Dr Anne Sawyer is a molecular plant biologist passionate about the development of plant-based solutions to global problems. Her current research focus is the development of RNA vaccines to protect plants from fungal pathogens. Dr Sawyer completed her PhD at the Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland on gene expression in microalgae. Following this, she carried out postdoctoral research at Ruhr University Bochum in Germany on microalgal hydrogen production. Dr Sawyer then returned to Australia to study RNA interference in plants and plant pathogenic fungi. Dr Sawyer has research experience in the fields of biotechnology, molecular biology, microalgal biology, synthetic biology, biochemistry and structural biology.
Journal Article: Double-stranded RNA prevents and cures infection by rust fungi
Degnan, Rebecca M., Shuey, Louise S., Radford-Smith, Julian, Gardiner, Donald M., Carroll, Bernard J., Mitter, Neena, McTaggart, Alistair R. and Sawyer, Anne (2023). Double-stranded RNA prevents and cures infection by rust fungi. Communications Biology, 6 (1) 1234, 1-10. doi: 10.1038/s42003-023-05618-z
Journal Article: RNA-based control of fungal pathogens in plants
Mann, Christopher W. G., Sawyer, Anne, Gardiner, Donald M., Mitter, Neena, Carroll, Bernard J. and Eamens, Andrew L. (2023). RNA-based control of fungal pathogens in plants. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 24 (15) 12391, 1-34. doi: 10.3390/ijms241512391
Journal Article: Exogenous double‐stranded RNA inhibits the infection physiology of rust fungi to reduce symptoms in planta
Degnan, Rebecca M., McTaggart, Alistair R., Shuey, Louise S., Pame, Leny Jane S., Smith, Grant R., Gardiner, Donald M., Nock, Volker, Soffe, Rebecca, Sale, Sarah, Garrill, Ashley, Carroll, Bernard J., Mitter, Neena and Sawyer, Anne (2022). Exogenous double‐stranded RNA inhibits the infection physiology of rust fungi to reduce symptoms in planta. Molecular Plant Pathology, 24 (3), 191-207. doi: 10.1111/mpp.13286
RNA vaccines for next generation crop protection: facilitating adoption
(2022–2025) Advance Queensland Industry Research Fellowships
(2022–2024) Australian Plant Biosecurity Science Foundation
(2020–2023) Australian Plant Biosecurity Science Foundation
Mechanisms of RNA uptake and gene silencing in plant pathogens
Doctor Philosophy
RNA vaccines for next generation crop protection against fungal pathogens
Doctor Philosophy
Systemic Post-Transcriptional Silencing of Transgenes in Arabidopsis
(2024) Doctor Philosophy
Chlamydomonas: hydrogenase and hydrogen production
Sawyer, Anne, Esselborn, Julian, Winkler, Martin and Happe, Thomas (2017). Chlamydomonas: hydrogenase and hydrogen production. Chlamydomonas: biotechnology and biomedicine. (pp. 21-44) edited by Michael Hippler. Cham, Switzerland: Springer International Publishing. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-66360-9_2
Double-stranded RNA prevents and cures infection by rust fungi
Degnan, Rebecca M., Shuey, Louise S., Radford-Smith, Julian, Gardiner, Donald M., Carroll, Bernard J., Mitter, Neena, McTaggart, Alistair R. and Sawyer, Anne (2023). Double-stranded RNA prevents and cures infection by rust fungi. Communications Biology, 6 (1) 1234, 1-10. doi: 10.1038/s42003-023-05618-z
RNA-based control of fungal pathogens in plants
Mann, Christopher W. G., Sawyer, Anne, Gardiner, Donald M., Mitter, Neena, Carroll, Bernard J. and Eamens, Andrew L. (2023). RNA-based control of fungal pathogens in plants. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 24 (15) 12391, 1-34. doi: 10.3390/ijms241512391
Degnan, Rebecca M., McTaggart, Alistair R., Shuey, Louise S., Pame, Leny Jane S., Smith, Grant R., Gardiner, Donald M., Nock, Volker, Soffe, Rebecca, Sale, Sarah, Garrill, Ashley, Carroll, Bernard J., Mitter, Neena and Sawyer, Anne (2022). Exogenous double‐stranded RNA inhibits the infection physiology of rust fungi to reduce symptoms in planta. Molecular Plant Pathology, 24 (3), 191-207. doi: 10.1111/mpp.13286
BioClay prolongs RNA interference-mediated crop protection against Botrytis cinerea
Niño-Sánchez, Jonatan, Sambasivam, Prabhakaran Thanjavur, Sawyer, Anne, Hamby, Rachael, Chen, Angela, Czislowski, Elizabeth, Li, Peng, Manzie, Narelle, Gardiner, Donald M., Ford, Rebecca, Xu, Zhi Ping, Mitter, Neena and Jin, Hailing (2022). BioClay prolongs RNA interference-mediated crop protection against Botrytis cinerea. Journal of Integrative Plant Biology, 64 (11), 2187-2198. doi: 10.1111/jipb.13353
Butel, Nicolas, Yu, Agnès, Le Masson, Ivan, Borges, Filipe, Elmayan, Taline, Taochy, Christelle, Gursanscky, Nial R., Cao, Jiangling, Bi, Shengnan, Sawyer, Anne, Carroll, Bernard J. and Vaucheret, Hervé (2021). Contrasting epigenetic control of transgenes and endogenous genes promotes post-transcriptional transgene silencing in Arabidopsis. Nature Communications, 12 (1) 2787, 1-12. doi: 10.1038/s41467-021-22995-3
Can-Seq: a PCR and DNA sequencing strategy for identifying new alleles of known and candidate genes
Cao, Jiangling, Gursanscky, Nial R., Fletcher, Stephen J., Sawyer, Anne, Wadia, Mehershad, McKeough, Lachlan, Coleman, Marek, Dressel, Uwe, Taochy, Christelle, Mitter, Neena, Vaucheret, Herv and Carroll, Bernard J. (2020). Can-Seq: a PCR and DNA sequencing strategy for identifying new alleles of known and candidate genes. Plant Methods, 16 (1) 16, 16. doi: 10.1186/s13007-020-0555-0
Burlacot, Adrien, Sawyer, Anne, Cuine, Stephan, Auroy-Tarrago, Pascaline, Blangy, Stephanie, Happe, Thomas and Peltier, Gilles (2018). Flavodiiron-Mediated O-2 Photoreduction Links H-2 Production with CO2 Fixation during the Anaerobic Induction of Photosynthesis. Plant Physiology, 177 (4), 1639-1649. doi: 10.1104/pp.18.00721
Iron-sulphur cluster biogenesis via the SUF pathway
Bai, Y., Chen, T., Happe, T., Lu, Y. and Sawyer, A. (2018). Iron-sulphur cluster biogenesis via the SUF pathway. Metallomics, 10 (8), 1038-1052. doi: 10.1039/c8mt00150b
Evolution of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii ferredoxins and their interactions with [FeFe]-hydrogenases
Sawyer, Anne and Winkler, Martin (2017). Evolution of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii ferredoxins and their interactions with [FeFe]-hydrogenases. Photosynthesis Research, 134 (3), 307-316. doi: 10.1007/s11120-017-0409-4
Engelbrecht, Vera, Rodriguez-Macia, Patricia, Esselborn, Julian, Sawyer, Anne, Hemschemeier, Anja, Ruediger, Olaf, Lubitz, Wolfgang, Winkler, Martin and Happe, Thomas (2017). The structurally unique photosynthetic Chlorella variabilis NC64A hydrogenase does not interact with plant-type ferredoxins. Biochimica Et Biophysica Acta-Bioenergetics, 1858 (9), 771-778. doi: 10.1016/j.bbabio.2017.06.004
Compartmentalisation of [FeFe]-hydrogenase maturation in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii
Sawyer, Anne, Bai, Yu, Lu, Yinghua, Hemschemeier, Anja and Happe, Thomas (2017). Compartmentalisation of [FeFe]-hydrogenase maturation in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Plant Journal, 90 (6), 1134-1143. doi: 10.1111/tpj.13535
Challenges and opportunities for hydrogen production from microalgae
Oey, Melanie, Sawyer, Anne Linda, Ross, Ian Lawrence and Hankamer, Ben (2016). Challenges and opportunities for hydrogen production from microalgae. Plant Biotechnology Journal, 14 (7), 1487-1499. doi: 10.1111/pbi.12516
Noth, Jens, Esselborn, Julian, Güldenhaupt, Jörn, Brünje, Annika, Sawyer, Anne, Apfel, Ulf-Peter, Gerwert, Klaus, Hofmann, Eckhard, Winkler, Martin and Happe, Thomas (2016). [FeFe]-Hydrogenase with Chalcogenide Substitutions at the H-Cluster Maintains Full H2 Evolution Activity. Angewandte Chemie, 128 (29), 8536-8540. doi: 10.1002/anie.201511896
Sawyer, Anne L., Landsberg, Michael J., Ross, Ian L., Kruse, Olaf, Mobli, Mehdi and Hankamer, Ben (2015). Solution structure of the RNA-binding cold shock domain of the Chlamydomonas reinhardtii NAB1 protein and insights into RNA recognition. Biochemical Journal, 469 (1), 97-106. doi: 10.1042/BJ20150217
Sulphur responsiveness of the Chlamydomonas reinhardtii LHCBM9 promoter
Sawyer, Anne L., Hankamer, Ben D. and Ross, Ian L. (2015). Sulphur responsiveness of the Chlamydomonas reinhardtii LHCBM9 promoter. Planta, 241 (5), 1287-1302. doi: 10.1007/s00425-015-2249-9
Regulation of light harvesting complex gene expression in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii
Sawyer, Anne (2014). Regulation of light harvesting complex gene expression in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. PhD Thesis, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland. doi: 10.14264/uql.2014.163
RNA vaccines for next generation crop protection: facilitating adoption
(2022–2025) Advance Queensland Industry Research Fellowships
(2022–2024) Australian Plant Biosecurity Science Foundation
(2020–2023) Australian Plant Biosecurity Science Foundation
RNA vaccines for next generation crop protection against fungal pathogens
(2019–2022) Advance Queensland Industry Research Fellowships
Topical application of BioClay-delivered dsRNS for management of pineapple and avocado diseases
(2018–2020) Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries
Protein engineering to increase light-to-hydrogen production in algae
(2014–2015) Go8 Australia - Germany Joint Research Co-operation Scheme
Mechanisms of RNA uptake and gene silencing in plant pathogens
Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor
Other advisors:
RNA vaccines for next generation crop protection against fungal pathogens
Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor
Other advisors:
Discovery of genes involved in systemic RNAi in plants
Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor
Other advisors:
Systemic RNA biopesticides for controlling fungal pathogens in grain crops
Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor
Other advisors:
Systemic Post-Transcriptional Silencing of Transgenes in Arabidopsis
(2024) Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor
Other advisors: