Science, Technology and Engineering

Anderson Laboratory

Department of Biochemistry

Biosketch - Professor Marilyn Anderson

Marilyn Anderson is a Professor in the Department of Biochemistry at La Trobe University. After completing a BSc Honours at The University of Melbourne and a PhD in Biochemistry at La Trobe University, she spent seven years in the United States working on diabetes at the University of Miami and oncogenes at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. She returned to Australia in 1982 to establish a molecular biology group at the newly established Plant Cell Biology Research Centre at the University of Melbourne. In 1995, she moved to the Department of Biochemistry at La Trobe University. Her current work is focussed on defence molecules produced by plants for protection against insect pests and pathogens. This interest was a spin off from work on genes that control pollination in flowering plants. She discovered that the female sexual tissues of plants produce high concentrations of molecules that protect reproductive capacity under adverse conditions in the field. Her current research spans from basic work on the structure and function of these molecules, to the practical application of creating crop plants which are protected from losses in the field due to predation and disease. This practical application is being developed within the company Hexima Limited of which Professor Anderson is a founding scientist and Chief Science Officer.

Achievements

• Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science (FAA)
• Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (FTSE)
• Chief Science Officer of Hexima Ltd (since 2009)
• Founder and past Director on the Board of Hexima Ltd
• Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (FAICD)
• Director on the Board of City West Water Ltd (since 2008)
• Past Director on the Board of South East Water Ltd (1998 - 2008)
• Served on the Biological Sciences Study Panel of the Australian Research Council (1999 - 2000)