Overview
Background
Karen is a Research Fellow in QAAFI at the University of Queensland whose research group is focused on the improvement of crops using genomic and biotechnological tools. She began her scientific journey through obtaining an Honours BSc in Pharmaceutical sciences (Genomics) from the University Ottawa where her honours focused on the impact of RNA stability in cold-treated wheat seedlings. From there she joined Ian Godwin's group in SAFS at UQ to start her PhD in developing and optimising biotechnological tools in sorghum to understand food and feed quality. As a research fellow, she has applied these initiatives to numerous tropical grain crops and using these tools to study a range of traits focused on understanding key developmental pathways.
Availability
- Dr Karen Massel is:
- Available for supervision
- Media expert
Fields of research
Qualifications
- Bachelor (Honours) of Science (Advanced), University of Ottawa
- Doctor of Philosophy of Agricultural Biotechnology, The University of Queensland
Research interests
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Improving CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing technology in crops
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Improving abiotic tolerance through the elucidation of developmental pathways
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Genetic improvement of grain quality traits
Research impacts
Karen's research group leverages targeted and precise genetic manipulation to unravel the complexities of biological systems and integrating these outcomes into breeding programs. The focus is currently modulating the crops developmental patterning to improve their abiotic stress tolerance strategies, with dreams of advancing these initiatives into crops with superior performance tailored for specific environments. The group is continually expanding it's research scope to include crops such as sorghum, barley, tropical pasture grasses, and both tropical and temperate legumes. Karen is a strong advocate for the benefits of biotechnology, supporting both GM and gene edited plants to promte sustainable crop and food production.
Works
Search Professor Karen Massel’s works on UQ eSpace
2025
Journal Article
Haplotype‐based insights into seminal root angle in barley
Aldiss, Zachary, Lam, Yasmine, Baraibar, Silvina, Van Der Meer, Sarah, Dinglasan, Eric, Massel, Karen, Crisp, Peter, Godwin, Ian, Borrell, Andrew, Moody, David, Hickey, Lee and Robinson, Hannah (2025). Haplotype‐based insights into seminal root angle in barley. The Plant Genome, 18 (3) e70088, 1-15. doi: 10.1002/tpg2.70088
2025
Journal Article
The <i>PIN2</i> ortholog in barley modifies root gravitropism and architecture
Aldiss, Zachary, Lam, Yasmine, Robinson, Hannah, Dixon, Richard, Steinhardt, Laura, Crisp, Peter, Godwin, Ian, Borrell, Andrew, Hickey, Lee and Massel, Karen (2025). The PIN2 ortholog in barley modifies root gravitropism and architecture. The Plant Genome, 18 (3) e70061, e70061. doi: 10.1002/tpg2.70061
2025
Journal Article
CEPR1 function across plant lineages: peptide hormone recognition by cereal crop orthologs and developmental roles in barley
Taylor, Katia, Dixon, Richard, Taleski, Michael, Hintzsche, Jessica, Aldiss, Zachary, Massel, Karen, Robinson, Hannah, Gagliardini, Valeria, Grossniklaus, Ueli, Godwin, Ian, Hickey, Lee and Djordjevic, Michael Anthony (2025). CEPR1 function across plant lineages: peptide hormone recognition by cereal crop orthologs and developmental roles in barley. Journal of Experimental Botany eraf316. doi: 10.1093/jxb/eraf316
2025
Journal Article
Decoding PDI diversity: insights into structure, domains, and functionality in sorghum
López-Gómez, Carla F., Morris, Marc T., Massel, Karen, Smith, Millicent, Crisp, Peter, Schenk, Gerhard and Godwin, Ian D. (2025). Decoding PDI diversity: insights into structure, domains, and functionality in sorghum. Computational and Structural Biotechnology Journal, 27, 3328-3336. doi: 10.1016/j.csbj.2025.07.035
2025
Journal Article
Decoding PDI diversity: insights into structure, domains, and functionality in sorghum
López-Gómez, Carla F., Morris, Marc T., Massel, Karen, Smith, Millicent, Crisp, Peter, Schenk, Gerhard and Godwin, Ian D. (2025). Decoding PDI diversity: insights into structure, domains, and functionality in sorghum. doi: 10.1101/2025.06.06.658324
2025
Journal Article
Time to flowering and flowering duration in mungbean are unrelated physiological traits with independent genetic controls
Dudley, Caitlin, Van Haeften, Shanice, Alahmad, Samir, Dinglasan, Eric, Hickey, Lee T., Robinson, Hannah, Beveridge, Christine, Udvardi, Michael, Noble, Thomas, Massel, Karen, Dun, Elizabeth A. and Smith, Millicent R. (2025). Time to flowering and flowering duration in mungbean are unrelated physiological traits with independent genetic controls. Journal Of Experimental Botany eraf222. doi: 10.1093/jxb/eraf222
2025
Journal Article
An accelerated transgene-free genome editing system using microparticle bombardment of sorghum immature embryos
Zhang, Yan, Cheng, Ming, Massel, Karen, Godwin, Ian D. and Liu, Guoquan (2025). An accelerated transgene-free genome editing system using microparticle bombardment of sorghum immature embryos. aBIOTECH, 6 (2), 202-214. doi: 10.1007/s42994-025-00204-9
2023
Journal Article
Metabarcoding airborne pollen from subtropical and temperate eastern Australia over multiple years reveals pollen aerobiome diversity and complexity
Campbell, B. C., Van Haeften, S., Massel, K., Milic, A., Al Kouba, J., Addison-Smith, B., Gilding, E. K., Beggs, P. J. and Davies, J. M. (2023). Metabarcoding airborne pollen from subtropical and temperate eastern Australia over multiple years reveals pollen aerobiome diversity and complexity. Science of the Total Environment, 862 160585, 1-11. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.160585
2022
Journal Article
CRISPR-knockout of β-kafirin in sorghum does not recapitulate the grain quality of natural mutants
Massel, Karen, Hintzsche, Jessica, Restall, Jemma, Kerr, Edward D., Schulz, Benjamin L. and Godwin, Ian D. (2022). CRISPR-knockout of β-kafirin in sorghum does not recapitulate the grain quality of natural mutants. Planta, 257 (1) 8, 1-14. doi: 10.1007/s00425-022-04038-3
2022
Conference Publication
New technologies to accelerate mungbean improvement
Van Haeften, Shanice, Dudley, Caitlin, Douglas, Colin, Udvardi, Michael, Massel, Karen, Beveridge, Christine, Robinson, Hannah, Hickey, Lee, Potgieter, Andries and Smith, Millicent (2022). New technologies to accelerate mungbean improvement. Queensland Legume Symposium, Brisbane, QLD, Australia, 22 July 2022.
2022
Journal Article
Biotechnological road map for innovative weed management
Wong, Albert Chern Sun, Massel, Karen, Lam, Yasmine, Hintzsche, Jessica and Chauhan, Bhagirath Singh (2022). Biotechnological road map for innovative weed management. Frontiers in Plant Science, 13 887723, 887723. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2022.887723
2021
Journal Article
Endogenous U6 promoters improve CRISPR/Cas9 editing efficiencies in Sorghum bicolor and show potential for applications in other cereals
Massel, Karen, Lam, Yasmine, Hintzsche, Jessica, Lester, Nicholas, Botella, Jose R. and Godwin, Ian D. (2021). Endogenous U6 promoters improve CRISPR/Cas9 editing efficiencies in Sorghum bicolor and show potential for applications in other cereals. Plant Cell Reports, 41 (2), 489-492. doi: 10.1007/s00299-021-02816-z
2021
Journal Article
Tunable crops are just a spray away
Massel, Karen, Godwin, Ian and Hickey, Lee (2021). Tunable crops are just a spray away. Nature Plants, 7 (2), 102-103. doi: 10.1038/s41477-021-00849-6
2021
Journal Article
Hotter, drier, CRISPR: the latest edit on climate change
Massel, Karen, Lam, Yasmine, Wong, Albert C. S., Hickey, Lee T., Borrell, Andrew K. and Godwin, Ian D. (2021). Hotter, drier, CRISPR: the latest edit on climate change. Theoretical and Applied Genetics, 134 (6), 1691-1709. doi: 10.1007/s00122-020-03764-0
2020
Journal Article
Tracking seasonal changes in diversity of pollen allergen exposure: targeted metabarcoding of a subtropical aerobiome
Campbell, B. C., Al Kouba, J., Timbrell, V., Noor, M. J., Massel, K., Gilding, E. K., Angel, N., Kemish, B., Hugenholtz, P., Godwin, I. D. and Davies, J. M. (2020). Tracking seasonal changes in diversity of pollen allergen exposure: targeted metabarcoding of a subtropical aerobiome. Science of the Total Environment, 747 141189, 141189. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.141189
2020
Book Chapter
Biolistic DNA delivery and its applications in Sorghum bicolor
Liu, Guoquan, Massel, Karen, Tabet, Basam and Godwin, Ian D. (2020). Biolistic DNA delivery and its applications in Sorghum bicolor. Biolistic DNA delivery in plants: methods and protocols. (pp. 197-215) New York, NY, United States: Humana Press. doi: 10.1007/978-1-0716-0356-7_10
2019
Other Outputs
Optimising molecular tools to study nitrogen utilisation for grain protein storage in Sorghum bicolor
Massel, Karen (2019). Optimising molecular tools to study nitrogen utilisation for grain protein storage in Sorghum bicolor. PhD Thesis, School of Agriculture & Food Sciences, The University of Queensland. doi: 10.14264/uql.2019.929
2019
Journal Article
Correction to: Applications and potential of genome editing in crop improvement
Zhang, Yi, Massel, Karen, Godwin, Ian D. and Gao, Caixia (2019). Correction to: Applications and potential of genome editing in crop improvement. Genome Biology, 20 (1) 13, 13-13. doi: 10.1186/s13059-019-1622-6
2019
Conference Publication
Temporal changes in molecular aerobiome diversity by applying DNA metabarcode sequencing across the pollen season
Campbell, B., Al Kouba, J., Noor, M., Timbrell,, Gilding, E., Angel, N., Kemish, B., Massel, K., Hugenholz, P., Godwin, and Davies, J. M. (2019). Temporal changes in molecular aerobiome diversity by applying DNA metabarcode sequencing across the pollen season. Congress of the European-Academy-of-Allergy-and-Clinical-Immunology (EAACI), Lisbon, Portugal, 1-5 June 2019. Chichester, West Sussex, United Kingdom: Wiley-Blackwell.
2018
Journal Article
Applications and potential of genome editing in crop improvement
Zhang, Yi, Massel, Karen, Godwin, Ian D. and Gao, Caixia (2018). Applications and potential of genome editing in crop improvement. Genome Biology, 19 (1) 210, 210. doi: 10.1186/s13059-018-1586-y
Supervision
Availability
- Dr Karen Massel is:
- Available for supervision
Before you email them, read our advice on how to contact a supervisor.
Supervision history
Current supervision
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Doctor Philosophy
Expediting genetic gains in faba bean using new breeding strategies
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Brett Ferguson
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Doctor Philosophy
Improving meiotic recombination frequency in sorghum using gene editing
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Ian Godwin
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Doctor Philosophy
Harnessing natural genetic variation and genome engineering to optimise barley root systems
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Ian Godwin, Dr Peter Crisp, Professor Lee Hickey, Dr Hannah Robinson
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Doctor Philosophy
Development of efficient genome editing technologies for crop improvement
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Jimmy Botella
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Doctor Philosophy
Nitrogen use dynamics in high protein gene edited sorghum
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Peter Crisp, Dr Millicent Smith, Professor Ian Godwin
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Doctor Philosophy
Exploring the molecular and physiological basis of flowering behaviour in mungbean
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Elizabeth Dun, Professor Christine Beveridge, Professor Lee Hickey, Professor Michael Udvardi, Dr Millicent Smith
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Doctor Philosophy
Modification of root system architecture to increase climate resilience in barley
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Lee Hickey, Dr Hannah Robinson, Professor Ian Godwin
Completed supervision
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2023
Doctor Philosophy
Building Blocks for Designer Ideotypes: Dissecting Plant Architecture Genes using CRISPR/Cas9
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Erik Van Oosterom, Professor Lee Hickey, Professor Ian Godwin
Media
Enquiries
Contact Dr Karen Massel directly for media enquiries about:
- Biotechnology
- CRISPR/Cas9
- Gene Editing
- Genetic modification
- GMOs
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