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Dr Tan Fui Ching

Lecturer

PhD ( University of Cambridge, UK)

Telephone: +603 - 5514 6112
Fax: +603 - 5514 6364
E-mail: tan.fui.ching@artsci.monash.edu.my

Links
Area of Expertise
Research Interest
Selected Journals
Current Research Projects
Prospective Research Projects
Research Students
Research Assistants


Area of Expertise:

Genetics of flowering in angiosperms, subcellular targeting of nuclear-encoded proteins, transcriptional regulation of gene expression.

Research Interest:

Molecular mechanisms underlying flower initiation and development, shoot regeneration, and floral organ senescence. Current research focuses on the elucidation of the flowering process of ornamental garden plants. With the knowledge gained from this study, it is hoped that we will be able to genetically manipulate cut flower species so that the senescence process of their individual floral organs is delayed. Apart from that, we are also looking at the shoot regeneration mechanism of garden plants with the ultimate aim of improving the aesthetic value of cut flower species by altering the abundance of blooms produced on a flowering stem.

Selected Journal Papers:


Tan FC, Cheng Q, Saha K, Heinemann IU, Jahn M, Jahn D, Smith AG (2008) Identification and characterization of the Arabidopsis gene encoding the tetrapyrrole biosynthesis enzyme uroporphyrinogen III synthase. Biochem J 410: 291-299

Tan FC, Swain SM (2007) Functional characterisation of AP3, SOC1 and WUS homologues from citrus (Citrus sinensis). Physiol Plant 131: 481-495

Tan FC, Swain SM (2006) Genetics of flower initiation and development in annual and perennial plants. Physiol Plant 128: 8-17

Santana MA, Tan FC, Smith AG (2002) Molecular characterisation of coproporphyrinogen oxidase from soybean (Glycine max) and Arabidopsis thaliana. Plant Physiol Biochem 40: 289-298

Cleary SM, Tan FC, Nakrieko KA, Thompson SJ, Mullineaux PM, Creissen GP, von Stedingk E, Glaser E, Smith AG, Robinson C (2002) Isolated plant mitochondria import chloroplast precursor proteins in vitro with the same efficiency as chloroplasts. J Biol Chem 277: 5562-5569

Suzuki T, Masuda T, Singh DP, Tan FC, Tsuchiya T, Shimada H, Ohta H, Smith AG, Takamiya K (2002) Two types of ferrochelatase in photosynthetic and non-photosynthetic tissues of cucumber; their difference in phylogeny, gene expression and localization. J Biol Chem 277: 4731-4737


Current Research Projects:

  1. Investigation of the flowering mechanism of ornamental garden plants.
  2. Investigation of the meristem development and function of ornamental garden plants.
  3. Elucidation of the molecular mechanism governing floral organ senescence in ornamental plants

Prospective Research Projects:


Project 1: Isolation and characterisation of MADS-box genes from ornamental garden plants
Project 2: Isolation and characterisation of meristem identity genes from ornamental garden plants
Project 3: Isolation of genes that regulate floral organ abscission

Research Students:


Honours Student (Present)
Simranjeet Kaur Grover (semester 1, 2008) - Effects of hormones on plant meristem development and isolation of WUSCHEL homologues from garden plants

Honours Student (Past)
Chui Pui Seow (semester 1, 2007) - Isolation and characterisation of flowering genes from Ixora coccinea