Professor Tony Bacic
| Location |
Botany Building 122 Rm 305 |
| Phone | +61 3 8344 5041 Personal Assistant +61 3 8344 5162 |
| Fax | +61 3 9347 1071 |
| abacic@unimelb.edu.au |
University Research Themes
- Plant cell and molecular biology
- Functional genomics and gene regulation
- Plant and food biotechnology
Research Interests
- Structure, function and biosynthesis of complex carbohydrates in biological systems (cell walls, cell surfaces, extracellular matrices) including arabinogalactan-proteins (AGPs), cellulose, 1,3;1,4-b-glucans and arabinoxylans.
- Biotechnological applications of polysaccharides.
- Functional genomics in the growth and end-use quality of cereals; cloning and expression of polysaccharide synthases / glycosyl transferases; proteomics of the Golgi and plasma membranes.
- Development of platform technologies (glycomics/ proteomics/ metabolomics) for functional genomics.
Research Groups
Agricultural Biotechnology and Platform Technologies
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Wall Biology, Deputy Director
- Metabolomics Australia, Platform Convenor
Key Publications
- Velasquez SM, Ricardi MM, Dorosz JG, Fernandez PV, Nadra AD, Pol-Fachin L, Egelund J, Gille S, Harholt J, Ciancia M, Verli H, Pauly M, Bacic A, Olsen CE, Ulvskov P, Petersen BL, Somerville C, Iusem ND, Estevez JM (2011) O-glycosylated cell wall proteins are essential in root hair growth. Science 332: 1401-1403 +suppl.
- Walker M, Tehseen M, Doblin MS, Pettolino FA, Wilson SM, Bacic A, Golz JF (2011) The transcriptional regulator LEUNIG_HOMOLOG regulates mucilage release from the Arabidopsis testa. Plant Physiol 156:46-60.
- Doblin M, Pettolino F, Wilson S, Campbell R, Burton R, Fincher GBF, Newbigin E, Bacic A (2009) A barley cellulose synthase-like CSLH gene mediates (1,3;1,4)-β-D-glucan synthesis in transgenic Arabidopsis. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 106: 5996-6001.
- Burton RA, Wilson SM, Hrmova M, Harvey AJ, Shirley NJ, Medhurst A, Stone BA, Newbigin EJ, Bacic A, Fincher GB (2006) Cellulose synthase-like CslF genes mediate the synthesis of cell wall (1,3;1,4)-β-D-glucans. Science 311: 1940-1942.
- Schultz CJ, Ferguson KL, Lahnstein J, Bacic A (2004) Post-translational modifications of arabinogalactan-peptides of Arabidopsis thaliana: enodplasmic reticulum and glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchor signal cleavage sites and hydroxylation of proline. Journal of Biological Chemistry 279: 45503-45511.