Overview
Background
Professor Mark Cooper is Chair of Prediction Based Crop Improvement at The University of Queensland, and a global leader in quantitative genetics and plant breeding. His work involves integrating genomic prediction and crop growth models into an ‘end to end’ framework for crop improvement.
Professor Cooper has pioneered the development of novel genetic modelling methodologies, based on gene networks, to study important properties of quantitative traits in biology, and demonstrated how this new genetic modelling framework can be successfully used in plant breeding to improve prediction of important traits under the influences of selection. Professor Cooper’s work at DuPont Pioneer on drought adaptation in one of the largest maize breeding programs in the world led to the AQUAmax hybrids that presently cover millions of hectares worldwide.
A quantitative geneticist by training, Professor Cooper spent 20 years working with industry in the United States and as CEO of his own consultancy firm Zenrun42, before returning to UQ to build upon the critical mass of predictive agricultural expertise in QAAFI and the wider university.
Availability
- Professor Mark Cooper is:
- Available for supervision
Qualifications
- Bachelor of Agricultural Science, The University of Queensland
- Doctor of Philosophy of Agriculture, The University of Queensland
- Graduate Certificate in Education, The University of Queensland
Works
Search Professor Mark Cooper’s works on UQ eSpace
2020
Other Outputs
Two decades of creating drought tolerant maize and underpinning prediction technologies in the US corn-belt: Review and perspectives on the future of crop design
Messina, Carlos D., Cooper, Mark, Hammer, Graeme L., Berning, Dan, Ciampitti, Ignacio, Clark, Randy, Diepenbrock, Christine, Gho, Carla, Jines, Mike, Lee, Travis, McCormick, Ryan, Mihura, Eduardo, Podlich, Dean, Rotundo, Jose, Smalley, Matt, Tang, Tom, Truong, Sandra and van Eeuwijk, Fred (2020). Two decades of creating drought tolerant maize and underpinning prediction technologies in the US corn-belt: Review and perspectives on the future of crop design. doi: 10.1101/2020.10.29.361337
2020
Other Outputs
Breeding with an eye on genes for paddocks
Powell, Owen and Cooper, Mark (2020, 10 02). Breeding with an eye on genes for paddocks Groundcover
2020
Other Outputs
Reproductive resilience but not root architecture underpin yield improvement in maize (Zea mays L.)
Messina, Carlos, Cooper, Mark, McDonald, Dan, Poffenbarger, Hanna, Clark, Randy, Salinas, Andrea, Fang, Yinan, Gho, Carla, Tang, Tom and Graham, Geoff (2020). Reproductive resilience but not root architecture underpin yield improvement in maize (Zea mays L.). doi: 10.1101/2020.09.30.320937
2020
Journal Article
Maize, sorghum, and pearl millet have highly contrasting species strategies to adapt to water stress and climate change-like conditions
Choudhary, Sunita, Guha, Anirban, Kholova, Jana, Pandravada, Anand, Messina, Charlie D., Cooper, Mark and Vadez, Vincent (2020). Maize, sorghum, and pearl millet have highly contrasting species strategies to adapt to water stress and climate change-like conditions. Plant Science, 295 110297, 1-14. doi: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2019.110297
2020
Journal Article
Towards a multiscale crop modelling framework for climate change adaptation assessment
Peng, Bin, Guan, Kaiyu, Tang, Jinyun, Ainsworth, Elizabeth A., Asseng, Senthold, Bernacchi, Carl J., Cooper, Mark, Delucia, Evan H., Elliott, Joshua W., Ewert, Frank, Grant, Robert F., Gustafson, David I, Hammer, Graeme L., Jin, Zhenong, Jones, James W., Kimm, Hyungsuk, Lawrence, David M., Li, Yan, Lombardozzi, Danica L., Marshall-Colon, Amy, Messina, Carlos D., Ort, Donald R., Schnable, James C., Vallejos, C. Eduardo, Wu, Alex, Yin, Xinyou and Zhou, Wang (2020). Towards a multiscale crop modelling framework for climate change adaptation assessment. Nature Plants, 6 (4), 338-348. doi: 10.1038/s41477-020-0625-3
2020
Journal Article
Crop science: a foundation for advancing predictive agriculture
Messina, Carlos D., Cooper, Mark, Reynolds, Matthew and Hammer, Graeme L. (2020). Crop science: a foundation for advancing predictive agriculture. Crop Science, 60 (2) csc2.20116, 544-546. doi: 10.1002/csc2.20116
2020
Journal Article
Integrating genetic gain and gap analysis to predict improvements in crop productivity
Cooper, Mark, Tang, Tom, Gho, Carla, Hart, Tim, Hammer, Graeme and Messina, Carlos (2020). Integrating genetic gain and gap analysis to predict improvements in crop productivity. Crop Science, 60 (2) csc2.20109, 582-604. doi: 10.1002/csc2.20109
2019
Journal Article
Revolutionizing agriculture with synthetic biology
Wurtzel, Eleanore T., Vickers, Claudia E., Hanson, Andrew D., Millar, A. Harvey, Cooper, Mark, Voss-Fels, Kai P., Nikel, Pablo I. and Erb, Tobias J. (2019). Revolutionizing agriculture with synthetic biology. Nature Plants, 5 (12), 1207-1210. doi: 10.1038/s41477-019-0539-0
2019
Conference Publication
Environmental characterization facilitate G × E interaction to highlight the role of stay-green traits for genetic gain
Amin, Asad, Christopher, Jack, Ababaei, Behnam, Cooper, Mark, Hayes, Ben, Voss-Fels, Kai, Hickey, Lee and Chenu, Karine (2019). Environmental characterization facilitate G × E interaction to highlight the role of stay-green traits for genetic gain. Translational Photosynthesis Conference: Innovations in Agriculture for Food Security (ASPS 2019), Brisbane, QLD, Australia, 30 June - 3 July 2019.
2019
Journal Article
On the dynamic determinants of reproductive failure under drought in maize
Messina, Carlos D., Hammer, Graeme L., McLean, Greg, Cooper, Mark, Oosterom, Erik J. van, Tardieu, Francois, Chapman, Scott C., Doherty, Alastair and Gho, Carla (2019). On the dynamic determinants of reproductive failure under drought in maize. In Silico Plants, 1 (1), 1-14. doi: 10.1093/insilicoplants/diz003
2019
Journal Article
Biological reality and parsimony in crop models—why we need both in crop improvement!
Hammer, Graeme, Messina, Charlie, Wu, Alex and Cooper, Mark (2019). Biological reality and parsimony in crop models—why we need both in crop improvement!. In Silico Plants, 1 (1), 1-21. doi: 10.1093/insilicoplants/diz010
2018
Journal Article
Accelerating crop genetic gains with genomic selection
Voss-Fels, Kai Peter, Cooper, Mark and Hayes, Ben John (2018). Accelerating crop genetic gains with genomic selection. Theoretical and Applied Genetics, 132 (3), 669-686. doi: 10.1007/s00122-018-3270-8
2018
Other Outputs
Maize hybrid X03H001
Brenner, Everton Alen, Coles, Nathan David, Cooper, Mark, Curran, Bill S., Lee, Travis J and Mengistu, Neway Challa (2018). Maize hybrid X03H001. 9968049.
2018
Other Outputs
Maize Hybrid X00H315
Cooper, Mark (2018). Maize Hybrid X00H315. 9888643.
2018
Conference Publication
Leveraging biological insight and environmental variation to improve phenotypic prediction: integrating crop growth models (CGM) with whole genome prediction (WGP)
Messina, C. D., Technow, F., Tang, T., Totir, R., Gho, C. and Cooper, M. (2018). Leveraging biological insight and environmental variation to improve phenotypic prediction: integrating crop growth models (CGM) with whole genome prediction (WGP). International Crop Modelling Symposium on Crop Modelling for Agriculture and Food Security under Global Change (iCropM), Berlin, Germany, 15-17 March 2016. Amsterdam, Netherlands: Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/j.eja.2018.01.007
2018
Journal Article
Modelling the nitrogen dynamics of maize crops - enhancing the APSIM maize model
Soufizadeh, S., Munaro, E., McLean, G., Massignam, A., van Oosterom, E. J., Chapman, S. C., Messina, C., Cooper, M. and Hammer, G. L. (2018). Modelling the nitrogen dynamics of maize crops - enhancing the APSIM maize model. European Journal of Agronomy, 100, 118-131. doi: 10.1016/j.eja.2017.12.007
2017
Other Outputs
Maize Inbred PH25AG
Cooper, Mark (2017). Maize Inbred PH25AG. 9788517.
2017
Journal Article
Grain yield and nitrogen accumulation in maize hybrids released during 1934 to 2013 in the US Midwest
DeBruin, Jason L., Schussler, Jeffrey R., Mo, Hua and Cooper, Mark (2017). Grain yield and nitrogen accumulation in maize hybrids released during 1934 to 2013 in the US Midwest. Crop Science, 57 (3), 1431-1446. doi: 10.2135/cropsci2016.08.0704
2016
Other Outputs
Maize hybrid X08F124
Cooper, M., Lee, T. J., Curran, B. S., Coles, N. D., Mengistu, N. C., Wardyn, B. M., Kilgore-Norquest, L. L. and Barker, T. C. (2016). Maize hybrid X08F124. 9474228.
2016
Other Outputs
Maize hybrid X08F091
Cooper, M., Lee, T. J., Curran, B. S., Coles, N. D., Mengistu, N. C., Wardyn, B. M. and Barker, T. C. (2016). Maize hybrid X08F091. 9445571.
Funding
Current funding
Supervision
Availability
- Professor Mark Cooper is:
- Available for supervision
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Supervision history
Current supervision
-
Doctor Philosophy
Phylogenomic and ecophysiological investigations of transferability of adaptation solutions within the Andropogoneae tribe
Principal Advisor
-
Doctor Philosophy
Experimental investigation in Arabidopsis thaliana of realised selection trajectories for complex branching and flowering traits under the control of gene networks following application of genomic prediction methods.
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Christine Beveridge, Dr Owen Powell
-
Doctor Philosophy
Phylogenomic and ecophysiological investigations of transferability of adaptation solutions within the Andropogoneae tribe
Principal Advisor
-
Doctor Philosophy
Assessment of machine learning methods to discover novel models of gene networks to improve genomic prediction for plant breeding
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr James Lefevre, Dr Owen Powell
-
Doctor Philosophy
Testing the branching model predictions using mutant perturbations of populations
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Yang Liu, Professor Christine Beveridge
-
Doctor Philosophy
Predicting Plant Success For Future Generations
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Owen Powell
-
Doctor Philosophy
Network biology of quantitative traits in sorghum
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Graeme Hammer, Professor Emma Mace, Dr Colleen Hunt, Dr Sofie Pearson, Professor David Jordan
-
Doctor Philosophy
Unification of selection and inheritance informs adaptive potential for generations to come
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Katrina McGuigan, Dr Yang Liu
-
Doctor Philosophy
Genomic prediction of lodging in sorghum
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Emma Mace, Dr Esinam Nancy Amuzu-Aweh, Professor David Jordan, Dr Colleen Hunt
Completed supervision
-
2004
Doctor Philosophy
Investigating quantitative genetic issues for a pedigree plant breeding program using computer simulation
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Emeritus Professor Kaye Basford
-
2003
Master Agricultural Science
The inheritance of grain yield among Veery wheat lines under Qld environ.conditions.
Principal Advisor
-
2003
Doctor Philosophy
THE CONTRIBUTION OF OSMOTIC ADJUSTMENT TO GRAIN YIELD IN SORGHUM PRODUCTION ENVIRONMENTS
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Graeme Hammer
-
2022
Doctor Philosophy
Investigating envirotyping methodology to evaluate contributions of stay-green traits to wheat yield in Australian environments
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Karine Chenu, Professor Ben Hayes, Dr Kai Voss-Fels, Professor Lee Hickey
-
2005
Doctor Philosophy
SIMULATING THE IMPACT OF MARKER-ASSISTED SELECTION IN A WHEAT BREEDING PROGRAM
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Emeritus Professor Kaye Basford
-
2004
Doctor Philosophy
GENOTYPIC VARIATION IN SOYBEAN FOR STRATEGIES OF DROUGHT STRESS RESPONSE
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Emeritus Professor Kaye Basford
-
2004
Doctor Philosophy
AN EVALUATION OF MARKER ASSISTED SELECTION (MAS) STRATEGIES FOR GENETIC IMPROVEMENT OF WHEAT
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Ian Godwin
-
2003
Doctor Philosophy
GENOTYPIC DIFFERENCES IN ADAPTATION TO DROUGHT AND INFERTILE SOILS IN RAINFED LOWLAND RICE IN CAMBODIA
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Emeritus Professor Shu Fukai
Media
Enquiries
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