South Australia awarded new plant centre

The University of Adelaide's successful bid to host the $32 million National Centre for Plant Functional Genomics is "a vote of confidence in South Australia's scientists and a triumph for the state", according to University Vice-Chancellor Professor Cliff Blake AO.

The Centre, which will initially employ 100 scientists, will play a pivotal role in the growth of the country's agricultural bioscience industry, developing molecular breeding technologies for the grain industries (primarily wheat and barley).

It will receive funding of $20 million over five years from the Australian Research Council and the Grains Research and Development Corporation and a further $12 million from the State Government. The numbers employed at the Centre are expected to grow as it attracts new research grants and commercial investment.

The University of Adelaide bid was developed in conjunction with the University of Melbourne, University of Queensland and Victorian Department of Natural Resources and Environment.

"The Centre will see the establishment of a major international research program on the University's Waite campus," says Prof. Blake. "It will develop technologies to produce plant varieties that are resistant to drought, salinity and other environments that threaten food production throughout the world."

Item provided courtesy of The University of Adelaide