It is already the last Newsletter of the year! Well done to our vibrant Newsletter aficionado Phoebe Baldwin.
Following our successful mid-term review, we completed the year with a review of past, current, and future directions. Chief Investigators were joined in Melbourne this week by several Associate Investigators who are bringing new opportunities and collaborations to the Centre. Discussions focussed on paths to impact.
In the ever-expanding world of pangenomics, Emma Mace highlighted a worldwide need to produce new tools to make use of pangenomics for quantitative genetics; transcriptomics and network discovery and prediction in the plant sciences (which has many points of difference from available tools used in human research). Rachael Gallagher and Vanessa Adams provided depth on the urgency of improved conservation planning in Australia – we are among the top countries for endemic plant diversity – yet despite our economic position, Australia is among countries with the highest rates of biodiversity loss; much of which is due to land clearing related to agriculture. Building on the collective strength of the Centre, Alex Wu and Ben Smith added further depth to our opinion that the integrative and predictive tools provided by modelling, bringing together genomics and mechanistic knowledge of complex systems (physiological and molecular), provide the answer needed to rapidly accelerate success in agriculture. Building on this capacity further, we can plan how best to invigorate strategies to reverse biodiversity loss, improve agriculture to reduce pressures on land use and enhance protection of crop wild relatives that are significant among our rich flora.
Reflecting on our achievements, we recognise the greater challenge of our teams, including postdoctoral and student researchers, in preparing publications that are truly interdisciplinary. These manuscripts, by their very nature, are difficult to write and I encourage and congratulate folks in these endeavours.
This year was a heavy workload for all. Most researchers juggled multiple transdisciplinary projects and our Centre-wide operations team co-led us through a substantial Annual Retreat, our ARC Mid-term Review and a number of large strategic collaborations. Congratulations and special thanks to Deputy Director (Operations) David Tomlins and his team for enabling success across these endeavours.
With the holiday season approaching, I encourage everyone to take any and all time available to rest and recuperate and enjoy some time away from work. It is vital to take time to look after your physical and mental health and if you need further support, please reach out to a Centre leader or member who you are comfortable with – there are many ways the Centre, Universities and the community can support you.
Tomorrow, December 21, marks the 4th anniversary of our Centre of Excellence. I am very excited about the remaining three years of the Centre – I know they will be our very best as I have seen the planning and progress that will guarantee it. Thank you to all our researchers for teaching each other as you have and leaning into our work. Thanks again to the operations team, and the Researcher Development and Outreach Working Groups – you are all amazing champions!
Wishing you a wonderful break,
Professor Christine Beveridge FAA
Centre Director, The University of Queensland
