Last week, Plant SynBio Australia officially launched their Adelaide node. The launch builds on Adelaide University’s extensive capacity in plant research infrastructure and innovation.

A new national Faba Bean Breeding Program will provide growers with improved higher-yielding varieties of faba beans with better disease resistance, quality traits and adaptation across Australian growing regions.

The inaugural Professor Dabing Zhang Memorial Scholarship has been awarded to PhD student Qiwei Shen. This scholarship recognises Prof Zhang’s legacy and fosters continued excellence in plant science and agricultural research.

Led by Prof Kerry Wilkinson, this 5-year program will assess critical barriers to growth and develop best-practice guidelines for the burgeoning industry.

A recent $20M investment from the Commonwealth has led to the development of PSBA, a network of facilities set to provide plant synthetic biology infrastructure and expertise.

Last week, the inaugural Australian Agave Association workshop was held at the Waite. This brought together growers, researchers, distillers, SAF stakeholders and enthusiasts to support the development of a thriving agave industry in Australia.

The University of Adelaide has appointed Professor Zhong-Hua Chen to lead its expansion and leadership in applied plant physiology and horticulture research in the School of Agriculture, Food and Wine and Waite Research Institute.