Murray Badger (L) and Associate Spencer Whitney. Image Stuart Hay, ANU
A research centre exploring new technologies for improving crop yields to secure food supply has been launched at the Research School of Biology. The Australian Research Council (ARC) Centre of Excellence (CoE) for Translational Photosynthesis seeks to increase yields of major crops such as wheat and rice by improving the way that plants capture the sun's energy through photosynthesis. "This is an underexploited area of science that could enable us to feed future populations. By 2050, nine billion people are expected to survive on earth with the food resources produced by plants; today's agricultural methods will struggle to meet these demands," said Director of the Centre, Professor Murray Badger. All the food we consume and the air we breathe is the result of photosynthesis. Despite its importance for all life on earth, it is only recently that scientists have developed the technology to manipulate photosynthesis at a molecular level. "We now have tools that could initiate a new agricultural revolution through enhanced photosynthesis," Professor Badger said "One of our goals is to bridge the knowledge gap between cellular and crop research and engage with agricultural industries." Long-term funding is one of the features of the ARC Centres of Excellence Scheme, said Professor Aidan Byrne, CEO of the Australian Research Council (ARC).
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