Emeritus Professor with full academic status.

Professor Catcheside completed his PhD at The University of Birmingham, UK, investigating allosteric regulation of the aromatic amino acid biosynthetic pathway. He then held postdoctoral positions in the John Curtin School of Medical Research and The Research School of Biological Sciences investigating the regulation of genetic recombination during meiosis, the process that leads to shuffling of genetic information during sexual reproduction. He joined Flinders University in 1971 to develop teaching of Microbiology in the School of Biological Sciences and later nurtured the Bachelor of Biotechnology Honours Degree. His research continued to centre on genetic recombination including dissection the molecular events during meiosis using the model fungus Neurospora crassa. He also taught topics in Genetics, Mycology, and Molecular Biology. He was Head of Biological Sciences 1982-4 and 2005-7, retiring in 2007.

Since retiring, Professor Catcheside remains active researching in Genetics, Forensic Science and Fungal Biology and continues to supervise Honours and PhD students.

Molecular genetics, particularly the mechanism of genetic recombination and mutation and their regulation in collaboration with Dr Frederick Bowring and Dr Jane Yeadon and colleagues in the USA; development of novel forensic DNA technologies, in collaboration with Professor Leigh Burgoyne; documentation of the larger fungi in South Australia, in collaboration with Pam Catcheside, Antibiotics from fungi in collaboration with Professor Leigh Burgoyne. Sequencing the genomes of 24 fungi to explore the origin of the sequestrate (truffle) species in collaboration with colleages in Australia, New Zealand and the USA.

• Genetics of recombination (3)
• Directed evolution (2)
• Bioconversion of coal (1)

• Biochemical genetics (3)
• Button mushroom production (1)
• Forensic profiling of soil (1)