More than 52 million hectares of Australian land—an area equivalent to eight times the size of Tasmania—is degraded, with severe implications for biodiversity, ecosystem services, and human well-being. In 2022, Australia committed to the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), pledging to restore 30% of this degraded land by 2030, which equates to roughly 15.6 million hectares. Achieving this ambitious goal requires
Welcome to the 41st issue of the Plant Success newsletter! We’re conducting a short anonymous survey to gather feedback – whether you read every issue or just occasionally, we’d love to hear from you. This is your chance to tell us what you enjoy, what you’d like to see more of, and how we can make the newsletter even better
I think it is fair to say that Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer the next big thing – rather it is the current big thing. Keeping tabs on ever-improving large language models (LLMs), protein structure prediction, foundational models for data analysis, graph neural networks and everything in between is overwhelming. I have an uneasy, yet strangely exhilarating feeling that
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
This Centre’s loftiest goals transcend any particular trait, technique or species group. From the outset we have been aiming to develop general approaches and discover general principles in analysis, inference and prediction. But at the same time our collective feet are grounded in an eclectic mix of specific study systems, analytical approaches and practical challenges. This “creative tension” is also
I am excited to share with you the Best Practice Guidelines for the Collection and Transfer of Genetic Resources, a comprehensive framework designed to guide ethical and scientifically sound practices in the management of genetic resources. The guidelines aim to address legal complexities by providing recommendations for researchers and access providers involved in the collection, transfer, and use of genetic materials
The Researcher Development Group (RDG) continues to provide a variety of excellent activities for the Centre! The RDG collaborates across the Centre’s Nodes to identify and develop learning programs that improve research culture and practice. This year, several new members have joined the working group which has helped to bring fresh ideas and initiatives that are empowering Plant Success Early Career Researchers (ECRs). Below, leaders of
What a busy year we have had so far! Last week the Centre reached a milestone by holding our mid-term review at The University of Queensland. It was another opportunity to reflect on how far we have come with our science, industry connections, researcher development and outreach. I am extremely proud of our achievements to date and to be a part
I recently had the opportunity to work with five Centre Postdoctoral Researchers to create a series of video profiles that help to highlight their research journey and achievements. These profiles offer a glimpse into the innovative work and diverse backgrounds of these ‘budding’ researchers, whilst highlighting their contributions to both the Centre and plant science more broadly. The researchers featured are: Dr Maddie James – Maddie is
Last week was a really special Research Retreat week for us. We opened the week with the Plant Success Symposium where we heard from invited speakers including Charlie Messina, Greg Rebetzke, Jacqui Batley and Brendan Choat, as well as Centre Chief Investigators and Postdoctoral Researchers on some of our many research achievements. The Symposium was open to anyone to attend online or in person. We are
