Doctor Demi Sargent
Dr Demi Sargent completed a Bachelor of Science (Plant Science) in 2014, followed by a Master of Science (Plant Science) in 2016 from the University of Melbourne. In 2020, she obtained a PhD from the Australian National University under the supervision of Dr. Robert Sharwood (ANU; now at WSU), Dr. Warren Conaty (CSIRO), Prof. Spencer Whitney (ANU), Dr. Michael Bange (CSIRO) and Prof. David Tissue (WSU). Her CRDC-supported PhD researched the thermal dependency of photosynthesis in cotton and its wild relatives (Gossypium spp.). Linked with this project, Demi developed a new R package – OptiFitACi – to improve the species-specific and temperature-sensitive estimation of important parameters (maximal rates of carboxylation and electron transport; Vcmax and J) from photosynthetic CO2 response (A/Ci) curves.
Areas of research
Demi's research examines the photosynthetic physiology and biochemistry of cotton and its wild relatives (Gossypium spp.), and heat and drought stress responses. Primarily, She is interested in the inter-species variation in thermal dependency of Rubisco and other photosynthetic enzymes, and is also investigating the anatomical characteristics that contribute to inter-species variation in mesophyll conductance, and the impact of this variation on species-specific responses of mesophyll conductance to heat and drought stress. The ultimate aim of this research is to characterise the mechanisms of heat and drought stress resilience in Gossypium species towards the development of climate-adapted cotton varieties.
Awards and Recognition
- Society for Experimental Biology Conference Young Scientist Award Session Winner (plant science category), 2021
- ABARES Science and Innovation Award (cotton category) for the project titled ‘The Gatekeeper to Photosynthesis: Mesophyll Conductance and Abiotic Stress in Cotton’, 2021
- Australian Cotton Research Conference ‘Best Student Presentation’, 2019
- Bruce Knox Prize, the University of Melbourne, awarded 2017 for academic excellence in the Master of Science
- Dean’s Honours List, the University of Melbourne, awarded 2017
- Master’s Thesis awarded First Class Honours, 2016
- CSIRO Summer Research Scholar 2014/15
- Australian Cotton Research Conference Travel Scholarship, awarded 2015 and 2017
- Klemperer-Ducker Scholarship, the University of Melbourne, awarded 2015
- Australian Government Research Training Program (AGRTP) Australian National University PhD Scholarship, 2017-2020
- Cotton Research and Development Corporation (CRDC) PhD Top-Up Scholarship, 2017-2020
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Physiology PhD Top-Up Scholarship, 2018-2020
Project Grants
Climate proof cotton: Engineering resilient photosynthetic pathways
Co-Researchers: Rob Sharwood and Benjamin Smith
Partner/Funding Body: Cotton Research and Development Corporation
Period: 2024-2027
Resilient cotton: Determining the impact of light, heat and nutrition on boll shedding
Co-Researchers: Rob Sharwood and Brajesh Singh
Partner/Funding Body: Cotton Research and Development Corporation
Period: 2024-2027
Publications
Sargent D, Amthor JS, Stinziano JR, Evans JR, Whitney SM, Bange MP, Tissue DT, Conaty WC, Sharwood RE, (2024) 'The importance of species-specific and temperature-sensitive parameterisation of A/Ci models: A case study using cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) and the automated ‘OptiFitACi’ R-package', Plant Cell and Environment, vol.47, no.5, pp 1701 - 1715
Sargent, D., Conaty, W., Tissue, D., & Sharwood, R. (16 May 2022) Synthetic Biology and Opportunities within Agricultural Crops, Journal of Sustainable Agriculture and Environment.
Conaty WC, Broughton KJ, Egan LM, Li X, Li Z, Liu S, Llewellyn DJ, MacMillan CP, Moncuquet P, Rolland V, Ross B, Sargent D, Zhu QH, Pettolino FA, Stiller WN, (2022) 'Cotton Breeding in Australia: Meeting the Challenges of the 21st Century', Frontiers in Plant Science, vol.13, Article no.904131
Sharwood RE, Quick WP, Sargent D, Estavillo GM, Silva-Perez V, Furbank RT, (2022) 'Mining for allelic gold: finding genetic variation in photosynthetic traits in crops and wild relatives', Journal of Experimental Botany, vol.73, no.10, pp 3085-3108
Stinziano, J.R., Roback, C., Sargent, D., Murphy, B.K., Hudson, P.J., Muir, C.D. (October 2021) Principles of coding for plant ecophysiology with {photosynthesis} as a case study, AoB Plants.
Birrer KF, Conaty W, Cottee N, Sargent D, Francis ME, Cahill D, Long R, (2021) 'Can heat stress and water deficit affect cotton fiber wax content in field-grown plants?', Industrial Crops and Products, vol.168, Article 113559
Goodger JQD, Sargent D, Humphries J, Woodrow IE, (2021) 'Monoterpene synthases responsible for the terpene profile of anther glands in Eucalyptus polybractea R.T. Baker (Myrtaceae)' Tree Physiology, vol.41, no.5, pp 849-864
Stinziano JR, Roback C, Sargent D., Murphy BK, Hudson PJ, Muir CD, (2021) 'Principles of resilient coding for plant ecophysiologists', AoB Plants, vol.13, no.5, Article no.plab059
