QAAFI researchers recently returned from Germany, where they explored the future of biotechnology with some of Europe’s leading scientists.
Hosted by the Technical University of Munich (TUM), the ‘Research Symposium on Biotechnology for Food and Chemicals’ provided a platform to discuss advances in the biological sciences, and how Australia and Germany could progress into a cleaner, greener, and healthier future.
QAAFI researchers Associate Professor Mary Fletcher (Centre for Animal Science), Dr Michael Netzel (Centre for Nutrition and Food Sciences), Dr Kinnari Shelat (Centre for Nutrition and Food Sciences) were asked to present at the Symposium.
The event was held in June at Weihenstephan Abbey, what is thought to be the world’s oldest continuously operating brewery and is now part of TUM’s School of Life Sciences.
The Symposium explored key measures and challenges identified by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and European Commission, and as outlined in the German National Research Strategy 2030.
The UQ-TUM partnership was formalised in 2010 and, in this short time, TUM has become UQ’s most popular student exchange destination in Germany.
Harnessing the momentum of the TUM event, the universities will come together again for the ‘UQ-TUM Bioeconomy Symposium’ in Brisbane from 4-6 October, when participants will unpack the impact of biotechnology on the economy of the future.
The universities have supported joint publications, staff mobility, student internships, laboratory placements, joint research projects, guest lectures, and a variety of workshops. Engagement is supported by Erasmus+ funding – intended to encourage teaching and training collaboration between academic staff.
Other UQ speakers at the Research Symposium on Biotechnology for Food and Chemicals included:
•Professor James De Voss (SCMB)
•Professor Ross Barnard (SCMB)
•Associate Professor Luke Guddat (SCMB)
•Professor Susanne Schmidt (School of Agriculture and Food Sciences)
•Dr Sergi-Astals-Garcia (Advanced Water Management Centre)
