Graham Farquhar facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Graham Farguhar
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Graham Douglas Farquhar
December 8, 1947 |
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| Employer | Australian National University |
| Known for | Plant biophysics research |
| Title | Senior Australian of the Year (2018) |
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Graham Douglas Farquhar is an Australian scientist who studies plants. He was born on December 8, 1947. He is a top professor at the Australian National University. He leads a special science team called the Farquhar Lab. In 2018, he was honored as the Senior Australian of the Year.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Graham Farquhar went to Wesley College, Melbourne and finished school in 1964. He then studied at the Australian National University, earning a Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree in 1968. He also earned a BSc with Honours in Biophysics from the University of Queensland in 1969. Later, he completed his PhD at the Australian National University in 1973.
Research and Discoveries
Professor Farquhar became a leader at the Australian National University's Research School of Biology. He also became a main researcher for the Australian Research Council's Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis. His work focuses on understanding how plants work, from tiny cells to whole forests.
Understanding Plant Water Use
Professor Farquhar's research helps us understand how plants use water. He created models that show how plants take in carbon dioxide and release water. This work has helped scientists create new types of wheat. These wheat plants are better at using water, which is important for farming in dry areas.
Studying Plants and Carbon Dioxide
One of his projects looks at how different trees grow in air with more carbon dioxide. This research helps us understand how forests might change as the Earth's atmosphere changes.
Major Awards and Recognition
Professor Farquhar has received many important awards for his work:
- In 2014, he and another scientist, Richard Richards, won the Rank Prize in Nutrition. They earned this award for figuring out how plants use different types of atoms (isotopes) to save water. This discovery helps farmers grow wheat more efficiently.
- In 2015, he received the Prime Minister's Prize for Science. This award recognized his important models of photosynthesis, which is how plants make their own food using sunlight.
- The Australian Academy of Science gave him the Macfarlane Burnet Medal and Lecture in 2016.
- In 2017, he was given the Kyoto Prize in Basic Sciences for his work in biology.
- On January 25, 2018, he was named Senior Australian of the Year. This award celebrates older Australians who have made big contributions to the country.
Professor Farquhar is also one of the most often cited authors in several plant science journals. This means many other scientists use his research in their own studies. Some of these journals include Planta, Plant, Cell and Environment, and Functional Plant Biology.
See also
- Global terrestrial stilling
- Farquhar Equations
