Parwinder Kaur

Last updated

Parwinder Kaur
Alma mater University of Western Australia
Employer University of Western Australia
Known forBiodiversity and science
TitleAssociate Professor
Scientific career
Thesis Pathogenic behaviour of Albungo candida on Brassica juncea and mechanisms of host resistance  (2010)

Parwinder Kaur is an Indian-born biotechnologist who is Director of the DNA Zoo Australia, and associate professor at the University of Western Australia. Her research involves genomic techniques to help conservation efforts for threatened and endangered species. [1] [2] On International Women's Day in 2023, Kaur was inducted into the WA Women's Hall of Fame.

Contents

Early life and education

Kaur spent her early life in Nawanshahr, Punjab. She received a PhD from the University of Western Australia in 2010 for her thesis, "Pathogenic behaviour of Albungo candida on Brassica juncea and mechanisms of host resistance". [3]

"From a young age, my biggest challenge was convincing family and community that female education and pursuing a career is of value, and a better investment than the traditional route of dowry and marriage. Having a natural thirst for knowledge it was a battle to overcome rigid cultural norms and carve a course allowing me to attend university."

"Just perfect timing to win a PhD scholarship as the way to “Escape marriage”, and come to Australia to pursue my passion.  

I always wanted a career that is evolving and exciting every morning I go to work and here I am following a hobby to discover new secrets of life through the lens of DNA – the blueprint of life! [4]

Career

Kaur is a biotechnologist who has spent more than a decade researching genomic methodologies, including cross-disciplinary biodiversity genomic research, as well as conservation biology and genomics. [5] Her research aims to use genomic technologies to investigate biodiversity and natural environments, with the goal of working towards sustainable futures. Her research has also used AI, in biodiversity and genomic innovation. [6]

Kaur is an entrepreneur, in the biotechnology sector, with a company called Ex Planta Pty Ltd combining technology with bio-engineering solutions. She is also an ambassador for GirlsXTech, and a Women in Technology WA Role Model.

Kaur was appointed to be on a Diversity in STEM expert panel, within the office of MP Ed Husic, the Minister for Industry and Science, Australia. [6]

Media

Kaur has been in the media for her work increasing the participation of women and boosting diversity in Science Technology Engineering and Maths. [7] Her work in biotechnology and recognition for her contributions to science and diversity in the WA Women's Hall of Fame, during International Women's Day was reported in SBS Media. [5]

Kaur has also written for The Conversation, on Avian Flu, and migrating birds bringing avian flu to Australian birds. [8] She argued that preparation including understanding ways of detecting and tracking outbreaks of viruses in wildlife, is necessary to protect against viral outbreaks crossing from wildlife to humans. [8]

Select publications

Kaur had 1358 citations and an H number of 21 as at October 2023. Select examples of her publications include the following:

Recognition and awards

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clover</span> Genus of legumes

Clover, also called trefoil, are plants of the genus Trifolium, consisting of about 300 species of flowering plants in the legume family Fabaceae originating in Europe. The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution with highest diversity in the temperate Northern Hemisphere, but many species also occur in South America and Africa, including at high altitudes on mountains in the tropics. They are small annual, biennial, or short-lived perennial herbaceous plants, typically growing up to 30 centimetres (12 in) tall. The leaves are trifoliate, with stipules adnate to the leaf-stalk, and heads or dense spikes of small red, purple, white, or yellow flowers; the small, few-seeded pods are enclosed in the calyx. Other closely related genera often called clovers include Melilotus and Medicago.

<i>Trifolium repens</i> Flowering plant, bean family Fabaceae

Trifoliumrepens, the white clover, is a herbaceous perennial plant in the bean family Fabaceae. It is native to Europe, including the British Isles, and central Asia and is one of the most widely cultivated types of clover. It has been widely introduced worldwide as a forage crop, and is now also common in most grassy areas of North America, Australia and New Zealand. The species includes varieties often classed as small, intermediate and large, according to height, which reflects petiole length. The term 'white clover' is applied to the species in general, 'Dutch clover' is often applied to intermediate varieties, and 'ladino clover' is applied to large varieties.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fodder</span> Agricultural foodstuff used to feed domesticated animals

Fodder, also called provender, is any agricultural foodstuff used specifically to feed domesticated livestock, such as cattle, rabbits, sheep, horses, chickens and pigs. "Fodder" refers particularly to food given to the animals, rather than that which they forage for themselves. Fodder includes hay, straw, silage, compressed and pelleted feeds, oils and mixed rations, and sprouted grains and legumes. Most animal feed is from plants, but some manufacturers add ingredients to processed feeds that are of animal origin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Four-leaf clover</span> Rare form of common clover said to bring good luck

The four-leaf clover is a rare variation of the common three-leaf clover. According to traditional sayings, such clovers bring good luck, although it is not clear when or how this idea began. One early mention of "Fower-leafed or purple grasse" is from 1640 and simply says that it was kept in gardens because it was "good for the purples in children or others".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Influenza A virus subtype H5N1</span> Subtype of influenza A virus

Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 (A/H5N1) is a subtype of the influenza A virus, which causes influenza (flu), predominantly in birds. It is enzootic in many bird populations, and also panzootic. A/H5N1 virus can also infect mammals that have been exposed to infected birds; in these cases, symptoms are frequently severe or fatal.

<i>Trifolium pratense</i> Species of flowering plant in the bean family

Trifolium pratense, red clover, is a herbaceous species of flowering plant in the bean family Fabaceae, native to Europe, Western Asia, and northwest Africa, but planted and naturalized in many other regions.

<i>Trifolium subterraneum</i> Species of legume

Trifolium subterraneum, the subterranean clover, subterranean trefoil, is a species of clover native to Europe, Southwest Asia, Northwest Africa and Macaronesia. The plant's name comes from its underground seed development (geocarpy), a characteristic not possessed by other clovers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Living mulch</span> Cover crop grown with a main crop as mulch

In agriculture, a living mulch is a cover crop interplanted or undersown with a main crop, and intended to serve the purposes of a mulch, such as weed suppression and regulation of soil temperature. Living mulches grow for a long time with the main crops, whereas cover crops are incorporated into the soil or killed with herbicides.

<i>Melilotus</i> Genus of flowering plants in the bean family Fabaceae

Melilotus, known as melilot, sweet clover, and kumoniga, is a genus in the family Fabaceae. Members are known as common grassland plants and as weeds of cultivated ground. Originally from Europe and Asia, it is now found worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Influenza A virus subtype H1N1</span> Subtype of Influenza A virus

In virology, influenza A virus subtype H1N1 (A/H1N1) is a subtype of influenza A virus. Major outbreaks of H1N1 strains in humans include the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic, the 1977 Russian flu pandemic and the 2009 swine flu pandemic. It is an orthomyxovirus that contains the glycoproteins hemagglutinin (H) and neuraminidase (N), antigens whose subtypes are used to classify the strains of the virus as H1N1, H1N2 etc. Hemagglutinin causes red blood cells to clump together and binds the virus to the infected cell. Neuraminidase is a type of glycoside hydrolase enzyme which helps to move the virus particles through the infected cell and assist in budding from the host cells.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beneficial weed</span> Invasive plant with positive effects

A beneficial weed can be an invasive plant that has some companion plant effect, is edible, contributes to soil health, adds ornamental value, or is otherwise beneficial. These plants are normally not domesticated. However, some invasive plants, such as dandelions, are commercially cultivated, in addition to growing in the wild. Beneficial weeds include many wildflowers, as well as other weeds that are commonly removed or poisoned. Certain weeds that have obnoxious and destructive qualities have been shown to fight illness and are thus used in medicine. For example, Parthenium hysterophorus, native to northern Mexico and parts of the US, has been an issue for years due to its toxicity and ability to spread rapidly. In the past few decades, though, research has found that P. hysterophorus was "used in traditional medicine to treat inflammation, pain, fever, and diseases like malaria dysentery." It is also known to create biogas that can be used as a bioremediation agent to break down heavy metals and other pollutants.

<i>Medicago lupulina</i> Species of flowering plant in the bean family Fabaceae

Medicago lupulina, commonly known as black medick, nonesuch, or hop clover, is a plant of dry grassland belonging to the legume or clover family. Plants of the genus Medicago, or bur clovers, are closely related to the true clovers (Trifolium) and sweet clover (Melilotus). Like the true clovers, black medick has three leaflets and a small, yellow flower closely resembling those of lesser trefoil. Black medick belongs to the same genus as alfalfa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">GISAID</span> Global initiative for sharing virus data

GISAID, the Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data, previously the Global Initiative on Sharing Avian Influenza Data, is a global science initiative established in 2008 to provide access to genomic data of influenza viruses. The database was expanded to include the coronavirus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as other pathogens. The database has been described as "the world's largest repository of COVID-19 sequences". GISAID facilitates genomic epidemiology and real-time surveillance to monitor the emergence of new COVID-19 viral strains across the planet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Specter</span> American journalist (born 1955)

Michael Specter is an American journalist who has been a staff writer, focusing on science, technology, and global public health at The New Yorker since September 1998. He has also written for The Washington Post and The New York Times. Since 2021 he has also taught writing and, along with a colleague, a course called “Safeguarding the Future” at MIT. He has previously served as an Adjunct Professor of Bioengineering at Stanford University, and a Visiting Professor of Environmental and Urban Studies at Bard College.

<i>Trifolium hybridum</i> Species of flowering plant in the bean family

Trifolium hybridum, the alsike clover, is a species of flowering plant in the pea family Fabaceae. The stalked, pale pink or whitish flower head grows from the leaf axils, and the trifoliate leaves are unmarked. The plant is up to 40 centimetres (1.3 ft) tall, and is found in fields and on roadsides – it is also grown as fodder. It has been linked with toxicity in horses and has some agricultural uses. The plant blooms from spring to autumn. Originating in mainland Europe, it has become established as an introduced plant in the British Isles and throughout the temperate regions of the world.

Science & Technology Australia (STA), formerly known as the Federation of Australian Scientific and Technological Societies (FASTS), is an organisation representing the interests of more than 90,000 Australian scientists and technologists, and promoting their views on a wide range of policy issues to the Australian Government, Australian industry, and the Australian community.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rajeev Kumar Varshney</span> Indian geneticist (born 1973)

Rajeev Kumar Varshney is an Indian agricultural scientist, specializing in genomics, genetics, molecular breeding and capacity building in developing countries. Varshney is currently serving as Director, Western Australian State Agricultural Biotechnology Center; Director, Centre for Crop & Food Innovation; and International Chair in Agriculture & Food Security with the Food Futures Institute at Murdoch University, Australia since Feb 2022. Before joining Murdoch University, Australia he served International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), a global agriculture R&D institute, for more than 16 years in different scientific and research leadership roles including Research Program Director for three global research programs– Grain Legumes, Genetic Gains and Accelerated Crop Improvement Program. He has the onus of establishing and nurturing the Center of Excellence in Genomics & Systems Biology (CEGSB), a globally recognized center for genomics research at ICRISAT that made impacts on improving agriculture and development of human resources in several countries including India, China, Kenya, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Nigeria, Ghana, Mali, Senegal, Burkina Faso, etc. Varshney holds Adjunct/Honorary/Visiting Professor positions at 10 academic institutions in Australia, China, Ghana, Hong Kong and India, including The University of Western Australia, University of Queensland, West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement, University of Hyderabad, Chaudhary Charan Singh University and Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University.

Dr Sze Peng Flett is a Principal Scientist and the interim Director for the Horticulture Centre of Excellence in the Victoria Department of Environment and Primary Industries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yvonne Aitken</span> Australian agricultural scientist

Yvonne Aitken was an Australian agricultural scientist whose contributions to the field included studies of plant flowering as it depends on climate, season, and genetic factors. She was appointed as a Member of the Order of Australia in 1989.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amos William Howard</span>

Amos William Howard pioneered the introduction of subterranean clover as a fodder plant in Australia.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Associate Professor Parwinder Kaur". Science and Technology Australia. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
  2. "Science Technology Australia".
  3. Kaur, Parwinder (2010). Pathogenic behaviour of Albungo candida on Brassica juncea and mechanisms of host resistance (PhD thesis).
  4. Ho, Allison (21 September 2021). "'Escaping marriage' by winning a PhD scholarship: How Dr Parwinder Kaur smashed stereotypes to pursue science". Women's Agenda. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
  5. 1 2 "International Women's Day: Scientist Parwinder Kaur inducted into WA Women's Hall of Fame". SBS Language. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
  6. 1 2 Ong, Michele (10 December 2022). "DNA: The Code of Life and Diversity for Innovation with Dr Parwinder Kaur". Steam Powered. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
  7. "Tribune India - Kaur wins award".
  8. 1 2 Kaur, Parwinder (3 May 2023). "Migrating birds could bring lethal avian flu to Australia's vulnerable birds". The Conversation. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
  9. Hoencamp, Claire; Dudchenko, Olga; Elbatsh, Ahmed M. O.; Brahmachari, Sumitabha; Raaijmakers, Jonne A.; van Schaik, Tom; Sedeño Cacciatore, Ángela; Contessoto, Vinícius G.; van Heesbeen, Roy G. H. P.; van den Broek, Bram; Mhaskar, Aditya N.; Teunissen, Hans; St Hilaire, Brian Glenn; Weisz, David; Omer, Arina D. (28 May 2021). "3D genomics across the tree of life reveals condensin II as a determinant of architecture type". Science. 372 (6545): 984–989. doi:10.1126/science.abe2218. ISSN   0036-8075. PMC   8172041 . PMID   34045355.
  10. Nichols, P. G. H.; Foster, K. J.; Piano, E.; Pecetti, L.; Kaur, P.; Ghamkhar, K.; Collins, W. J. (13 August 2013). "Genetic improvement of subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum L.). 1. Germplasm, traits and future prospects". Crop and Pasture Science. 64 (4): 312–346. doi:10.1071/CP13118. ISSN   1836-5795.
  11. "CSIRO PUBLISHING | Crop and Pasture Science". www.publish.csiro.au. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
  12. Hislop, Madeline (13 September 2023). "Announcing the finalists of the 2023 Women's Agenda Leadership Awards". Women's Agenda. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
  13. "Out & About: Morning tea to launch Hall of Fame nominations". The West Australian. 11 September 2023. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
  14. "Biotechnologist and Social Scientist honoured in WA Womens Hall of Fame". www.uwa.edu.au. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
  15. "2021 Superstars of STEM Archives". Science & Technology Australia. Retrieved 10 October 2023.