Daniel Mullan Email & Phone Number

Perth, Australia

-Wheat breeder and a member of the management team-Responsible for the management of the major bread wheat breeding program and the udon noodle breeding program-Project management of the bread wheat and udon programs focused across Western and Southern Australia, plus engagement with end-users in Japan and South Korea-Responsible for the company’s wheat pre-breeding and marker research collaborations, pathology research and development and germplasm introductions and evaluation-Contribute as a key member of the research team responsible for the development and application of new molecular marker technologies through InterGrain’s relationship with Monsanto-Development of a close working relationship with technicians, researchers, breeders and management groupsKey achievements• Successful release and marketing of five wheat varieties (Zen, Supreme, Ninja, Impress CL Plus, Chief CL Plus).Varietal release requires effective scientific approaches, technical know-how and an accurate appreciation for the demands of the market. • Engagement with marketing team for upcoming variety releases.• Engagement with breeders and technical staff to improve the business operating procedures and achieve more optimal testing timeframes. It has included the effective management of the breeding technical team, resulting in a reduction in staffing turnover. The time taken for variety release is a key business driver, which is why a focus has been placed in the area, achieving a three year reduction in the time for variety release.• Implementation of the Monsanto marker platform across the breeding programs, for increased genetic gains and business productivity.

Mexico

-Responsible for the Generation Challenge Programme (GCP) involving genetic dissection of drought adaptive mechanisms in bread and durum wheat through large scale phenotyping methodologies-Collaborate with the Australian Centre for Plant Functional Genomics (ACPFG), Adelaide and Indian wheat breeding centres comprising three main components, (i) the identification of candidate loci for drought adaptive traits for potential application in MAS, positional cloning, and screening of genetic resources for new drought adaptive alleles, (ii) validation of high through-put drought screening protocols that can be reliably extrapolated to performance in realistic field experiments, and (iii) new generations of mapping populations that will not be confounded by major phenological genes and can form the basis for positional cloning of adaptive genes. -Provide support to the Physiology Program in identifying and supplying useful physiological traits to the CIMMYT Rain-fed Wheat Breeding ProgramEmployment cont’d.Key achievements• Development of a low-cost approach to measuring crop establishment. This technique has enabled adoption of this physiological measurement by researchers in developing countries as well as those well-established in wheat research• Development of a mapping population and genetic map for QTL analysis of heat tolerance related traits. This led to the identification of a potentially novel source of rust resistance• Fostered a collaborative relationship between diverse centres of research in different regions of the world

Canberra, Australia

-Utilise molecular technologies and field assessments of physiological traits to improve the adaptability of durum wheat to Australian conditions-Pyramiding of traits such as high early vigour, long coleoptiles, alternate dwarfing, and salt and boron tolerance into high quality durum backgrounds (adapted to Australian regions)Key achievements• Developed novel durum germplasm with greater tolerance to salt, higher water use efficiency, and greater agronomic adaptability for use in a wide range of cropping systems and regions• Strong engagement with industry to ensure adoption of the developed germplasm• Development of field trialling and project management skills

Fargo, North Dakota Area

-Manage implementation of a molecular marker platform for screening granule-bound starch synthase (GBSS) loci-Implement molecular screening to be utilised by the breeding program to identify partial waxy genotypes for use in frozen dough or Asian noodle marketsKey achievements• Successful implementation of the molecular marker platform for screening granule-bound starch synthase (GBSS)

Doctor Of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Molecular Genetics And Physiology - Wheat

Thesis Title: “Physiology, comparative genomics and germplasm development for improving salt tolerance in hexaploid wheat”

Bachelor’S Degree, Agriculture, First Class Honours

Thesis Title: “Development of molecular markers for thinner seed coats in narrow-leaf lupins (Lupinus angustifolius)”