Rate My Professor Richard Macknight

Professor Richard Macknight serves as Honorary Professor in the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Otago, Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Health Sciences Division. He earned his MSc and PhD from the University of Otago, completing both his undergraduate studies and PhD in the Biochemistry Department there. Following postdoctoral research, including at the John Innes Centre, he joined the University of Otago as a lecturer in Biochemistry. In February 2020, he was promoted to full Professor, recognizing his contributions to plant molecular biology. Macknight contributes to the Plant Biotechnology teaching programme and has supervised numerous PhD students on topics such as vernalization in Medicago truncatula and flowering time control in legumes.

His research focuses on the molecular genetics of plant development, particularly genes regulating flowering time in response to environmental cues like vernalization and photoperiod, and seed development. Key model systems include Arabidopsis thaliana and Medicago truncatula, with applications to crops such as legumes, onions, ryegrass, and kiwifruit. Aims include developing crops with improved productivity, stress resilience, and suitability for local conditions through gene editing and breeding, achieved via collaborations with Crown Research Institutes and plant breeding companies. Notable publications include 'FLOWERING LOCUS T genes control onion bulb formation and flowering' (Nature Communications, 2013), 'Chromosome-level genomes of three key Allium crops and their trait evolution' (Nature Genetics, 2023), 'A new breeding technique for F1 hybrid production from self-incompatible species' (Plant Biotechnology Journal, 2026), and 'PEBP proteins: the conductors of dual reproduction in plants with vegetative storage organs' (Journal of Experimental Botany, 2021). Macknight has secured multiple Marsden Fund grants, including $895,000 in 2017 for translational regulation in plant stress responses to enhance drought resilience, and awards in 2012. He received the Health Sciences Research Translation award and served as Immediate Past President of the New Zealand Society of Plant Biologists. His publications have accumulated over 5,400 citations.