Funding achieved to advance Plasma Seed Enhancement (PSE) technology for native plant seed germination

Australia’s research and innovation pipeline is set for a major boost, with more than $72.5 million awarded through the latest round of Australia’s Economic Accelerator (AEA) Ignite program. The new investment will help universities fast-track bold ideas into real world solutions that strengthen national capability and drive future industries.

Congratulations to Bryan Coad and team for successful funding through the AEA Ignite program! 

From Bryan’s Linkdin post :

Today I’m thrilled to share news that our team has been awarded funding through the Australia’s Economic Accelerator (AEA) Ignite scheme to advance our technology called Plasma Seed Enhancement (PSE) for native plant seed germination. 

Australia needs new technologies to restore native plants from seed back into the environment to help restore biodiversity. Many native seeds can take years or decades to germinate, and PSE has been shown in our lab to increase seed germination rates from 10% ↗️ 80% in some cases. Time to put it to work.

Over the next 12 months we’ll be:
🌱 working with our industry partners developing PSE for priority species
🏭 scaling the technology for commercial use
📊 crunching the numbers to assess costs at scale
🚀 aiming to deliver a PSE treatment service nationally for end users

The vision is to accelerate nature repair in Australia and support the transition to a more climate-resilient and biodiverse future 🪴🌏 🪴

Huge thanks to investigators:
Kate Delaporte
Hans-Jörg Griesser
Stephane Mahuteau
Patrick O’Connor