Perth, Western Australia
December, 2007
Perth-based biotechnology company
NemGenix Pty Ltd has been
awarded a $320k grant by the Australian Government’s Department
of Education, Science and Technology (‘DEST’) to develop GM
wheat.
The work is funded under DEST’s ‘International Science Linkage’
programme and will be carried out at the WA State Agricultural
Biotechnology Centre, Murdoch University, and in collaboration
with the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur. It will
underpin the development of new varieties of wheat which will be
resistant to plant parasitic nematodes.
Plant parasitic nematodes are roundworms that cause more than
$130 billion of crop losses each year. In the case of wheat, the
global reduction in yield is estimated at 7.5%, causing around
$340m losses pa in Australia alone.
Commenting on the work, NemGenix’s Chief Scientific Officer,
Professor Mike Jones, said “despite the enormous losses caused
by plant parasitic nematodes, very little has been done to
develop nematode resistant crops. Although there are some
natural resistance genes, agriculture has in general relied on
control by highly toxic pesticides, or else losses have just
been tolerated. To overcome some of the scientific challenges
that previously hindered the development of resistant varieties,
we will be applying a new technology known as ‘RNAi’, this
technology received the Nobel Prize for Science in 2006. Our
Indian collaborators have recently completed proof-of-principle
studies using this technology and we will now follow-up their
success with a commercial development programme.”
NemGenix’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr Sean Hird, commented “the
award, which was won against stiff competition, is a massive
vote of confidence in our abilities and recognition that GM
technology must be harnessed for the benefit of Australian
agriculture. We are the only private company to be awarded a
grant under the International Science Linkage programme in 2007
and one of only a handful of companies ever to receive such an
award, since the programme was established in 2002. We stand
alongside an illustrious list of Australia’s leading
Universities and Institutes as fellow recipients. The award is
particularly timely for us as we now move to complete our
current funding round. We have an exciting time ahead.” |
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