Dr Anne Sawyer
Dr

Anne Sawyer

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Phone: 
+61 7 344 34311

Background

Dr Anne Sawyer is a molecular plant biologist passionate about the development of plant-based solutions to global problems. Her current research focus is the development of RNA sprays to protect plants from fungal pathogens. Dr Sawyer completed her PhD at the Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland on gene expression in microalgae. Following this, she carried out postdoctoral research at Ruhr University Bochum in Germany on microalgal hydrogen production. Dr Sawyer then returned to Australia to study RNA interference in plants and plant pathogenic fungi. Dr Sawyer has research experience in the fields of biotechnology, molecular biology, microalgal biology, synthetic biology, biochemistry and structural biology.

Availability

Dr Anne Sawyer is:
Available for supervision

Qualifications

  • Doctor of Philosophy, The University of Queensland

Search Professor Anne Sawyer’s works on UQ eSpace

17 works between 2014 and 2023
All (17) Journal Article (15) Book Chapter (1) Other Outputs (1)

1 - 17 of 17 works

2023

Journal Article

Double-stranded RNA prevents and cures infection by rust fungi

Degnan, Rebecca M., Shuey, Louise S., Radford-Smith, Julian, Gardiner, Donald M., Carroll, Bernard J., Mitter, Neena, McTaggart, Alistair R. and Sawyer, Anne (2023). Double-stranded RNA prevents and cures infection by rust fungi. Communications Biology, 6 (1) 1234, 1-10. doi: 10.1038/s42003-023-05618-z

Double-stranded RNA prevents and cures infection by rust fungi

2023

Journal Article

RNA-based control of fungal pathogens in plants

Mann, Christopher W. G., Sawyer, Anne, Gardiner, Donald M., Mitter, Neena, Carroll, Bernard J. and Eamens, Andrew L. (2023). RNA-based control of fungal pathogens in plants. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 24 (15) 12391, 1-34. doi: 10.3390/ijms241512391

RNA-based control of fungal pathogens in plants

2022

Journal Article

Exogenous double‐stranded RNA inhibits the infection physiology of rust fungi to reduce symptoms in planta

Degnan, Rebecca M., McTaggart, Alistair R., Shuey, Louise S., Pame, Leny Jane S., Smith, Grant R., Gardiner, Donald M., Nock, Volker, Soffe, Rebecca, Sale, Sarah, Garrill, Ashley, Carroll, Bernard J., Mitter, Neena and Sawyer, Anne (2022). Exogenous double‐stranded RNA inhibits the infection physiology of rust fungi to reduce symptoms in planta. Molecular Plant Pathology, 24 (3), 191-207. doi: 10.1111/mpp.13286

Exogenous double‐stranded RNA inhibits the infection physiology of rust fungi to reduce symptoms in planta

2022

Journal Article

BioClay prolongs RNA interference-mediated crop protection against Botrytis cinerea

Niño-Sánchez, Jonatan, Sambasivam, Prabhakaran Thanjavur, Sawyer, Anne, Hamby, Rachael, Chen, Angela, Czislowski, Elizabeth, Li, Peng, Manzie, Narelle, Gardiner, Donald M., Ford, Rebecca, Xu, Zhi Ping, Mitter, Neena and Jin, Hailing (2022). BioClay prolongs RNA interference-mediated crop protection against Botrytis cinerea. Journal of Integrative Plant Biology, 64 (11), 2187-2198. doi: 10.1111/jipb.13353

BioClay prolongs RNA interference-mediated crop protection against Botrytis cinerea

2021

Journal Article

Contrasting epigenetic control of transgenes and endogenous genes promotes post-transcriptional transgene silencing in Arabidopsis

Butel, Nicolas, Yu, Agnès, Le Masson, Ivan, Borges, Filipe, Elmayan, Taline, Taochy, Christelle, Gursanscky, Nial R., Cao, Jiangling, Bi, Shengnan, Sawyer, Anne, Carroll, Bernard J. and Vaucheret, Hervé (2021). Contrasting epigenetic control of transgenes and endogenous genes promotes post-transcriptional transgene silencing in Arabidopsis. Nature Communications, 12 (1) 2787, 1-12. doi: 10.1038/s41467-021-22995-3

Contrasting epigenetic control of transgenes and endogenous genes promotes post-transcriptional transgene silencing in Arabidopsis

2020

Journal Article

Can-Seq: a PCR and DNA sequencing strategy for identifying new alleles of known and candidate genes

Cao, Jiangling, Gursanscky, Nial R., Fletcher, Stephen J., Sawyer, Anne, Wadia, Mehershad, McKeough, Lachlan, Coleman, Marek, Dressel, Uwe, Taochy, Christelle, Mitter, Neena, Vaucheret, Herv and Carroll, Bernard J. (2020). Can-Seq: a PCR and DNA sequencing strategy for identifying new alleles of known and candidate genes. Plant Methods, 16 (1) 16, 16. doi: 10.1186/s13007-020-0555-0

Can-Seq: a PCR and DNA sequencing strategy for identifying new alleles of known and candidate genes

2018

Journal Article

Flavodiiron-Mediated O-2 Photoreduction Links H-2 Production with CO2 Fixation during the Anaerobic Induction of Photosynthesis

Burlacot, Adrien, Sawyer, Anne, Cuine, Stephan, Auroy-Tarrago, Pascaline, Blangy, Stephanie, Happe, Thomas and Peltier, Gilles (2018). Flavodiiron-Mediated O-2 Photoreduction Links H-2 Production with CO2 Fixation during the Anaerobic Induction of Photosynthesis. Plant Physiology, 177 (4), 1639-1649. doi: 10.1104/pp.18.00721

Flavodiiron-Mediated O-2 Photoreduction Links H-2 Production with CO2 Fixation during the Anaerobic Induction of Photosynthesis

2018

Journal Article

Iron-sulphur cluster biogenesis via the SUF pathway

Bai, Y., Chen, T., Happe, T., Lu, Y. and Sawyer, A. (2018). Iron-sulphur cluster biogenesis via the SUF pathway. Metallomics, 10 (8), 1038-1052. doi: 10.1039/c8mt00150b

Iron-sulphur cluster biogenesis via the SUF pathway

2017

Journal Article

Evolution of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii ferredoxins and their interactions with [FeFe]-hydrogenases

Sawyer, Anne and Winkler, Martin (2017). Evolution of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii ferredoxins and their interactions with [FeFe]-hydrogenases. Photosynthesis Research, 134 (3), 307-316. doi: 10.1007/s11120-017-0409-4

Evolution of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii ferredoxins and their interactions with [FeFe]-hydrogenases

2017

Journal Article

The structurally unique photosynthetic Chlorella variabilis NC64A hydrogenase does not interact with plant-type ferredoxins

Engelbrecht, Vera, Rodriguez-Macia, Patricia, Esselborn, Julian, Sawyer, Anne, Hemschemeier, Anja, Ruediger, Olaf, Lubitz, Wolfgang, Winkler, Martin and Happe, Thomas (2017). The structurally unique photosynthetic Chlorella variabilis NC64A hydrogenase does not interact with plant-type ferredoxins. Biochimica Et Biophysica Acta-Bioenergetics, 1858 (9), 771-778. doi: 10.1016/j.bbabio.2017.06.004

The structurally unique photosynthetic Chlorella variabilis NC64A hydrogenase does not interact with plant-type ferredoxins

2017

Journal Article

Compartmentalisation of [FeFe]-hydrogenase maturation in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

Sawyer, Anne, Bai, Yu, Lu, Yinghua, Hemschemeier, Anja and Happe, Thomas (2017). Compartmentalisation of [FeFe]-hydrogenase maturation in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Plant Journal, 90 (6), 1134-1143. doi: 10.1111/tpj.13535

Compartmentalisation of [FeFe]-hydrogenase maturation in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

2017

Book Chapter

Chlamydomonas: hydrogenase and hydrogen production

Sawyer, Anne, Esselborn, Julian, Winkler, Martin and Happe, Thomas (2017). Chlamydomonas: hydrogenase and hydrogen production. Chlamydomonas: biotechnology and biomedicine. (pp. 21-44) edited by Michael Hippler. Cham, Switzerland: Springer International Publishing. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-66360-9_2

Chlamydomonas: hydrogenase and hydrogen production

2016

Journal Article

Challenges and opportunities for hydrogen production from microalgae

Oey, Melanie, Sawyer, Anne Linda, Ross, Ian Lawrence and Hankamer, Ben (2016). Challenges and opportunities for hydrogen production from microalgae. Plant Biotechnology Journal, 14 (7), 1487-1499. doi: 10.1111/pbi.12516

Challenges and opportunities for hydrogen production from microalgae

2016

Journal Article

[FeFe]-Hydrogenase with Chalcogenide Substitutions at the H-Cluster Maintains Full H2 Evolution Activity

Noth, Jens, Esselborn, Julian, Güldenhaupt, Jörn, Brünje, Annika, Sawyer, Anne, Apfel, Ulf-Peter, Gerwert, Klaus, Hofmann, Eckhard, Winkler, Martin and Happe, Thomas (2016). [FeFe]-Hydrogenase with Chalcogenide Substitutions at the H-Cluster Maintains Full H2 Evolution Activity. Angewandte Chemie, 128 (29), 8536-8540. doi: 10.1002/anie.201511896

[FeFe]-Hydrogenase with Chalcogenide Substitutions at the H-Cluster Maintains Full H2 Evolution Activity

2015

Journal Article

Solution structure of the RNA-binding cold shock domain of the Chlamydomonas reinhardtii NAB1 protein and insights into RNA recognition

Sawyer, Anne L., Landsberg, Michael J., Ross, Ian L., Kruse, Olaf, Mobli, Mehdi and Hankamer, Ben (2015). Solution structure of the RNA-binding cold shock domain of the Chlamydomonas reinhardtii NAB1 protein and insights into RNA recognition. Biochemical Journal, 469 (1), 97-106. doi: 10.1042/BJ20150217

Solution structure of the RNA-binding cold shock domain of the Chlamydomonas reinhardtii NAB1 protein and insights into RNA recognition

2015

Journal Article

Sulphur responsiveness of the Chlamydomonas reinhardtii LHCBM9 promoter

Sawyer, Anne L., Hankamer, Ben D. and Ross, Ian L. (2015). Sulphur responsiveness of the Chlamydomonas reinhardtii LHCBM9 promoter. Planta, 241 (5), 1287-1302. doi: 10.1007/s00425-015-2249-9

Sulphur responsiveness of the Chlamydomonas reinhardtii LHCBM9 promoter

2014

Other Outputs

Regulation of light harvesting complex gene expression in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

Sawyer, Anne (2014). Regulation of light harvesting complex gene expression in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. PhD Thesis, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland. doi: 10.14264/uql.2014.163

Regulation of light harvesting complex gene expression in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

Current funding

  • 2025 - 2027
    Nanoclay delivered mobile RNA for plant gene editing and crop improvement
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2024 - 2027
    RNA for novel, safe and sustainable control of myrtle rust
    The Hermon Slade Foundation
    Open grant
  • 2022 - 2025
    RNA vaccines for next generation crop protection: facilitating adoption
    Advance Queensland Industry Research Fellowships
    Open grant

Past funding

  • 2022 - 2024
    Development of RNAi vaccines for in-field protection of vulnerable Australian ecosystems and industries against myrtle rust
    Australian Plant Biosecurity Science Foundation
    Open grant
  • 2020 - 2023
    Exploration of RNAi vaccines as a novel control for Myrtle Rust in critically endangered Australian taxa
    Australian Plant Biosecurity Science Foundation
    Open grant
  • 2019 - 2022
    RNA vaccines for next generation crop protection against fungal pathogens
    Advance Queensland Industry Research Fellowships
    Open grant
  • 2018 - 2020
    Topical application of BioClay-delivered dsRNS for management of pineapple and avocado diseases
    Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries
    Open grant
  • 2014 - 2015
    Protein engineering to increase light-to-hydrogen production in algae
    Go8 Australia - Germany Joint Research Co-operation Scheme
    Open grant

Availability

Dr Anne Sawyer is:
Available for supervision

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Supervision history

Current supervision

  • Doctor Philosophy

    RNA vaccines for next generation crop protection against fungal pathogens

    Principal Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Mechanisms of RNA uptake and gene silencing in plant pathogens

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Donald Gardiner

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Systemic RNA biopesticides for controlling fungal pathogens in grain crops

    Associate Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Discovery of genes involved in systemic RNAi in plants

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Chris Brosnan

  • Doctor Philosophy

    RNA-based control of Phytophthora root rot

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Associate Professor Anthony Young

Completed supervision

Enquiries

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