CSIRO-UWA crop genomics lab opens

A laboratory for research into the molecular workings of plants and the genomes of crops will be officially launched in Perth on 4 May.

Established jointly by CSIRO and The University of Western Australia (UWA) at CSIRO’s Centre for Environment and Life Sciences in Floreat, the new laboratory for Molecular Plant Pathology and Crop Genomics will provide some of Australia’s leading plant and agricultural scientists with world-class research facilities.

The laboratory hosts an internationally renowned research team led by the head of CSIRO’s Mediterranean Crops and Pastures Group, and Director of UWA’s Institute of Agriculture, Professor Karam Singh.

Professor Singh’s team will collaborate with its partners to provide the laboratory with a major research focus on pre-breeding better and more disease-resistant legume crops in Australia. A significant portion of its work will be devoted to sequencing the narrow-leaf lupin genome.

Through their work in the WA Centre for Food and Genomic Medicine, CSIRO scientists have already identified lupin genes which have potential benefits for humans in helping to reduce the risk of diabetes and obesity.

The laboratory houses a range of new, high-tech equipment including: a fluid handling robotics station, a real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) machine, a highly sensitive imaging system and fluorescence microscopy. It also has excellent plant monitoring facilities including temperature-controlled growth rooms and a quarantine microbiology facility.

The launch will be at CSIRO’s Centre for Environment and Life Sciences, Cnr Brockway and Underwood, Ave, Floreat, Perth, WA, at 11 am to 1 pm, Wednesday 4 May 2011.