Bernhard Wehr

Name: Dr Bernhard Wehr

B.Sc, M.Sc. Ph.D

Research Officer

E-mail Address: b.wehr@.uq.edu.au

Phone Number: (07) 3365 2081

Research Interests:  Root biology, soil chemistry, plant nutrition, plant stress, biochemistry of plant cell walls

Research experience

Plant growth in altered environments depends critically on the ability of plant roots to supply the plant with water and nutrients. Root growth is affected by temperature, soil chemistry (pH, salinity, toxic concentration of elements) and water. Past research in academia and industrial research organizations focused on:

• the effect heavy metals on the stress physiology (polyamine biosynthesis) and critical tissue concentration in apple root stock.
• the effect of several divalent and trivalent cations on the biochemistry or root cell walls in garden beans.
• physiological, chemical and biochemical factors influencing root induction and development both in-vitro and ex-vitro.
• in-vitro and ex-vitro nutrition of forest tree species.
• development of plant tissue culture protocols and plant transformation methodologies.
• development of research methodologies as well as development and validation of bio-analytical methods.

Current Project
In my current role as project coordinator of a major mine site rehabilitation program, focus is placed on:

• revegetation of mine sites,
• plant water relationships
• nutrient imbalances in mine site soils
• soil chemistry
• bioavailability of elements

Recent Publications

Wehr JB, Menzies NW, Blamey FPC (2004) Inhibition of cell wall autolysis and pectin degradation by cations. Plant Physiol. Biochem. in press

Wehr JB, Menzies NW and Blamey FPC (2004) Alkali hydroxide-induced gelation of pectin. Food Hydrocolloids 18: 375-378

Wehr JB, Menzies NW and Blamey FPC (2003) Model studies on the role of citrate, malate and pectin esterification on the enzymatic degradation of Al- and Ca-pectate gels: possible implications for Al-tolerance. Plant Physiology and Biochemistry 41: 1007-1010

Wehr JB and So HB (2003) Erodibility of topsoil- and subsoil-capped reside disposal areas. Outcome Report to Alcan Gove Pty Ltd. Centre for Mined Land Rehabilitation. The University of Queensland.

Wehr JB (2003) Capping options for dry-stacked red mud produced during bauxite refinery. Outcome Report to Alcan Gove Pty Ltd. Centre for Mined Land Rehabilitation. The University of Queensland.

Wehr JB (2003) Bauxite residue revegetation research program. 2001-2002 Annual Report to Alcan Gove Pty Ltd.  Centre for Mined Land Rehabilitation. The University of Queensland.

Wehr JB (2003) Bauxite residue revegetation research program. 2002-2003 Annual Report to Alcan Gove Pty Ltd.  Centre for Mined Land Rehabilitation. The University of Queensland.

Claassens OE, Wehr JB and Harrison KL (2000) Optimising sensitivity of the human sperm motility assay for embryo toxicity testing. Human Reproduction 15: 1586-1591

Tian D, Siemering KR, Teasdale RD and Wehr JB (1999) A method of transformation. International application number PCT/AU99/00602. Priority data PP 4864, 26 July 1999. Applicant: Southern Tree Breeders Association R&D Pty Ltd.