Professor Oula Ghannoum

Professor Oula Ghannoum is Director of the Australian Research Council (ARC) Training Centre for Smart and Sustainable Horticulture (TC-SaSH). She is an esteemed plant scientist specialising in photosynthesis, global change biology, and protected cropping. Her research focuses on addressing global challenges such as food security and climate change by exploring plant responses to environmental stress and optimising crop yield through improved photosynthesis, water use efficiency, and climate resilience.

Areas of Research

Photosynthesis (C ₄ photosynthesis, sugar signalling, water use efficiency, crop improvement)
Plant responses to the environment (global climate change)
Protected cropping (optimisation of yield potential and quality in vegetables and soft fruits)

Professor Ghannoum’s research advances the disciplines of photosynthesis and global change biology. Oula is particularly passionate about developing innovative solutions for the two key challenges of the 21^st Century: Food Security and Climate Change.

Her research aims at discovering novel ways to improve crop yield by enhancing photosynthesis either directly or indirectly through feedback regulation. Her research group is genetically manipulating key sugar signalling pathways in source leaves of model C₃ and C₄ plants to elucidate how sugar perception regulates leaf photosynthesis and crop yield and quality. Her group is also exploring novel ways to improve water use efficiency and heat and drought tolerance of major cereal crops through improved understanding of leaf structure. This research underpins the global efforts aimed at closing the gap between current rates of food production and increasing global food demand.

Professor Ghannoum utilises state-of-the-art smart-glasshouse technology to implement improved approaches for growing more nutritious vegetable crops with less energy, water and chemical input. This research aims at developing an innovative framework for using hyper-spectral imaging and machine learning to offer consumers new and high value vegetable varieties with certified quality assurance. This research will help transform the landscape of protected vegetable cropping in Australia.

Awards and Recognition

Professor Ghannoum has been recognised with multiple awards for her contributions to science and education, reinforcing her influence within plant biology and environmental science fields.

Vice-Chancellor's Excellence Awards, Excellence in Research, Researcher of the Year, Western Sydney University, 2024
Deputy Vice-Chancellor Education, Excellence in Teaching, Protected Cropping Teaching Team, Western Sydney University, 2024
Education and Outreach Award – Team; Australian Society of Plant Scientists, 2023
Teaching Excellence Award - Team, School of Science, Western Sydney University, 2023
Biological Sciences Discipline Leader, Western Sydney University, 2019
Women in Research Leadership Program, Western Sydney University, 2014
VC Staff Development Award, Western Sydney University, 2011·
Independent Postdoctoral Fellowship, Western Sydney University, 2007
ARC Postdoctoral Fellowship, Research School of Biological Sciences, Australian National University, 2001
Christine Wieneke New Researcher Award, Western Sydney University, 1998

Teaching

Unit Coordinator, Plant Science (301272), Level 3, Undergraduate
Unit Coordinator, Plant-Climate Interactions in Controlled Environments (301357), Level 7, Diploma/Masters
Deputy Coordinator, Master of Research (MRes), HIE-WSU
Member, HDR committee, HIE, WSU

Leadership

Professor Ghannoum became Director of the Australian Research Council (ARC) Training Centre for Smart and Sustainable Horticulture (TC-SaSH) in 2024. She has more than 20 years of research experience in plant physiology and biochemistry, graduating with a BSc (Honours) in Plant Biochemistry from the University of NSW in 1993 and then going on to complete a PhD in Plant Physiology from Western Sydney University in 1998. In 2010, Oula was appointed Senior Researcher at the Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment (HIE) and became Node Leader for the ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis in 2014 (2014-2020). During this time, Oula was promoted to Associate Professor (2016) and later Professor in 2023.

Throughout her career, Professor Ghannoum has contributed to over 100 scientific publications and secured more than $25 million in research funding. Her work emphasises not only scientific innovation but also interdisciplinary collaboration with industry to drive agricultural advancements. She is also involved in storytelling and multimedia projects exploring the experiences of Arab migrants in Australia, reflecting her personal journey and community engagement interests.

Her current position includes the following academic and leadership roles:

Discipline Lead, Biological Sciences, Western Sydney University
Member of Professoriate Leadership Group, Western Sydney University
Associate Editor, Functional Plant Biology, CSIRO Publishing (2014-current)
Associate Editor, Annals of Botany, Oxford University Press (2021-current)
Node Leader/Deputy Program leader, ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis (CoETP)
Activity Leader (Program 2), Future Food Systems CRC (FFS-CRC)

Supervision and Mentoring

Students who are passionate about Plant Biology and Protected Cropping can contact Professor Ghannoum if they are interested in pursuing a master or PhD research project on a topic aligned with Oula’s research areas (photosynthesis, global change biology, protected cropping).

Students with their own ideas about a related research field are also welcome. Visit the Graduate Research School (GRS) for information on conditions of admission and currently funded research projects.

Mentoring:

2025-2028: Dr Namal Jayasuriya, Research Fellow (FFSCRC). Imaging and AI for monitoring crop growth

2024-2027: Dr Ethan Dai Shi, Research Fellow (FFSCRC). Imaging and AI for monitoring crop health

2021-2024: Dr Lily Chen, Research Fellow (ARCDP). Regulation of C4 photosynthesis by sugar sensing.

2016-2020: Dr Francisco Javier Cano Martín, Research Fellow (CoETP). Water use efficiency in C4 plants

2016-2017: Dr Christie Foster, Research Fellow (CoETP). Structure and function of pigment-protein complexes of C4 chloroplasts

2015-2019: Dr Alex Watson-Lazowski, Research Fellow (CoETP). Expression and isoform variation between C₄ species in key photosynthetic genes

2015-2018: Dr Clémence Henry, Research Fellow (CoETP). Regulation of C4 photosynthesis by sugar sensing.

2010-2014: Dr Robert Sharwood, Research Fellow (WSU). Catalytic diversity of Rubisco in C4 plants

2014-2019: Ms Fiona Koller, Technical Officer (CoETP)

2015: Ms Samantha Prior, Technical Officer (CoETP)

PhD Supervision:

Jasmine Divinagracia (Phd 2024-2026). PEPC in C4 photosynthesis. In vitro approach. Supervisors Sharwood, Ghannoum.

Arindam Deb (Dual Award PhD 2024-2026). Wild Rice photosynthesis. Supervisors Sharwood, Ghannoum.

Sowmiya Saravanan (Dual Award PhD 2023-2025). Planting density and sorghum yield under water stress. Supervisors Ghannoum (WSU), Usha Thomas (India)

Prajwal Ranganath (Dual Award PhD 2024-2026). Pollination efficiency in protected cropping

Varna Murali (Dual Award PhD 2023-2025). S ocio-economic factors of technology adoption in protected cropping. Supervisors Ghannoum, Allan Thomas (India)

Kai Zhao (PhD 2024-2026). 3D reconstruction of plants under protected cropping. Supervisors Ghannoum, Yi

Kalana Ranasinghe (PhD 2024-2026). Hyperspectral Imaging for crop quality. Supervisors Ghannoum, Yi, Shi

Claudio Cortellazzi (PhD 2023-2025). Water stress in Sorghum. Supervisors Sharwood, Ghannoum

Sarah Fletcher. Role of PEPC in C4 photosynthesis. Supervisors Sharwood, Ghannoum

Afroz Naznin (PhD 2023-2025). Heat stress responses of wheat. Supervisors Chen, Ghannoum, Bose

Swathy AH Kuma (Dual Award PhD, 2022-2025). Productivity of grain sorghum in water limited environments. Supervisors: Ghannoum (WSU), Cano (Spain), Thomas (India)

Tasnim Bhuiyan (PhD, 2022-2025). Heat and drought responses of C₄ crops. Supervisors: Ghannoum, Warren

Shahasad Salam (PhD, 2022-2025). Phenotyping of Setaria viridis overexpressing sugar sensing genes. Supervisors: Ghannoum, Chen

Eranda Namal Jayasuriya (PhD, 2021-2024). Machine Vision-Based Crop Monitoring Of Capsicum Grown In High-Tech Glasshouse. Supervisors: Ghannoum, Guo and He

Yogesh Chaudhari (PhD, 2017-2021). Interplay between sugar sensing and C₄ photosynthesis. Supervisors: Ghannoum and Furbank

Xin He (2018-ongoing). Fruit development and quality of Capsicum annuum under Smart Glass and elevated CO₂. Supervisors: Tissue, Chen, Ghannoum and Cazzonelli

Urs Benning (PhD, 2017-2021). Comparative sugar sensing pathways in C3 and C4 plants. Supervisors: Ghannoum, Watson-Lazowski, Henry and Furbank

Yazen Al-Salman (PhD, 2017-2020). Determinants of leaf water use efficiency in the C₄ crop Sorghum bicolor. Supervisors: Ghannoum and Cano

Walter Krystler Israel (PhD, graduated 2020). Carbon isotope discrimination and stomatal function in C₄ grasses. Supervisors: Ghannoum, Chen and William-Stuart

Julius Ver Sagun (PhD, graduated 2019). Environmental regulation of energetics of C4 photosynthesis. Supervisors: Ghannoum and Chow

Sachin Chavan (PhD, graduated 2019): Responses of wheat photosynthesis and yield to elevated CO₂ under heat and water stress. Supervisors: Ghannoum and Duursma.

Varsha Pathare (PhD, graduated 2018): Grass and herb photosynthesis and productivity in a resource-limited Eucalyptus woodland. Supervisors: Ellsworth and Ghannoum

Balasaheb Sonawane (PhD, graduated 2016): Environmental regulation of CO₂ concentrating mechanisms in C₄ grasses with different biochemical subtypes. Supervisors: Ghannoum, Sharwood and Whitney.

Josephine Ontedhu (PhD, graduated 2015): Interactive effects of elevated carbon dioxide concentration, temperature and soil P on growth and physiology of eucalypts. Supervisors: Tissue, Ghannoum and Milham

Harshini Pinto (PhD, graduated 2015): Resource use efficiency of C₄ grasses with different evolutionary origins. Supervisors: Ghannoum, Tissue, Sharwood and Conroy.

Simon Reeves (Honours, graduated 2013): Contrasting the effect of climate warming on the photosynthesis of Eucalyptus provenances. Supervisos: Sharwood and Ghannoum.

Anthony Newton (Honours, graduated 2012): Investigating the molecular plasticity of C₄ photosynthesis. Supervisors: Sharwood and Ghannoum.

Gyro Sherwin (Honours, graduated 2011): Impact of industrial-age climate change on nitrogen uptake and partitioning in Eucalyptus. Supervisors: Ghannoum, George, Kannangara, Tissue

Harshini Pinto (Honours, graduated 2010): Resource use efficiency of C₄ grasses with different evolutionary origins. Supervisors: Tissue and Ghannoum

Honours Supervision

Simon Reeves (Honours, graduated 2013): Contrasting the effect of climate warming on the photosynthesis of Eucalyptus provenances. Supervisos: Sharwood and Ghannoum.

Anthony Newton (Honours, graduated 2012): Investigating the molecular plasticity of C4 photosynthesis. Supervisors: Sharwood and Ghannoum.

Gyro Sherwin (Honours, graduated 2011): I mpact of industrial-age climate change on nitrogen uptake and partitioning in Eucalyptus. Supervisors: Ghannoum, George, Kannangara, Tissue

Harshini Pinto (Honours, graduated 2010): Resource use efficiency of C4 grasses with different evolutionary origins. Supervisors: Tissue and Ghannoum

Grants / Current Projects

ARC Training Centre for Smart and Sustainable Horticulture
Co-Researcher: Brajesh Singh, Ute Roessner, Benjamin Smith, Sergey Shabala, David Tissue, Graciella Metternicht (SoSC), Zhonghua Chen (SoSc), Dilupa Nakandala (SoB), Yi Guo (THRI), Mark Tjoelker, Markus Riegler, Robert Sharwood, Eleonora Egidi, Allan Thomas
Partner/funding body: Australian Research Council (ARC) RGS Grant
Period: 2024-2028

Boosting C4 photosynthesis to climate proof yields
Co-Researcher: Rob Sharwood
Partner/funding body: Australian Research Council (ARC) Discovery Program
Period: 2023-2024

Automated crop monitoring for protected cropping systems
Co-Researchers: David Tissue, Rob Sharwood, Chris Cazzonelli, and Zhonghua Chen (SoSc)
Partner/funding body: Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC)
Period: 2023-2028

Increasing intrinsic heat tolerance of wheat through improved genetics in source-sink relationship
Co-Researchers: Zhonghua Chen and Jay Bose
Partner/funding body: Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC)
Period: 2023-2027

Improving crop productivity by altering sugar sensing
Co-Researcher: Rob Furbank
Partner/funding body: Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis
Period: 2021

Smart glass film impacts on energy use and productivity in greenhouse lettuce
Co-Researchers: David Tissue, Chris Cazzonelli, Robert Sharwood and Zhonghua Chen
Partner/funding body: Future Food Systems Cooperative Research Centre
Period: 2021-2022

Can altered sugar sensing improve crop productivity?
Co-Researchers: Rob Furbank and Choat and MJ Paul
Partner/funding body: Australian Research Council Discovery
Period: 2021-2023

Real-time decision support system for remote monitoring of crops
Co-Researchers: Brendan Choat and Ian Anderson
Partner/funding body: Horticulture Innovation Australia
Period: 2021

IoT for Indoor Farming
Co-Researchers: Wen Wu and Jun Young Kim
Partner/funding body: Future Food Systems Cooperative Research Centre
Period: 2020-2023

Review of advances in high throughput sensing technologies for automated and fast phenotyping for trait extraction
Partner/funding body: Future Food Systems Cooperative Research Centre
Period: 2021

Heat stress tolerance in Sorghum bicolor and in combination with elevated CO₂, drought and phosphorous deficiency
Co-Researchers: Javier Cano Martin
Partner/funding body: Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis
Period: 2020

Development of transcriptomic predictors of heat shock response in Sorghum bicolor
Co-Researcher: Alex Watson-Lazowski
Partner/funding body: Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis
Period: 2019

Emerging leaders in protected cropping
Co-Researchers: Zhonghua Chen, Ian Anderson, David Tissue, Yi-Chen Lan, Priti Krishna, Paul Holford, Vijay Jayasena, Basant Maheshwari, Andy Broderick and Dilupa Nakandala
Partner/funding body: Horticulture Innovation Australia
Period: 2017-2022

research and operations to trial innovation glass and photovoltaic technologies in protected cropping
Co-Researchers: David Tissue, Zhonghua Chen and Chris Cazzonelli
Partner/funding body: Horticulture Innovation Australia
Period: 2017-2020

Will trees get enough nitrogen to sustain productivity in elevated CO₂?
Co-Researchers: Yolima Carrillo, David Ellsworth and Sönke Zaehle
Partner/Funding Body: Australian Research Council Discovery
Period: 2016-2018

ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis
Co-Researchers: Murray Badger, Suzanne von Caemmerer, John Evans, Ghrham Farquhar, G Price, S Whitney, G Hammer, D Jordan, M Chen, Rob Furbank and W Quick
Partner/funding body: Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis
Period: 2014-2020

Is physiological flexibility of forest trees constrained by home climate in a rapidly warming world?
Co-Researchers: Mark Tjoelker, John Drake, David Tissue and Peter Reich
Partner/funding body: Australian Research Council Discovery
Period: 2014-2016

Crop traits for productivity in a high carbon dioxide world under drought and heat
Co-Researchers: Muchael Tausz, Sabine Tausz-Posch, Remko Duursma, G Fitzgerald, R Armstrong, G O'Leary and J Nuttall
Partner/funding body: Department of Agriculture, Forest and Fisheries
Period: 2013-2016

Rubisco for all climates: unlocking the enzyme's structure-function relations for more efficient photosynthesis
Co-Researcher: SM Whitney
Partner/funding body: Australian Research Council Discovery
Period: 2012-2014

Impacts of climate change on nitrogen uptake by eucalypt seedlings
Co-Researcher: Paul Milham
Partner/funding body: Australian Institute of Nuclear Science and Engineering
Period: 2010

Causes and consequences of the differences in leaf biochemistry and structure between NAD-ME and NADP-ME C4 grasses
Partner/funding body: Australian Research Council Postdoctoral Fellowship
Period: 2001-2003

Media Coverage

Public Articles:

2020 The green shoots of recovery. https://www.openforum.com.au/the-green-shoots-of-recovery/

2020 Protected cropping and resilience of the food supply chain. https://www.openforum.com.au/protected-cropping-and-resilience-of-the-food-supply-chain/

Videos:

2021: Video by the Australian Academy of Science: Video: https://youtu.be/rHO7vorqTlA

2021: Follow-up interviews on Arabic community radio: https://www.sbs.com.au/language/arabic/audio/improving-photosynthesis-our-best-bet-to-create-a-food-secure-world

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=474781293680443

2017: The Big Picture: Is China the new food market? Interview by Greg Navarro, CGTN on Food Security. https://youtu.be/rwxooxRz3pc

2017: Interview by Greg Navarro, CGTN on Desertification. https://youtu.be/rwxooxRz3pc

Media Releases:

2021: AAS CoETP: https://www.scimex.org/newsfeed/improving-photosynthesis-our-best-bet-to-create-a-food-secure-world

2019: Too much sugar doesn't put the brakes on turbocharged crops: https://phys.org/news/2019-11-sugar-doesnt-turbocharged-crops.html

2019: Narrow leaves make better crops for future climates: https://www.arc.gov.au/news-publications/media/research-highlights

2017: Australia’s native grasses give clues about crop responses to global warming: http://photosynthesis.org.au/australias-native-grasses-give-clues-about-crop-responses-to-global-warming/

http://www.arc.gov.au/australia%E2%80%99s-native-grasses-give-clues-about-crop-responses-global-warming-23-october-2017

2017: Proposed Benefits Of Rising Carbon Dioxide Are More Likely Driven By Water: https://www.westernsydney.edu.au/hie/news/proposed_benefits_of_rising_carbon_dioxide_are_more_likely_driven_by_water

2016: Panic grass could be the response to uncertain food future: http://www.anu.edu.au/news/all-news/common-grass-could-help-boost-food-security

2016: Common grass could help boost food security: http://www.anu.edu.au/news/all-news/common-grass-could-help-boost-food-security

Selected Publications

https://scholar.google.com.au/citations?user=xwvXQtUAAAAJ&hl=en

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Eucalyptus Leaf

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