Associate Professor Caitlin Byrt ‘Botanically inspired systems for sustainable resource management’

Caitlin, from Australian National University, will talk about how plants inspire improvement in sustainable management of food energy and water resources. Harvesting resources from industrial and urban wastewater and developing resource-use-efficient crops are key steps towards transitioning to a circular green economy and building a sustainable future. 

Abstract
We depend on the contributions plants make to global biogeochemical cycles and on their provision of food, feed, fibre, fuel and habitats. During growth and development, and through the relationships plants have with microbes, plants influence global cycling of carbon, energy, nutrients and water. Plants have the potential to capture half of the solar energy that reaches land surfaces, fix one third of global emissions of carbon dioxide and transpire around 45,000 Km3 of clean water per annum. 

Plant contributions to global cycles depend on their capacity to separate different ions and molecules from soil solutions and from the atmosphere. Knowledge of how plants achieve these separation functions can inform strategies for sustainable resource management. Plants employ specialised molecular membrane separation mechanisms to adapt to challenging soil solution compositions and distinguish between resources and waste. The molecular mechanisms plants use to manage their own resources and wastes are providing inspiration for crop improvement and for the development of industrial technologies and new systems for supporting sustainable management of food, energy and water resources. Harvesting resources from industrial and urban wastewater and developing resource-use-efficient crops are key steps towards transitioning to a circular green economy and building a sustainable future. 

Biography
Associate Professor Caitlin Byrt, from Australian National University, studies how plants achieve energy efficient precision membrane separation to sustain essential biological processes in challenging environments. Her research is supported by an Australian Research Council (ARC) Future Fellowship. Byrt serves as a Deputy Director (Research) for the ARC Future Crops Centre and as Co-Director of a start-up company, Membrane Transporter Engineers Pty Ltd. Byrt’s research team investigates plant molecular membrane separation mechanisms and apply the knowledge gained to the challenge of developing precision separation technologies for harvesting metals, mineral and nutrient resources from liquid wastes and to improving crop productivity in challenging environments.

Booking Link: https://www.trybooking.com/CGTIC

Lunchtime talks are held at 12.30 pm every Thursday from February to November.  Talks last for 1 hour.  We welcome donations by gold coins, notes, or electronically. The Friends use donations received at each talk to support Gardens’ programs and development and thank all those who have donated.  Please note: unless otherwise indicated, talks are in the ANBG Theatrette.

It is a good idea to reserve a seat at the talks that you wish to attend; several talks are booked out very quickly.  Bookings can be made from the Friday before the talk until Wednesday night before the talk or until seating limits are reached. 

The Booking Link is:  https://www.trybooking.com/CGTIC

The Friends of the ANBG thank the speakers who volunteer their time and talents to further the knowledge of all attending events in the Gardens. Some summaries or PowerPoint presentations of Thursday talks are available to Friends at the ANBG library. Please direct queries about the talks to the Thursday Talks Team: email talks@friendsanbg.org.au

The talks are in line with COVID-19 guidelines which can change rapidly.