Smoke oil… not snake oil. Bioactive compounds extracted from wood pyrolysis

Project description

Pryolysis is the process of heating organic material in the absence of oxygen.  SylvaCo.com.au and their partners have developed processes to extract bioactive compounds from wood pyrolysis that can regulate abiotic and biotic stressors in plants. Some of these smoke derived compounds, known as Karrikins, have been characterised and shown to influence seed germination.  We have recently demonstrated that smoke-derived compounds obtained from SylvaCo have antioxidant effects in plants that may have agricultural implications in nitrogen-use efficiency and pod shattering in canola. Projects in this research collaboration include chemical characterisation of the smoke oil using Gas and liquid chromatography linked to Mass Spectroscopy, analysis of the bioactive properties of the smoke oil using an oxidative stress assay in plants developed here at Flinders, and research on smoke oil treated field-trials through collaboration with Fieldsystems.com.au.  This exciting research collaboration links fundamental plant biology and chemistry with applied outcomes that could have far reaching implications for sustainable agricultural productivity.

Co-supervisors

crystal.sweetman@flinders.edu.au; martin.johnston@flinders.edu.au

Assumed knowledge

Dependent on specific project.  As discussed with supervisors.

Note: You need to register interest in projects from different supervisors (not a number of projects with the one supervisor).
You must also contact each supervisor directly to discuss both the project details and your suitability to undertake the project.