Dr Gal Winter

Dr Gal Winter

P2-007 Microbial rhizosphere diversity in glasshouse hydroponic crops

Dr Gal Winter is a microbiologist studying microbial ecology in human and plant environments. For the past four years Gal has been working as a lecturer and Course Coordinator for the Bachelor of Biomedical Sciences at the University of New England. Gal has won several awards for excellence in teaching and research and has published her research outcomes in renowned professional journals. In 2008, Gal moved from Israel to Australia to chase her professional dream of working on microbial food biotechnology and her personal dream of living the Australian lifestyle. She received an international PhD scholarship from the University of Western Sydney and worked in collaboration with the Australian Wine Research Institute on wine fermentation, graduating her PhD in 2013. She then commenced a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Queensland, working on microbial biotechnology for the production of value-added chemicals.

P2-007 In Progress

Microbial rhizosphere diversity in glasshouse hydroponic crops

This project seeks to characterise the behaviour of probiotic organisms in the root zone of hydroponic tomato plants, and to develop a practical method for routine monitoring of the root microbiome.

Getting to the root cause of health in hydroponic tomatoes

Costa Group is constructing a scaled-down version of its commercial glasshouse at UNE to house CRC project trials seeking cues to crop stress that can alert growers to act, preventing costly losses. 

Protected Cropping Australia Conference: wet but well attended

Relentless rain did little to dampen the spirits of the estimated 450 delegates, 40 virtual attendees, 60 exhibitors and large CRC-cohort contingent at this year’s PCA conference in Coffs Harbour.

CRC projects on the agenda at 2022 PCA Conference in Coffs

Research leads, PhDs and project collaborators from government and industry are among the CRC-affiliated presenters at this year's PCA Conference.

Valuable early results from tomato rhizobiome trials

The ‘Tomato rhizobiome project’, designed to find ways to foster robust microbial colonies in the root zones of hydroponic greenhouse tomato plants, is proceeding well, with initial findings 'very promising', says industry partner Costa Group.

Meet Gal Winter: microbial ecology expert

For Dr Gal Winter, lecturer and microbiologist at northern NSW’s University of New England, studying the ecology of microbe colonies - most recently, those surrounding tomato plant roots - has been a cross-continental endeavour.

Phil Thomas: Seeking the microbial edge in hydroponic tomatoes

For this IT-pro-turned-UNE-microbiology post-grad, the chance to study the root microbiome of greenhouse-grown tomatoes with Costa Group under the CRC was one too good to refuse.

Helping commercial hydroponic growers combat humidity-loving pathogens

Hydroponic tomato grower Costa Group and scientists at UNE and WSU will explore microbial diversity in tomatoes’ root zones in a bid to find novel ways to combat disease in humid glasshouse environs.
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