Research interests

• Cereal chemistry of durum wheat
• Durum wheat breeding for quality
• The chemistry and biochemistry of durum wheat
• Agronomic approaches to improving durum wheat
• Functional foods in pasta

Background

Mike Sissons heads the Tamworth Cereal Chemistry section at the NSW Department of Primary Industries, Tamworth Agricultural Institute in the position of Senior Research Scientist. The unit performs research on durum science with an extensive collaboration network and provides a service to durum breeders around the country on the quality evaluation of genetic lines.

He joined NSW Agriculture* in 1997 as a cereal chemist and was promoted to the Research Scientist stream in 1999. He has 15 years experience in cereal chemistry research, first in barley, then wheat and since 1997, in durum wheat. He has published 32 refereed scientific papers and over 55 conference presentations in several countries and with over 27 collaborators. Michael has been the recipient of numerous fellowships and travel awards.

He has been project leader of several GRDC and Wheat Cooperative Research Centre projects.
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*NSW Department of Primary Industries was formed on July 1, 2004 through an amalgamation of NSW Agriculture, NSW Fisheries, State Forests of NSW and the NSW Department of Mineral Resources.

Qualifications

• B.Ag. Sc. – University of Adelaide
• M.Ag. Sc. Animal biochemistry and nutrition – La Trobe University
• PhD Cereal Chemistry – University of Adelaide, 1992

Current projects

• Breeding high quality durum wheat for Australia
• Standardising quality testing methods across Australia
• Optimum nutrition packages for durum wheat farmers
• Development and causes of black point in durum wheat
• Use of reconstitution methods to investigate the role of proteins and carbohydrates in determining differences in pasta making quality of durum wheat
• Development of functional food pasta
• Development of NIR calibrations for use in a durum wheat breeding program

Recent Publications

Soh, HN, Sissons, MJ and Turner, MA. 2006. Effect of starch granule size distribution and elevated amylase content on durum dough rheology and spaghetti cooking quality. Cereal Chemistry. 83:513-519.

Oak, M.D., Sissons, M.J., Egan, N., Tamhankar, S.A., Rao, V.S. and Bhosale, S.B. 2006. Relationship between gluten strength and pasta firmness in Indian durum wheats. International Journal of Food Science and Technology 41:538-544.

Sissons, M.J. Egan, N., Alexander, S. and Batey. I.L. 2006. Comparison of Australian and Italian spaghetti's using sensory and instrumental techniques. Food Australia 58:101-107.

Sissons, M.J., Osborne, B.O. and Sissons, S. 2006. Application of near infrared reflectance spectroscopy to a durum breeding program. Journal of Near Infrared Spectroscopy 14:17-25.

Oak, M.D., Sissons, M.J., Egan, N., Tamhankar, S.A., Rao, V.S. and Bhosale, S.B. 2006. Relationship between gluten strength and pasta firmness in Indian durum wheats. International Journal of Food Science and Technology 41:538-544.

Sissons, M.J., Egan, N. and Gianibelli, M.C. 2005. New insights into the role of gluten on durum pasta quality using reconstitution method. Cereal Chemistry 82:601-608.

Sissons, M.J, Ames, N.P, Hare, R.A. and Clarke, J.M. 2005. Relationship between glutenin subunit composition and gluten strength measurements in durum wheat. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 85:2445-2452.

Sissons, M.J., Egan, N. and Gianibelli, M.C. 2005. New insights into the role of gluten on durum pasta quality using reconstitution method. Cereal Chemistry 82:601-608.

Sissons, M.J. Egan, N., Alexander, S. and Batey. I.L. 2006. Comparison of Australian and Italian spaghetti's using sensory and instrumental techniques. Food Australia 58:101-107.

Gianibelli, M.C., Sissons, M.J. and I.L. Batey. 2005. Effect of different waxy starches on pasta cooking quality of durum wheat. Cereal Chemistry 82:321-327.

Sissons, M.J. Pasta In Encyclopedia of Grain Science. 2004. Eds Wrigley, C, Corke, H and Walker, C. Elseview Australia. pp 409-418.

Sissons, M.J. and Batey I.L. 2003. Protein and Starch Properties of some Tetraploid Wheats. Cereal Chemistry 80:468-475.

Sissons, M.J., Gianibelli, M.C. and Batey, I.L. 2002. Small-Scale Reconstitution of Durum Semolina Components. Cereal Chemistry 79:675-680.

Sharma, R., Sissons, M.J., Rathjen, A.J. and Jenner, C.F. 2002. The Null-4A Allele at the Waxy Locus in Durum Wheat affects Pasta Cooking Quality. Journal of Cereal Science 35:287-297.

Professional associations and activities

• RACI, Cereal Chemistry Division member
• AACC International member

Research, Courses, Fields and Disciplines classification

• 300000 Agricultural, Veterinary and Environmental Sciences

Australian Bureau of Statistics classifications

Keyword/phrase list of research interests

• Cereal chemistry
• Functional foods
• Wheat gluten
• Durum wheat genetics and technological quality

Contact details