A new $9.2 million world class research and development centre for Australia's bioscience industry, officially opened by Premier Mike Rann today, will help Australia boost its crop production and provide valuable information to agricultural industries across the world.

It will also create highly-skilled job opportunities and establish South Australia as one of the top three locations in the world for this high level of plant research.

The Plant Genomics Centre at The Waite Campus of the University of Adelaide will become the national home of this world-class research.

The new state-of-the-art building was funded by the Rann Government, with a contribution of $700 000 in capital and $6 million in supporting services from the University of Adelaide.

The new centre houses:

• the Australian Centre for Plant Functional Genomics Pty Ltd,
• the Australian Genome Research Facility,
• the Molecular Plant Breeding Cooperative Research Centre,
• the University of Adelaide and South Australian Research & Development Institute's molecular marker laboratories,
• SARDI's Crops Research headquarters and commercialisation facilities.

"These are among the most sophisticated laboratory facilities for plant research in Australia and will help South Australia remain at the global forefront of developments in this science.

"This world class facility showcasing South Australia's scientific prowess has already attracted the attention of the international community,'' Mr Rann said.

"Through it, South Australia will spearhead the nation's research into cereal genomics - an emerging science that is now gaining strong worldwide interest.

Professor James McWha, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Adelaide says the centre adds to what is already a centre of world-class capability.

"It will guarantee significant jobs growth and potential innovative business development for the primary industry sector."

Research at the new centre will focus on the range of abiotic stresses crop plants are subject to including heat, drought, frost, and mineral deficiencies and toxicities.

The aim of the research is to improve resistance to these stresses that severely reduce the productivity and quality of cereal crops throughout the world.

The centre will also accommodate spin-off bioscience companies while opportunities for commercialisation of the research will be developed with the assistance of peak biotechnology industry body Bio Innovation SA.

The two-storey building features 1461 square metres of laboratory space to accommodate over 150 scientists and houses new computing infrastructure and upgraded scientific equipment.

Currently more than 100 scientists have taken up residence, with the facility expected to become an international magnet for researchers in cereal genomics.

The centre also has 960 square metres of office space and 207 square metres allocated for plant growth rooms.