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Research flowering in Kings Park

Dr Scalzo, a research scientist at the Lions Eye Institute in Nedlands where he co-directs the Institute’s experimental immunology program, will spend his leave doing research in the Kings Park Science Laboratory.

He’ll be applying his expert skills in tissue culture gained as a scientist and his horticultural expertise developed during volunteer work in the Park to undertake a collaborative research project.“As a volunteer, I’ve supervised horticultural activity with the Friends of Kings Park on weekends for nearly ten years,” Dr Scalzo said.“The Friends of Kings Park Growing Friends have propagated nearly 40,000 plants every year.”Dr Scalzo is enthusiastic about the important conservation and horticultural work done by

Kings

Park.“I’m passionate about

Western Australia’s diverse and spectacular flora which has evolved over millions of years.”Dr Scalzo’s work in

Kings

Park during his leave will be possible thanks to a Floriscience project funded by the Trawalla Foundation.The Floriscience funded project aims to establish and apply protoplast fusion technology (a hybridisation technique) in

Kings

Park for the generation of novel hybrids and Fan Flower (Scaevola) cultivars.  Fan Flowers are a popular ground cover and container colour species grown both here in

Australia and overseas.Dr Scalzo also hopes to use an adaptation of the protoplast methods, for tissue culture propagation of rare plants.Digby Growns, Director, Horticulture and Conservation at Kings Park believes Dr Scalzo’s work will open up many exciting opportunities for the development of local plant varieties for home gardens, as well as protecting rare species from the effects of climate change.

“Advanced technologies like those to be researched by Dr Scalzo will provide more techniques for conserving

Western Australia’s rare species, and will also allow the development of highly ornamental water efficient plants for home gardens and broader landscapes."