Renowned QUT agricultural biotechnologist and humanitarian, Distinguished Professor James Dale AC and the Banana Biotechnology Program has earned QUT national recognition at the Knowledge Commercialisation Australasia (KCA) Australasian Research Commercialisation Awards announced last night.
Professor Dale and the Banana Biotechnology Program from the QUT Centre for Agriculture and the Bioeconomy received the KCA Award for Best Industry Collaboration for work between Australia and Africa that will impact future health, food security and biosecurity.
Through the QUT Banana Biotechnology Program, Professor Dale has been leading flagship projects to transform bananas for more than 25 years.
The multi-million-dollar Golden Banana project, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, is now close to farmer release of a pro-vitamin A fortified banana that will deliver life-saving health benefits to millions of people in Africa.
The Tropical Race 4 (TR4) Program has developed a genetically modified Cavendish banana resistant to the devastating TR4 disease.
Likely to be available for commercial production in 2024, the QCav-4 promises to protect the global Cavendish industry, worth up to US$25 billion annually.
For Australia’s $600 million industry, this includes protected employment for 9,600 Queenslanders involved in banana production, and restoration of the Northern Territory banana industry destroyed by TR4.