Dr. Jacob Downs

Biography

Jacob Downs is a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Sydney's School of Life and Environmental Sciences. His main research interests encompass molecular biology, genetics, plants, and fungi, with a particular focus on developmental biology and precision gene editing to modify traits. During his PhD, Jacob examined an uncharacterised Pentatricopeptide Repeat (PPR) gene in Arabidopsis thaliana essential for embryogenesis and photosynthesis. He developed a CRISPR-based gene editing approach for the white button mushroom (Agaricus bisporus). Currently, he is working on projects focusing on the optimisation of High Molecular Weight (HMW) genomic DNA extractions from various plant species including Cocoa (Theobroma cacao) and several species from the Myrtaceae family to screen for pathogen resistance. Additionally, Jacob is developing a gene editing approach to eliminate self-pollination in tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum). His interests extend into molecular biology and genetics, particularly the developmental processes in plants and the genetic processes by which hormones regulate cell fate. He aims to leverage gene editing for agricultural productivity and sustainability, having screened members of the auxin response factor (ARF) gene family to identify novel reproductive phenotypes. Jacob's near-term goals include fully characterising novel PPR genes to deepen the understanding of developmental processes in sexual reproduction and developing novel delivery systems for CRISPR in crop plants. He is also focused on the molecular mechanisms regulating interactions between plants and pathogens, having developed an HMW DNA extraction technique suitable for recalcitrant species like Cocoa. Jacob is passionate about mentoring and education, teaching in fields such as biochemistry, molecular biology, and plant developmental biology, and has co-supervised several Honours and Masters students.

Research Interests