Graduation is cause for a double celebration

By Elizabeth Lillis
A YOUNG woman educated in Pakenham has been awarded a doctorate for her leading research in the field of plant cell biology.
It was a double celebration for Lynette Brownfield when she travelled home to Nar Nar Goon North on a visit from England in December.
Not only did she catch up with friends and family over Christmas but she also received her doctor of philosophy degree in a graduation ceremony at the University of Melbourne.
Dr Brownfield undertook the research for her doctorate between 2000 and 2005.
She worked in the Plant Cell Biology Research Centre within the Botany School as part of a group investigating the genes responsible for the production of plant cell walls.
These walls support each cell, enabling plants to grow to great heights, and provide a primary defence against disease. They are economically important for the food, paper, and textiles industries.
Dr Brownfield’s work included collaboration with the Grains Research and Development Corporation during her doctorate study.
Her research focused on one cell wall component and she identified the gene responsible for its production, and studied its regulation.
Her contribution to plant cell biology was acknowledged when her doctorate was awarded last month.
“Her research significantly advances knowledge of how plant cell walls are made,” Professor A M Moffat, Associate Dean of the School of Graduate Studies at the University of Melbourne, said.
After completing her thesis in 2005, Dr Brownfield accepted a threeyear position in the biology department at the University of Leicester in the United Kingdom, where she is researching genes important for normal development of pollen.
In her leisure time she is enjoying the ease of visiting historical sites, and the abundance of interesting walking trails.
Dr Brownfield attended Pakenham Consolidated School between 1982 and 1988 and then Pakenham Secondary College between 1989 and 1994.
On her recent visit she reflected on how her chemistry and physics teachers, particularly Gary Board and Ashley Davies, had inspired her interest in science.
After completing a bachelor of science (Hons) degree between 1995 and 1998, she worked as a researcher at the School of Dental Science at the University of Melbourne for two years before starting her doctoral studies.