Chris Carrie
2025: Dr Chris Carrie of Waipapa Taumata Rau – the University of Auckland will investigate whether the heat-resistant properties of a native geothermal shrub can be used to create climate-resilient crops
With climate change threatening to drastically reduce global crop yields, developing heat-resistant plants is an urgent priority.
Dr Chris Carrie has been awarded a Mana Tūānuku Research Leader Fellowship to investigate the unique genetic and molecular adaptations of geothermal kānuka, a tree that thrives in the scorching, multi-hazard soils of the Taupō Volcanic Zone. The research will compare geothermal kānuka with a heat-sensitive relative, and pinpoint the key biological mechanisms that enable survival in extreme heat. The aim is to transfer these unique traits into a model plant species using gene-editing and synthetic biology techniques. If successful, this research could enable future-proofing of essential crops, safeguarding global food security against a warming climate, and support plants of economic value to New Zealand.
Dr Chris Carrie is a Senior Lecturer in Plant Molecular Biology and the Director of the Joint Graduate School in Plant and Food Science at Waipapa Taumata Rau – the University of Auckland. After a PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Western Australia, Chris was awarded a Humboldt Postdoctoral Fellowship in Germany, and worked as a Senior Research Associate at the University of Munich in Germany, and as an Assistant Professor at the University of Verona in Italy. Chris’ research has been supported by the German Research Foundation and a Standard grant from the Marsden Fund.
Craters of the Moon walkway (photo supplied)