ARC Centre of Excellence for Plant Success in Nature and Agriculture

Project dates: 21/04/2021 - 05/02/2028

The ARC Centre of Excellence for Plant Success in Nature and Agriculture aims to discover adaptive strategies underpinning productivity and resilience in diverse plants and deepen knowledge of the genetic and physiological networks driving key traits that determine crop productivity for diverse environments. 

ARC Laureate Fellow Professor Peter Waterhouse is leading the “Genes” program as QUT node leader in the development of innovative path to crops using Gene technology and genome engineering. 

Novel amplicon delivery system: Delivering amplified quantities of guideRNA and Cas (CRISPR) to direct and enhance homologous recombination

 

Professor Kevin Burrage is leading the QUT research in “Quantitative computational bridge for GxE”. 

  • Novel amplicon delivery system: Delivering amplified quantities of guideRNA and Cas (CRISPR) to direct and enhance homologous recombination

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RESEARCH AND CAB INNOVATION

With a portfolio of 25 research projects underway, demonstrating strong collaborations among Chief Investigators this project aims to address the following objectives:

  • develop more effective ways of solving persistent problems in nature and agriculture
  • discover physiological mechanisms and networks of genes underpinning plant success across plant lineages
  • understand how plant systems have evolved and gene networks influence crop productivity and yeilds
  • ability to predict and improve plant performance in diverse environments to enable a more sustainable and productive future

Professor Peter Waterhouse is paving the way for breeders to adopt tools through improved gene-editing technology through social and legal frameworks.


Chief Investigators

Other Team Members

  • Prof Kevin Burrage
  • Dr Pamela Burrage
  • Buddhini Ranawaka
  • Alexander Hasson
  • Brodie Lawson
  • Fathima Zuba Ahmed
  • Leilasadat Asadyar
  • Atefe rostami

Partners

Other Partners

The Centre is a consortium of five Australian universities, led by University of Queensland (UQ), with nodes at UQ, QUT (Centre for Agriculture and the Bioeconomy), Macquarie University, Monash University, and the University of Tasmania, and includes a number of leading domestic and international partner institutions. It has 17 Chief Investigators and 27 Associate Investigators who will collaborate with Partner Investigators from 11 different organisations. 

Industry partners include:

  • Corteva Agriscience
  • The International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre
  • The Crop Trust
  • The Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation
  • Bioplatforms Australia
  • Queensland Government Department of Agriculture and Fisheries