Matthew Tucker

University of Adelaide
 
Professor Matthew Tucker is a researcher and lecturer at the University of Adelaide within the School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, Deputy Director of the Waite Research Institute, Chair of the Institutional Biosafety Committee, and Chief Investigator on the ARC Training Centre for Future Crops Development. 

Matthew is a plant biologist with prevalent knowledge in plant reproduction, shoot growth and seed development – his expertise will give substantial support to program P1 in order to modify plant growth, development, and composition to optimise suitability for contained environments. This work will build on his current research program that aims to understand development of nutrient transfer tissues, reproductive tissue development, and the consequences of altered vegetative growth on seed quality and germination (in collaboration with GRDC, SAGIT, and industry partners). 
Matthew will also bring extensive regulatory knowledge of gene technology, particularly the use of GM and CRISPR in plants, which will be core technologies for Plants for Space. 

“I could not go to Space without a Star Wars t-shirt, motion sickness pills, and my golf clubs”