Maria Ermakova

Maria Ermakova is a Lecturer in the School of Biological Sciences at Monash University. Her research focuses on improving crop productivity through enhanced photosynthesis mechanisms, particularly in C4 plants. She is a key contributor to projects funded by organizations like the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) and the Australian Research Council (ARC).

Her expertise spans photosynthesis optimization, plant biotechnology, and synthetic biology. Notable projects include 'Boosting C4 photosynthesis to climate-proof crop yields' (2025-2027) and 'Developing a synthetic biology platform for high-throughput genetic engineering of sorghum' (2023-2026). She leads the 'Rapid Photosynthetic Induction' project (2022-2024) aimed at enhancing crop resilience.

Research interests include C4 photosynthesis pathways, cyclic electron flow regulation, and genetic engineering tools for crop improvement. Her work has been recognized with the 2022 Peter Goldacre Award. Collaborations span global institutions, focusing on sustainable agriculture solutions aligned with UN SDGs.

Her publications (21+) explore topics like transgenic sorghum yield optimization, flavodiiron protein roles in cyanobacteria, and cross-scale crop productivity modeling. She actively participates in grants totaling AU$ millions, advancing synthetic biology applications in agriculture.