High Resolution Plant Phenomics Centre launched in Canberra

An Australian plant research centre designed to help tackle major global challenges such as climate change, sustainable agriculture, biodiversity conservation and future food production has been launched in Canberra by Senator the Honourable Kim Carr, Australian Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, and Jon Stanhope, MLA, Chief Minister, ACT.

Co-located at CSIRO’s Black Mountain site and The Australian National University (ANU), the High Resolution Plant Phenomics Centre will attract plant scientists from across Australia and the world to Canberra by providing them with access to the next generation of robotic and imaging plant research tools.

“This centre will put Australia at the forefront of global plant phenomics,” Senator Carr said. “It will be the first publicly funded, publicly accessible facility of its kind in the world.

“Plant phenomics is a science that has the power to transform our lives. It can help us tackle the most pressing challenges of our time — including global food shortages, the demand for alternative fuels and climate change.”

The High Resolution Plant Phenomics Centre is part of an initiative of the Australian Government’s National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS) supported by the ACT and South Australian governments, CSIRO, The Australian National University and The University of Adelaide.

“This world leading facility shows what can be achieved when governments and the research community work together. It shows the immense power of collaboration in maximising Australia's innovation capacity,” Senator Carr said.

Stanhope said the ACT Government recognised that the ‘research hotel’ environment of the centre would bring students, scientists and high-profile projects to Canberra, building on the world-class research carried out already in CSIRO and the ANU.

“This hub of scientific collaboration and innovation will serve as a source of new opportunities in digital imaging and computer science for Canberra business and forges strong links between the CSIRO, the ANU and ACT Government to foster innovation in the nation's capital,” Stanhope said.

According to CSIRO plant industry chief Dr Jeremy Burdon, the centre will house sophisticated growing environments, glasshouse automation technologies, and leading edge digital imaging technologies and sophisticated software to measure plant growth and development.

“This equipment, resources and associated expertise and services are currently not available in Australia, but the centre will make them readily available and affordable,” Dr Burdon said.

“The centre will lead to the development of new and improved crops, healthier food, more sustainable agricultural practices, and improved maintenance and regeneration of biodiversity,” he said.

The centre is Canberra’s node of the Australian Plant Phenomics Facility located at CSIRO Plant Industry and the ANU. The Plant Accelerator will be the Adelaide node of the facility located at the University of Adelaide’s Waite Campus.