Jennie Gardner

Dr. Jennie Gardner is a Grant-Funded Researcher (B) in the School of Agriculture, Food and Wine at the University of Adelaide, based at the Waite Campus. She holds a PhD from the University of Adelaide (2006) focused on yeast genetics in wine fermentation, following Honours in oncology genetics and studies in mammalian sex determination at the University of Queensland. Her research spans

• Wine microbiology and yeast genetic engineering
• Yeast filamentation mechanisms
• Bioprospecting microbes for industrial applications
• Microbial interactions in ecology
• Traditional Aboriginal fermented beverages in collaboration with ATSI communities

Current projects include improving wine fermentation efficiency via microbial selection (funded by Wine Australia) and mathematical modeling of yeast growth patterns with Associate Professor Ben Binder. She also advises on microbial phage impacts during winemaking processes.

Dr. Gardner combines academic research with industry experience, having worked vintages at family-owned wineries like Adelina Wines and Some Young Punks in the Clare Valley. She is eligible to supervise Masters and PhD students in fermentation science and microbial applications.

Her work bridges fundamental biology and applied winemaking, contributing to sustainable practices through microbial innovation while preserving cultural fermentation knowledge.