2024 Hutton Medal: Adapting crops to a changing climate

Andrew leads a laboratory studying plant metabolism, and how compounds such as anthocyanins and carotenoids determine pigmentation and other plant traits in response to environmental changes.

Instead of using model plants in his research, as most molecular biologists working in this area do, Andrew has focused his research on crop plants which are economically important for New Zealand such as apples and kiwifruit.

This has shown that cutting-edge, fundamental research can be carried out in these species and has generated significant rewards for New Zealand’s plant-based industries. The genes he has described are now used as markers to improve the efficiency of crop breeding programmes. His team’s development of continuously flowering plants promises to accelerate breeding of perennial plants.

Andrew’s current research on “The Flowering Crisis”, is funded by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) Endeavour programme. He aims to apply, and gain acceptance for, use of new breeding technologies to ensure New Zealand’s perennial crops will be able to tolerate a warming climate.

Andrew has contributed to public understanding and informed debate on one of the most contentious issues in modern science, that of genetic modification. In this he has been driven both by the opportunities he perceives this technology can bring and by the need for science-based information to be part of the decision-making process.

Andrew was part of a panel convened by the Society to provide expert advice on genetic technologies to the government and the general public. He has also recently been appointed to MBIE’s Technical Advisory Group on Gene Technology Regulation.

In awarding this medal, the selection committee noted that “plant science lies at the core of New Zealand’s economy, past and future”, and Andrew is contributing greatly to this.  The committee also recognised his commitment to teaching and mentoring, noting he has a large ‘family’ of students both in New Zealand and overseas, including China, where he has strong research connections.

Andrew was elected a Fellow of the Society in 2023. He has twice won the New Zealand Society of Plant Biology’s Roger Slack Award ‒ the top prize for plant biology in this country. The Chinese Academy of Sciences has also awarded Andrew its President’s International Fellowship for Distinguished Scientists.

In accepting this medal, Andrew said: “This award is a great honour to myself and my family, and is a direct result of the continuity I have had of friendly mentors, collaborators and co-workers. Gaining this award will further help advertise how key plant biology is to our country’s success and prosperity.”

Hutton Medal:
The Hutton Medal is for outstanding research in the earth, plant, or animal sciences. It was established in 1911 and is the Society’s oldest award.

Citation:
To Andrew Charles Allan for world-leading research on plant genomics, in support of New Zealand’s plant breeding programmes.