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Award of new plant centre "A triumph for S.A. science"

Federal Minister for Education, Science and Training Dr Brendan Nelson announces the new ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥n Centre for Plant Functional Genomics at the Waite Campus, with South ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥n Premier Mike Rann (left) and ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥ Vice-Chancellor Professor Cliff Blake (far right)
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Friday, 10 May 2002

The ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥ of Adelaide's successful bid to host the $32 million National Centre for Plant Functional Genomics is "a vote of confidence in South ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥'s scientists and a triumph for the state", ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥ Vice-Chancellor Professor Cliff Blake AO said today.

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 ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥n 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 ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥ of Adelaide bid was developed in conjunction with the ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥ of Melbourne, ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥ of Queensland and Victorian Department of Natural Resources and Environment.

Professor Blake said a new building would be erected at the Waite campus to house the Waite-based research team and the bioscience companies likely to be spun off from the Centre's research. Through its financial support for the Centre, the new South ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥n government had emphatically demonstrated its commitment to science and technology.

"South ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥ already has a competitive advantage in agricultural biotechnology, particularly plant biotechnology, based on internationally- competitive research groups at the Waite campus," Professor Blake said. "This has played a significant part in our success in securing the new Centre for South ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥ against strong interstate competition. The Centre will be the only one of its kind in ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥, and it represents an outstanding achievement for the state. It is further recognition of South ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥'s capacity to lead the country - and the world - in developing innovative and commercially valuable platform technologies for one of ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥'s most important export industries.

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

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