Ian Small

University of Western Australia
 
Professor Ian Small is a researcher at the University of Western Australia in Molecular Sciences. Ian’s extensive experience with leading an ARC Centre of Excellence (for Plant Energy Biology) as Director will be highly valuable in the role as UWA Node Lead for Plants for Space. 

Ian’s career has taken him all over the world with a PhD at Edinburgh, a position with France’s National Agronomy Research Institute (INRA) and appointments in Western Australia, ensuring he has ample experience for the guidance of the centre through smooth communication and leading collaboration. 

Furthermore, his extensive experience in research on post-transcriptional control of gene expression via RNA-binding proteins, protein synthesis and protein targeting will be invaluable for P4S. Ian’s team will play the decisive role in the development of technology platforms required to achieve the aims of programs 2.1 and 2.2, where smart plants as programmable biological factories and sustainable processing of biomolecules into usable products are at the forefront. 

"I could not go to Space without a return ticket"