Nigel Urwin

Biography

Nigel graduated from the University of the West of England with a B.Sc. in Applied Biological Sciences in 1984 and a Ph.D. in plant molecular biology from the University of the West of Scotland in 1991. Nigel's postdoctoral studies both at the University of Glasgow, UK and Charles Sturt University, Australia centred on plant genes are regulation by light and metabolites and molecular mechanisms underlying evolved resistance of weeds to the herbicide glyphosate. In 2000 Nigel joined the School of Agricultural and Wine Sciences at CSU and then the School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences (2007) and is now within the School of Biomedical Sciences, (2016-). His early research interests focussed on plant /weed biology/genetics and plant breeding. This latter work has resulted in novel and improved lavender germplasm. More recently, Nigel has been exploring poultry transgenesis, (see http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/jan/17/would-you-prefer-to-eat-genetically-modified-eggs-or-see-day-old-chicks-destroyed) and exploiting the antimicrobial properties of essential oils and plant extracts in combination with conventional antibiotics. Nigel also chairs the CSU Biosafety and the Port Macquarie Campus Environmental committee.

Research Interest

Medical Microbiology, Clinical Bacteriology, Food Microbiology and Microbial Biotechnology