Adelaide, South Australia
August 20, 2007
The Australian Centre for Plant Functional Genomics (ACPFG)
has secured funding for the next five years, with the South
Australian Government, through Bio Innovation SA, awarding an
extra $9.3 million on top of the $28 million pledged by the
centre’s other funders in April.
“We are pleased that the State Government is continuing its
support; wheat and barley are the most important crops to the
state and our work will help to maintain the State’s competitive
position during increasingly uncertain climatic conditions” said
Mr Nicholas Begakis AM, ACPFG Chair.
ACPFG now has $37 million for the period 2008 and 2012. This
funding will secure new and existing research positions within
South Australia and finance ACPFG’s innovative research
programs.
South Australian Science Minister Paul Caica said ACPFG will
continue to reinforce South Australia’s international reputation
in agricultural research.
“ACPFG has established itself in the first four years of
operations as the leading plant research institution in
Australia and is among the top three institutions operating in
this sector internationally. It has made major advances in
understanding how wheat and barley respond to environmental
stresses such as drought, salinity, frost, mineral deficiencies
and toxicities. This second funding round will see the Centre
build on this research with a particular focus on drought, and
that has real benefits for our local industry in South
Australia, particularly the Agricultural economy” said Minister
Caica.
Dr Jurgen Michaelis, CEO of Bio Innovation SA said the continued
funding of ACPFG would have flow-on effects to the local
bioscience industry. “ACPFG is currently home to more than 100
researchers – a figure that will no doubt rise with increased
research activity and collaboration with other South Australian
bioscience companies,” he said.
Since 2003, ACPFG has filed 17 patent applications for the
development of novel technologies and have identified the genes
involved in dietary fibre production as well as genes that can
confer tolerance to high levels of soil boron and salinity.
“Our research not only provides benefits to scientific research,
with new and more efficient molecular modelling and
transformation techniques but the outcomes will have relevance
to the rural and metropolitan community, that is through hardier
crops with improved quality and nutritional benefits,” said
Professor Peter Langridge, CEO of ACPFG.
“We are active in securing collaborations with national and
international organisations. This enables ACPFG to bring new
research into South Australia and tap into new markets. With the
secured funding we will continue at full steam ahead!” said
Professor Langridge.
The centre’s primary funders are the Australian Research Council
(ARC), the Grains Research & Development Corporation (GRDC) the
SA Government, the Victorian Department of Primary Industries
and the Universities of Adelaide, Melbourne and Queensland. |
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