New chief named for CSIRO Plant Industry

Dr Jeremy Burdon is to succeed Dr Jim Peacock as chief of CSIRO Plant Industry, the organisation's chief executive, Dr Geoff Garrett, announced today.

Burdon, 53, is currently assistant chief of the division. He joined the division as a Queen Elizabeth II Fellow in 1978 -- the year that Peacock became chief.

He became a permanent researcher in 1982, and rose steadily through the ranks, becoming assistant chief in 2001. He will take over as chief on December 15.

An internationally renowned evolutionary biologist, Burdon has made major contributions to science's understanding of the co-evolution of plants and their fungal pathogens -- the perpetual 'cold war' between plant resistance and pathogen virulence.

Burdon does not regard himself as a "deep specialist". His research interests include plant-microbe interactions, particularly pathogens of agricultural crops, the use of fungi as biological control agents for invasive weeds and understanding the complexities of the interplay of parasitic and symbiotic interactions in natural systems.

Peacock, who was elected president of the Australian Academy of Science last year, has spent 26 years at the helm of Plant Industry, making him one of the longest serving chiefs since the national research agency was created from the former Council for Scientific and Industrial Research in 1949.

After succeeding Dr Lloyd Evans as chief in 1977, Peacock, one of Australia's pioneering molecular geneticists, ushered in the revolution in molecular plant breeding. He transformed Plant Industry into CSIRO's largest and most respected research division, and one of the world's premier centres for plant research.

Evolutionary change

Burdon is planning evolutionary, not revolutionary change, to the division's research, but sees opportunities in the field of soil biology, where he says science has only just scratched the surface.

"Many of the constraints facing the farmer and agribusiness are based in the soil - it's a hard medium to work in," he told Australian Biotechnology News.

"It involves everything from the physical constrains that soil places in the way of crop roots -- we're already working on plants with better root systems -- through to abiotic problems like soil acidity, sodicity and nutrient deficiency.

"On the biotic side, some of the biggest problems for agriculture, like crown rot in wheat, and fusarium infections in cotton, involve soil-borne pathogens. Soil pathogens may be responsible for declining yields in some crops, so there are real opportunities to make major gains in productivity through research.

"We have some expertise in these areas, and I believe that when we integrate them, we can expert synergies.

Burdon described Peacock's achievements as chief as "fantastic".

"It's hard to overstate the contribution he has made. One of the things that must be remembered is that he has been chief for so long that many people in the division were not even born when he became chief in 1977. I've only worked under one chief since I arrived in 1978.

"In that time the division has grown enormously, the science has changed a lot, and become much more responsive to industry. Jim has done an enormous amount to achieve that, and it is a great challenge to be taking over from him.

"He has built an enormously collegiate group of people, and placed great emphasis on the quality of our science, and insisted that we believe in it with heart and soul."

Burdon plans to emulate Peacock in continuing to be actively involved in research while he is chief.

Peacock will continue to work as an honorary research fellow in the division.

Former Plant Industry chiefs have a reputation for both longevity and persistence in research. Peacock's former chief, Dr Lloyd Evans, still works regularly in the division's laboratories on Black Mountain in Canberra.

Evans' predecessor, Sir Otto Frankel, worked as an honorary research fellow up until his death in 1996, and co-authored a book with Burdon and fellow PI researcher, Dr Tony Pryor, in 1994.