Professor Andrew Allan, a plant molecular biologist at Plant and Food Research and a professor at the University of Auckland, has been awarded the Hutton Medal for his world-leading research.
Awarded by the Royal Society Te Apārangi, the Hutton Medal has recognised those who have advanced understanding of plant, animal or earth sciences through work of outstanding scientific or technological merit.
“This medal is a testament to Andy’s hard work and dedication over his career,” said Professor Richard Newcomb, Chief Scientist at Plant and Food Research.
“His research not only has a huge academic impact but is also a major contributor to the success of our breeding programmes. In addition, he is a wonderful mentor to young researchers, both in New Zealand and around the world. This recognition of his contribution to plant sciences is well deserved.”
For more than 35 years, Professor Allan has worked in plant genomics, building knowledge of the genetic controls of plant characteristics such as fruit colour and health compounds. His research incorporates both model plants used for fundamental research and plants of importance to New Zealand’s food sector, such as apples and kiwifruit.
This knowledge has been used to inform New Zealand’s fruit breeding programmes, improving efficiency by allowing breeders to select parents and offspring with particular genetic traits.
His current research has focused on the genes controlling flower development. This characteristic is particularly important for current and future breeding programmes, as flowering in many perennial plants has been triggered by a period of cold temperatures that may be impacted as the climate warms.
Professor Allan has published over 200 scientific papers, is named on eight patents, and has been recognised in the top one percent of plant and animal biology scientists as one of the Clarivate Highly Cited Researchers since 2017.
In 2023, he was elected Fellow of the Royal Society Te Apārangi. He is also a professor at Zhejiang Agriculture and Forestry University in China.
