Nine early-and mid-career researchers have received this year’s Thomas Davies Research Grant for Marine, Soil and Plant Biology.
“I am deeply honoured to receive the Thomas Davies grant. This award will significantly advance the research I have been working on at CSIRO to develop a microplastic biological passport – a tool that could revolutionise our ability to track and understand the environmental journey of microplastics. By studying the unique biological signatures that form on microplastics in various environments, I aim to develop a reliable approach for tracing their sources and movement. This work holds exciting potential for improving environmental monitoring and protection practices. I am grateful for this support and look forward to making impactful contributions to environmental science with this grant.”
“I’m very excited to be a recipient of the Thomas Davies research grant and I look forward to putting it towards the improvement of canola disease resistance. Canola is the third most important crop in Australia, but its production is under constant threat of disease. The fungal disease, Blackleg, is the most devastating disease of canola in Australia with estimated yield losses of 10 to 15 percent each year. The interaction between Blackleg disease and canola disease resistance is poorly understood and there is no method to quickly assess the function of new and existing canola immune receptors. This grant will support the establishment of a method to rapidly assess resistance responses in single canola cells called protoplasts.”
“I am pleased and deeply honoured to receive the 2025 Thomas Davies research grant, with the possibilities it opens up for my career development and potential to make a lasting impact in the scientific community. Tomato Yellow Leaf Curl Virus (TYLCV) poses a significant threat to the global tomato industry, with the potential to devastate entire fields if not properly managed. We have identified wild isolates of the Australian native plant Nicotiana benthamiana that exhibit a strong near-immune response to TYLCV infection. I aim to identify novel TYLCV resistance genes and explore the mechanisms of resistance they provide. I hope that the insights gained from this study will enhance our understanding of disease resistance, contributing to sustainable and lasting resistance in field crops.”
“I am truly honoured to receive the 2025 Thomas Davies award. This recognition provides a significant boost to my research, which focuses on discovering sustainable antifungal agents from soil microbes through the Soils for Science initiative. By leveraging cutting-edge genomic and metabolomic tools, we aim to contribute to global efforts in safeguarding food security and promoting environmentally friendly agricultural practices.” Find out more about Soils for Science.
By leveraging cutting-edge genomic and metabolomic tools, we aim to contribute to global efforts in safeguarding food security and promoting environmentally friendly agricultural practices. — Dr Zeinab Khalil
“I am delighted to receive the 2025 Thomas Davies research grant, which will support my research investigating interactions between animals and their microbiome and how these relationships shape the health and development of host organisms. By exploring vulnerability to symbiotic breakdown on coral reefs, this work will help to inform conservation strategies aimed at preserving or restoring microscopic allies, thereby protecting the biodiversity and vitality of marine ecosystems.”
“I feel incredibly honoured to be awarded the Thomas Davies grant. This study will investigate plant constituents which sequester PFAS in contaminated water samples. PFAS are a diverse family of fluorinated organic chemicals that have been widely used for over 70 years, and are now considered serious environmental contaminants. This understanding will contribute to the development of novel plant-based PFAS remediation approaches that could be employed in contaminated environments and counter the burden of PFAS exposure for individuals.”
“I am very excited to receive a 2025 Thomas Davies research grant. It will enable us to progress our research on ribonucleic acid (RNA) as a novel spray-on vaccine to protect plants from Phytophthora, a soilborne pathogen that causes dieback of native vegetation and major yield losses in crops such as avocado, pineapple, macadamia and stone fruit. This grant will help us gain a better understanding of the mechanism of RNA-mediated disease protection, enabling us to design more effective RNA sprays to control this destructive pathogen.”
The Thomas Davies research grant will enable us to progress our research on ribonucleic acid (RNA) as a novel spray-on vaccine to protect plants from Phytophthora. — Dr Anne Sawyer
“I am thrilled to receive the 2025 Thomas Davies grant, which will allow me to delve into innovative methods for assessing soil health through microbial indicators. This project targets a critical need in agriculture – developing reliable and practical measures of soil function and resilience in Australia’s unique agricultural environment. I hope these measures will help guide farmers in creating more resilient and productive agricultural systems, and I am honoured to have the support of the Academy in this endeavour.”
“I’m honoured to receive this award and grateful for the recognition of my work. Australian wastewater treatment plants produce thousands of tonnes of treated sewage sludge – called biosolids – every year, which are widely used to fertilise agricultural soils. While biosolids are beneficial for soil health, they also introduce emerging contaminants such as microplastics into the soil, which pose risks to soil ecosystems. This support will allow me to further my research on the fate of biosolid-derived microplastics in soils, aiming to provide a clearer understanding of the scale of soil microplastic pollution. I hope this research can contribute to science-based decision-making to minimise and control microplastic pollution.”
The Thomas Davies Research Grant for Marine, Soil and Plant Biology funds projects by early-and mid-career researchers in the fields of marine, soil and plant biology. The grant of up to $20,000 is awarded annually and funded through a generous philanthropic bequest from the estate of the late Thomas Lewis Davies to the Australian Academy of Science.
Applications for the Academy’s 2026 awards and funding opportunities are now open.
© 2025 Australian Academy of Science
