Introduction

I grew up in one of the most remote country areas in Mainland China in the 1960s. After the Cultural Revolution, I had a chance to take the first entrance examination to the Universities, and I was one of the 200,000 lucky ones out of the 10,000,000 candidates. I started my undergraduate study at the age of 21, majored in agriculture with the aim of improving the living of the billions of peasants (farmers) in rural China.
I completed my undergraduate study in Agriculture in early 1982 and my MSc in 1984. I started my interest in genetics and plant breeding during my MSc study and my thesis was on cytogenetics and taxonomy of Chinese date (Ziziphus jujuba Mill.).
After my graduation, the University where I studied (Hebei Agricultural University) immediately employed me as a Lecturer to teach pomology and to do research on the domestication and breeding of Chinese date. I was also interested in the genetics and breeding of walnuts, apples and other tree crops.
From early 1992 to mid 1996, I worked and studied for my PhD between HortResearch (formerly DSIR) and The University of Auckland in New Zealand. During those five years, my research was concentrated on kiwifruit breeding and genetics. My PhD supervisors were Associate Professor Brian Murray, Dr. Ross Ferguson and Dr. Mark McNeilage. My PhD research on the cytogenetic and molecular studies of kiwifruit genomes has led to six papers, in international prestigious journals.
As soon as I finished writing up my thesis, I was offered an academic position at the University of Western Australia, and two days after capping on 9th September, 1996, I commenced my present work at the University of Western Australia.

Research summary
* Molecular cytogenetics
* Molecular phylogenetics
* Plant Genomics
* Plant breeding
* Crop evolution
* Horticulture

Key research and expertise
My research is centred in the domestication and improvement of plants through the application of molecular and cytogenetic techniques in combination with conventional approaches. My key research goal is to increase the breeding efficiency by understanding the biology of the plants we are working on at population, individual, organ, tissue, cell and molecule levels.
Past and current projects
I have worked on a number of projects aiming at producing new plant cultivars through wide hybridisation. The research involved the understanding of plant reproductive biology, wide hybridisation barriers and genome interactions in wide hybrids. My group has worked on several plant groups including waxflowers, Leucadendron, Acacia, bush tomato, cauliflowers, chickpea and field pea. I am currently interested in the synthesis of hexaploid “Super Brassica” through genome manipulation and the breeding of Australian plants suitable to grow side by side with introduced exotic plants.

Past projects:
RIRDC-Leucadendron breeding
FANS-Breeding bush tomatoes
RIRDC-Breeding waxflowers
Iranian Government-Breeding chickpea
GRDC-Breeding field pea
Salinity CRC-Genetics and breeding of Acacia saligna
Ausaid-Molecular genetics of Leucadendron
Ausaid-Cauliflower genetics and production

Current projects:
FNAS/CBH- Synthesis of hexaploid “Super Brassica” through wide hybridisation
ARC-Fast-tracking pea weevil resistant field pea cultivars through wide hybridisation
ARC-Breeding P-insensitive and Phyotphthora resistant Australian native plants
UWA/CSIRO-Introgression of Fusarium head blight resistance from hexaploid bread wheat to tetraploid durum wheat.

PLANT CYTOGENETICS, MOLECULAR GENETICS, PLANT BREEDING AND CONSERVATION OF PLANT BIODIVERSITY

Research interests
My main research focuses on the understanding of interspecific and intergeneric genome relationships and genome interactions of wide hybrids using cytogenetic and molecular approaches.  In collaboration with my colleagues, I worked on the breeding, genetics, identification of barriers to wide hybridization, cytoevolution, chromosome inheritance, molecular evolution, molecular phylogenetics and molecular marker-assisted breeding of Ziziphus, Actinidia, Chamelaucium, Verticordia, Boronia and Leucadendron. Currently, I am interested in understanding the reproductive biology, molecular genetics and cytogenetics of Synaphea, Leucadendron, Brassica, Australian bush tomato, field peas and Chickpeas. I strongly believe that the best way to conserve biodiversity is to bring the plants to cultivation through collection, selection and breeding.

Project Ideas

1.  Reconstruction of phylogenetic relationships in plants
Selected publications in this area:
George N, Byrne M, Maslin B, and Yan G (2005) Genetic differentiation among morphological variants of Acacia saligna (Mimosaceae). Tree Genetics and Genomes 2:109-119.
Pharmawati M, G. Yan, I.J. McFarlane (2004) Application of RAPD and ISSR markers to analyse molecular relationships in Grevillea (Proteaceae). Australian Systematic Botany 17: 49-61.
Yan G, F Shan, JA Plummer (2002) Genomic Relationships within Boronia (Rutaceae) as Revealed by Karyotype Analysis and RAPD Molecular Markers.  Plant Systematics and Evolution 233: 147-161

2.  Any projects related to cytogenetics and molecular cytogenetics of plants
Selected publications in this area:
Liu H, Yan G, Shan F and Sedgley R (2006) Karyotypes in Leucadendron (Proteaceae): evidence of the primitiveness of the genus. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 151: 387-394.
Shan F, G Yan, and JA Plummer (2003) Cyto-evolution of Boronia genomes revealed by fluorescent in situ hybridisation with rDNA probes.  Genome 46: 507-513.
Shepherd KA, G Yan (2003) Chromosome number and size variations in the Australian Salicornioideae (Chenopodiaceae) – evidence of polyploidisation.  Australian Journal of Botany 51: 441-452

3.  Any project on wide hybridisation and overcoming wide hybridization barriers
Selected publications in this area:
Liu H, Yan G and Sedgley R (2006) Interspecific hybridization in the genus Leucadendron through embryo rescue. South African Journal of Botany 72: 416-420.
Yan G, Croxford B and Sedgley R (2001) Interspecific Hybridisation of Leucadendron.  Acta Horticulturae 552: 55-63.
Astarini IA, Yan G and Plummer JA (1999) Interspecific hybridisation in Boronias.  Australian Journal of Botany 47: 851-864.

4. Molecular fingerprinting of plants
Selected publications in this area:
Shan F, Clarke H, Yan G, Plummer JA and Siddique KHM (2006) Identification of duplicates and fingerprinting of primary and secondary wild annual Cicer gene pools using AFLP markers. Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution (Accepted)
Yuan H, Yan G, Siddique KHM and Yang H (2005) RAMP based fingerprinting and assessment of relationships among Australian narrow-leafed lupin (Lupinus angustifolius L.) cultivars. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 56:1339-1346.
Pharmawati M, Yan G and Finnegan PM (2005) Molecular variation and fingerprinting of Leucadendron cultivars (Proteaceae) by ISSR markers.  Annals of Botany 95: 1163-1170.

Introduction to Genetics 240 (GENE2240)
Plant/Animal Genetics and Breeding 3xx (GENE3310, GENE3303)
Biometrics 210 (STAT2210)

I have been involved in coordinating and teaching Introduction to Genetics and Biometrics to second year, Plant and Animal Genetics and Breeding to third year and Plant Breeding Methodology to fourth year students. I also coordinated 4th year agriculture/horticulture research projects, Horticultural Science 401 and Work (Farm) Experience for undergraduates of Agriculture, Horticulture, Animal Sciences and Natural Resource Management. I also enjoy supervising Honours, Masters and PhD projects. I have so far successfully supervised 11 honours/4th year projects, nine international visitors, two Masters students and eight PhD students to completion. As for possible projects, please see the previous section.

Reviewer for scientific journals
Genome
American Journal of Botany
The Royal Society Proceeding: Biological Sciences
Biologia Bratislava: Cellular and Molecular Biology
European Food Research and Technology
Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture
Plant Cell, Tissue and Organ Culture
Scientia Horticulturea

Review for funding bodies
New Zealand MARSDEN funds
International Science foundation (ISF)

Conference Organisation
Member of the Editorial Review Committee for the Proceedings of the Third International Symposium on New Floricultural Crops, Acta Horticulturae.  454 ISHS 1998
Scientific Committee member of 7th International Protea Working Group Symposium in cooperation with ISHS (2004)
Member of the Editorial Board for the Proceedings of the Seventh International Protea Research Symposium, Acta Horticulturae.  716 ISHS 2006
Member of the organising committee of the 1st Australia – China Symposium on Science, Technology and Education, Sydney, Australia, August 12 – 13, 2006 Scientific Committee member of 9th International Protea Working Group Symposium in cooperation with ISHS (2008)

Selection Panels
Selection Panel Member for the appointment of a Research Officer working on Leucadendron breeding in year 2002
Selection Panel Member for the appointment of a Research Associate working on canola breeding in year 2005

Current External Positions:
1. Adjunct Professor: Hebei Agricultural Teachers College, 25 December, 1997 -
2. Guest Professor: Tibet University, 19 December, 2003 –
3. Guest professor: Fujian Normal University, June 2005 –
4. Guest professor: Beijing Agricultural Profession College, 19 October, 2005 –
5. Adjunct Professor: Shihezi University, 26 September, 2006 –
6. Adjunct Professor: Shangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 12 October, 2006 –
7. Honorary Professor: Shanxi Agricultural University, 13 October, 2006 –
8. Guest Professor: Hebei Agricultural University, December, 2006 –
9. Guest Professor: Lanzhou University, May 2007 – May 2010
10. Adjunct professor: Chinese Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Arid and Grassland Ecology, 10 May, 2007 – 10 May, 2012

Memberships:
Committee member-ISHS, WA Chinese Scientists Association, Federation of Chinese Scholars in Australia

Languages:
English, Chinese-Mandarin