Australian Center for Plant Functional Genomics

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The Australian Center for Plant Functional Genomics ( ACPFG ) is an Australian research institute dedicated to the breeding of wheat and barley . ACPFG has over 100 employees. CEO is Professor Peter Langridge.

It was founded in 2002 with 27 million Australian dollars from the Australian Research Council of the Grains Research and Development Corporation and the Government of South Australia launched. The head office is on the Waite Campus of the University of Adelaide , further stations are at the University of Melbourne , the University of South Australia and the University of Queensland . These universities also contribute to the funding.

ACPFG focuses on the tolerance of wheat and barley to abiotic stress factors such as drought, heat and salinity, as well as improving plant nutrient utilization. The aim is to develop new plant varieties that bring economic, social and environmental benefits. In addition, ACPFG offers scholarships for the training of scientists.

ACPFG has been working with Pioneer Hi-Bred since 2005 to discover and develop properties to increase drought tolerance and decrease the need for soil-applied nitrogen fertilizers. In addition, the cooperation aims to increase the yields of corn, soybeans, rice, wheat, rapeseed, sorghum and barley.

In 2010 ACPFG, in cooperation with scientists from the universities of Cairo , Copenhagen and Melbourne, succeeded in using genetic engineering to improve the salt tolerance of rice. For this purpose, a gene was expressed that increases the number of salt-transporting proteins in the plant root, which means that more salt is retained in the root and less reaches the shoot, where salt causes the greatest damage.

ACPFG has submitted over 30 patent applications. In February 2011 it became known that a patent claim had been granted for the first time, namely for a protein that pumps sodium ions out of the cell in the outer membrane of the plant cell, thus increasing the plant's salt tolerance. The patent is valid for Turkmenistan , Belarus , Tajikistan , Russia , Azerbaijan , Kazakhstan , Kyrgyzstan , Armenia and Moldova .

In 2011, ACPFG used genetic engineering to develop a nutrient- enriched rice line with enough iron content to meet daily needs. The rice contains four times as much iron and twice as much zinc as conventional rice. Such a high iron content has so far not been achieved and is not possible with conventional methods. The WHO estimates that more than two billion people worldwide suffer from iron deficiency. Scientists from the Universities of Adelaide, Melbourne and South Australia and Flinders University were involved in the research project, and it was funded by the Australian Research Council and HarvestPlus .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ DuPont and the Australian Center for Plant Functional Genomics Extend Partnership to Increase Agricultural Productivity. (PDF file; 73 kB) November 16, 2010.
  2. ^ Salt-tolerant rice offers hope for global food supply. (PDF file; 249 kB) September 10, 2010.
  3. ↑ Patent to be granted for salinity tolerance technology. (PDF file; 315 kB) February 10, 2011.
  4. ↑ High iron and zinc rice gives hope to micronutrient deficient billions. (PDF file; 268 kB) September 8, 2011.