). In 2000 Professor Henry was awarded a higher doctorate (D Sc) by UQ for his work on analysis of variation in plants.
He is currently Professor of Innovation in Agriculture. Before being appointed QAAFI Director (May 2010-September 2020), he was Director of the Centre for Plant Conservation Genetics at Southern Cross University, a centre which he established in 1996. Other previous positions held by Professor Henry include Research Director of the Grain Foods Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) (until 2010) and Research Program Leader in the Queensland Agricultural Biotechnology Centre (until 1996).
Professor Henry’s speciality research area is the study of agricultural crops using molecular tools. He is particularly interested in Australian flora and plants of economic and social importance and has led the way in research into genome sequencing to capture novel genetic resources for the diversification of food crops to deliver improved food products.
Availability
- Professor Robert Henry is:
- Available for supervision
- Media expert
Fields of research
Qualifications
- Bachelor (Honours) of Science, The University of Queensland
- Masters (Research) of Science, Macquarie University
- Doctor of Philosophy, La Trobe University
Research interests
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Australian wild crop relatives and potential food species
The Australian flora is rich in wild relatives of major crops. Many species with traditional or potential new food uses are also present. Genomics characterization of these species provides improved access to this critical biodiversity for global crop diversification.
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Adaptation of agriculture and food production to climate change
Study of the variation in the genome of wild plants under natural selection can provide clues as to how we can adapt plants for use in agriculture in response to climate change.
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Coffee
Study of the variation in the genome of wild plants under natural selection can provide clues as to how we can adapt plants for use in agriculture in response to climate change.
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Rice
Rice is a major human food originally domesticated in Asia. Wild rice in Australia is a major source of genetic diversity to support sustainable rice production globally. The Australian populations have uniquely escaped the genetic pollution from domesticated rice that has impacted wild rice growing in Asia. Whole genome analysis of Australian wild rice is being used to better understand rice domestication and make this diverse genetic resource available for increased rice food security worldwide.
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Sorghum
The sorghum genus is largely found in Australia. Current research investigates the genomes of these species to explore their evolution and adaptation to environments.
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Wheat
Food security demands an accelerated rate of genetic improvement of major food crops such as wheat and rice. Wheat genes determining traits important for human use in production of bread and other food products are essential in commercial wheat production. These traits have been considered complex and selection for quality characteristics has limited the rate of genetic improvement of wheat. Genomics is being used to increase understanding of the genetic basis of these traits removing this constraint to more rapid improvements in wheat varieties and production globally.
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Horticultural tree crops (macadamia, mango, avocado, almond and citrus)
This program develops genomic resources to support the genetic improvement of major horticultural tree crops. These resources include reference genome and transcriptome sequences and re-sequencing of germplasm. Native Australain species of Macadamia and Citrus are a special focus of this work.
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Eucalypts
Eucalypts are a diverse group of Australian species that have been planted in many countries for a wide range of uses. Eucalypts have been grown for solid wood, pulp for paper, and a source of firewood but also have use as a feedstock for energy and biomaterials. Research uses our growing understanding of the Eucalypt genome to support selection of Eucalypts.
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Sugarcane
Sugarcane is a major industrial crop providing a source of energy, fuel and sugar. Research aims to deliver increased understanding the sugarcane genome and discovery of the genetic control of traits that are important in developing sugarcane as an energy and biomaterial crop.
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Jojoba
Jojoba is an oil producing plant from desert environments. The genome of this species is being studied to understand adaptation to desert environments and sex determination in plants.
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Duboisia
Duboisia species are found in Australia. These plants are the source of important alkaloids with a range of pharmaceutical applications.
Research impacts
Robert Henry uses DNA-based methods for identification of plants and their pathogens. His interests include; sequencing of plant genomes, development of molecular markers for plant breeding and the genetic transformation and gene editing of plants. A major focus is application of DNA analysis technology to the improvement of the quality of crops and agricultural and food products and analysis of wild-plant populations, especially in Australia, to support their conservation and use in agriculture or forestry.
His 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. 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. 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.
Works
Search Professor Robert Henry’s works on UQ eSpace
1979
Journal Article
The distribution of fructan metabolising enzymes in the onion plant
Henry, Robert J. and Darbyshire, Ben (1979). The distribution of fructan metabolising enzymes in the onion plant. Plant Science Letters, 14 (2), 155-158. doi: 10.1016/0304-4211(79)90054-3
1979
Journal Article
Water-soluble polysaccharide in nine commercial sweet corn cultivars and its suitability for estimating kernel maturity
Darbyshire, B., Muirhead, W. A. and Henry, R. J. (1979). Water-soluble polysaccharide in nine commercial sweet corn cultivars and its suitability for estimating kernel maturity. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture, 19 (98), 373-376. doi: 10.1071/EA9790373
1978
Journal Article
Distribution of Fructans in Onions
Darbyshire, B and Henry, RJ (1978). Distribution of Fructans in Onions. New Phytologist, 81 (1), 29-&. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-8137.1978.tb01600.x
1978
Journal Article
WATER-SOLUBLE POLYSACCHARIDE DETERMINATION AS A TECHNIQUE FOR EVALUATION OF SWEET CORN MATURITY
DARBYSHIRE, B, MUIRHEAD, WA and HENRY, RJ (1978). WATER-SOLUBLE POLYSACCHARIDE DETERMINATION AS A TECHNIQUE FOR EVALUATION OF SWEET CORN MATURITY. AUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH, 29 (3), 517-522. doi: 10.1071/AR9780517
1978
Journal Article
ASSAY FOR GLYCOSYLTRANSFERASES USING PHENOL PARTITION AND GAS-LIQUID-CHROMATOGRAPHY
DARBYSHIRE, B and HENRY, RJ (1978). ASSAY FOR GLYCOSYLTRANSFERASES USING PHENOL PARTITION AND GAS-LIQUID-CHROMATOGRAPHY. ANALYTICAL BIOCHEMISTRY, 90 (1), 234-238. doi: 10.1016/0003-2697(78)90027-1
1978
Conference Publication
FRUCTAN METABOLISM IN ONIONS
HENRY, RJ and DARBYSHIRE, B (1978). FRUCTAN METABOLISM IN ONIONS. PROC AUST BIOCHEMICAL SOC.
1977
Conference Publication
UPTAKE AND UTILIZATION OF MONOSACCHARIDES BY WHEAT-STEM RUST FUNGUS
HENRY, RJ, MACLEAN, DJ and SCOTT, KJ (1977). UPTAKE AND UTILIZATION OF MONOSACCHARIDES BY WHEAT-STEM RUST FUNGUS. PROC AUST BIOCHEMICAL SOC.
Funding
Current funding
Past funding
Supervision
Availability
- Professor Robert Henry is:
- Available for supervision
Before you email them, read our advice on how to contact a supervisor.
Available projects
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Domestication of new food crops
Food security would be enhanced by the use of a wider range of plants. Capturing more Australian biodiversity for food production may utilize wild crop relatives or domesticate new species. This project will evaluate the potential of Australian species.
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Genomics of horticultural crops
Genome analysis provides a knowledge base on the biology of plants. This project will work with domesticated horticultural crops and their wild relatives. Key target species in the work include, banana, pineapple, mango, citrus, papaya, macadamia, avocado, passion fruit and custard apple
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Genomics of Australian plants
This project will conduct analysis of the genomics of Australian plants, including endangered species, to provide key tools to support their conservation.
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Engineering plants to replace fossil carbon
Plants are a renewable source of carbon with potential to replace fossil carbon in production of chemicals and carbon-based materials. This project will evaluate options for engineering plants to be more suitable for these uses.
Supervision history
Current supervision
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Doctor Philosophy
Editing nutritional traits in rice.
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Agnelo Furtado, Dr Pauline Okemo
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Doctor Philosophy
Genetic solutions for determining fibre quality traits in sugarcane
Principal Advisor
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Doctor Philosophy
Conservation genomics - developing broadly applicable workflows that work from locally to internationally.
Principal Advisor
-
Doctor Philosophy
Genome diversity in the Macadamia genus
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Agnelo Furtado, Professor Bruce Topp
-
Doctor Philosophy
Citrus genomics: chromosome-level genome assemblies, annotations, and phylogenetic relationships of Australian native species and four commercial citrus varieties
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Agnelo Furtado
-
Doctor Philosophy
Genomic analysis of mechanisms of adaptive evolution
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Agnelo Furtado, Dr Pauline Okemo
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Doctor Philosophy
Integrating Genomics, Tissue Culture, and CRISPR/Cas9 to Unlock the Agricultural Potential of Australian Wild Rice
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Agnelo Furtado, Dr Pauline Okemo
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-
Doctor Philosophy
Genetic solutions for determining fibre quality traits in sugarcane
Principal Advisor
-
Doctor Philosophy
Analysis of the contribution of non-leaf photosynthesis to growth in cereal crops
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Pauline Okemo
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-
Doctor Philosophy
Techno-economic analysis of options for the use of sugarcane bagasse as a source of chemicals and energy
Principal Advisor
-
Doctor Philosophy
Genomic analysis of potential food crops in the channel country
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Agnelo Furtado, Dr Pauline Okemo
-
Doctor Philosophy
Citrus genomics: chromosome-level genome assemblies, annotations, and phylogenetic relationships of Australian native species and four commercial citrus varieties
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Agnelo Furtado
-
Doctor Philosophy
Characterization of the Genomes of Australian Wild Rice and Application of Gene Editing to Their Domestication
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Agnelo Furtado, Dr Pauline Okemo
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Doctor Philosophy
The exploration of disease resistance across the wild Oryza species
Principal Advisor
-
Doctor Philosophy
Integrating Genomics, Tissue Culture, and CRISPR/Cas9 to Unlock the Agricultural Potential of Australian Wild Rice
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Agnelo Furtado, Dr Pauline Okemo
-
Doctor Philosophy
Biotechnological improvement of Vanilla planifolia
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Jimmy Botella
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Doctor Philosophy
Biotechnological improvement of Vanilla planifolia
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Jimmy Botella
-
Doctor Philosophy
Developing a rapid and cost effective genotyping method for blueberry breeding
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Bruce Topp, Associate Professor Craig Hardner
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Doctor Philosophy
Propagation and genetic enhancement of Duboisia species for production of tropane alkaloids
Associate Advisor
-
Doctor Philosophy
Impact of temperature, light intensity and quality on carbon partitioning in Theobroma Cacao grown in controlled environment
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Paul Gauthier
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Doctor Philosophy
Developing a rapid and cost effective genotyping method for blueberry breeding
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Bruce Topp, Associate Professor Craig Hardner
Completed supervision
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2025
Doctor Philosophy
Citrus genomics: chromosome-level genome assemblies, annotations, and phylogenetic relationships of Australian native species and four commercial citrus varieties
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Agnelo Furtado
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2024
Doctor Philosophy
The genomes of the four Macadamia species
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Agnelo Furtado, Professor Bruce Topp
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2023
Doctor Philosophy
LIGNOCELLULOSIC BIOMASS VALORISATION USING DEEP EUTECTIC SOLVENTS FOR SUSTINABLE BIOREFINERIES
Principal Advisor
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2023
Doctor Philosophy
Genetic basis of sexual dimorphism in Jojoba
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Agnelo Furtado
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2023
Doctor Philosophy
Analysis of genome and transcriptome variation in AA genome Australian wild rice
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Agnelo Furtado
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2023
Doctor Philosophy
Characterization of water-stress tolerance in jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis) using genomics technology
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Agnelo Furtado
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2022
Doctor Philosophy
Sorghum genomics: Diversity and evolution of the genus Sorghum and the role of cyanogenesis
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Agnelo Furtado
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2021
Doctor Philosophy
Metabolic and Transcriptomic Changes in the Developing Sugarcane Culm Associated with High Yield and Early-Season High Sugar Content.
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Agnelo Furtado
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2020
Doctor Philosophy
Analysis of biomass traits in sugarcane (Saccharum spp. hybrids)
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Agnelo Furtado
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2020
Doctor Philosophy
Investigating the transcriptional control of UDP-Glucose metabolism in Sugarcane
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Agnelo Furtado
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2019
Doctor Philosophy
Analysis of gene expression in the developing seed with the quality of wheat
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Agnelo Furtado
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2019
Doctor Philosophy
Canopy Position Influences on Gene Expression and Coffee Quality
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Agnelo Furtado, Professor Heather Smyth
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2018
Doctor Philosophy
Genetic diversity of Australian wild rice
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Agnelo Furtado
-
2018
Doctor Philosophy
Genomic studies of biochemical compounds determining arabica coffee (Coffea arabica L.) quality
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Agnelo Furtado, Professor Heather Smyth
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2017
Doctor Philosophy
Genomic and phenotypic characterization of commercial Corymbia hybrids for lignocellulosic biofuel production
Principal Advisor
-
2017
Doctor Philosophy
Analysis of genes controlling biomass traits in the genome of sugarcane (Saccharum spp. hybrids)
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Agnelo Furtado
-
2017
Doctor Philosophy
Genomic characterization of African cultivated and wild Oryza species
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Agnelo Furtado
-
2017
Doctor Philosophy
Grain quality of Australian wild rice (compared to domesticated rice)
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Heather Smyth, Dr Agnelo Furtado
-
2017
Doctor Philosophy
Genomics of consumer traits in chapatti quality
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Agnelo Furtado
-
2016
Doctor Philosophy
Genomic characterization of Australian wild rice species
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Agnelo Furtado
-
2016
Doctor Philosophy
Identifying sources of resistance to Fusarium diseases using the model plant Brachypodium distachyon
Principal Advisor
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2025
Doctor Philosophy
Biotechnological improvement of Vanilla planifolia
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Jimmy Botella
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2024
Doctor Philosophy
Propagation and genetic enhancement of Duboisia species for production of tropane alkaloids
Associate Advisor
-
2022
Doctor Philosophy
Understanding digestibility properties, sensory data of Australian wild rice from the molecular level
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Bob Gilbert
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2022
Doctor Philosophy
Genome Sequencing, annotation and application in avocado (Persea americana Mill.)
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Alice Hayward
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2022
Doctor Philosophy
The development of purple-pericarp super-sweetcorn
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Alice Hayward
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2021
Doctor Philosophy
Genomic-assisted exploitation of wild germplasm for improvement of macadamia
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Craig Hardner, Dr Mobashwer Alam, Professor Bruce Topp
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2021
Doctor Philosophy
Assessment and identification of molecular markers underpinning for H. armigera Hübner resistance in Australian wild Cajanus species
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Agnelo Furtado, Professor Yasmina Sultanbawa
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2019
Doctor Philosophy
Selection strategies to improve yield in macadamia using component traits and genomics
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Craig Hardner, Dr Mobashwer Alam, Professor Ben Hayes, Professor Bruce Topp
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2019
Doctor Philosophy
The molecular analysis of yellow canopy syndrome-induced yellowing in the sugarcane leaf
Associate Advisor
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2019
Doctor Philosophy
Genetically modified corn using site directed mutagenesis
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Bob Gilbert
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2017
Doctor Philosophy
Plant pathogenic Magnaporthales in Australia, with particular reference to Pyricularia oryzae on wild and cultivated rice
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Andrew Geering
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2015
Doctor Philosophy
Relationship between Starch Structure and Biosynthesis
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Bob Gilbert
Media
Enquiries
Contact Professor Robert Henry directly for media enquiries about:
- Biomaterials
- DNA fingerprinting
- Food
- Genetic engineering - plants
- Plant identification
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