Patented biodegradable technology to control two major pests, a combination vaccine for venereal diseases in cattle, and an RNA-based spray to control a plant pathogen are a step closer, thanks to funding grants for three University of Queensland researchers.
Dr Karishma Mody from UQ’s Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation has received a $499,608 Economic Accelerator Ignite round 1 grant to scale up the BenPol technology, which provides an alternative to chemical insecticides.
“We’re thrilled to receive the Ignite funding,” Dr Mody said.
“The BenPol platform facilitates the effect delivery of RNA molecules to target pests with precision, offering a solution to control cotton bollworm (Helicoverpa armigera) and western flower thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis).
“This support will allow us to optimise and scale up BenPol technology and bring us closer to a sustainable RNAi-based solution for pest control.”
Professor Ala Tabor from the Centre for Animal Science has received a $175,816 Economic Accelerator Ignite round 1 grant for a proof-of-concept trial for a combination vaccine for two venereal diseases in cattle.
“We’re targeting Vibrio (bovine genital campylobacteriosis) and trichomoniasis and think a dual vaccine would be more attractive to the industry,” Professor Tabor said.
“To date there is no trichomoniasis vaccine in Australia and a combination vaccine has not been tested here.
“It’s good to have this project supported as it will help us to develop a better commercial product for industry adaptation.”
Dr Anne Sawyer from the Centre for Horticultural Science said she was excited to receive the 2025 Thomas Davies research grant of close to $20,000 from the Australian Academy of Science.
“The funding will enable us to progress our research on ribonucleic acid (RNA) as a novel spray-on vaccine to protect plants from Phytophthora, a soil-borne pathogen that causes dieback of native vegetation and major yield losses in crops like avocado, pineapple, macadamia and stone fruit,” Dr Sawyer said.
“The grant will help us gain a better understanding of the mechanism of RNA-mediated disease protection, enabling us to design more effective RNA sprays to control this destructive pathogen.”
The Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation is a research institute at The University of Queensland established with and supported by the Department of Primary Industries.
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Media: QAAFI Communications, Natalie MacGregor, n.macgregor@uq.edu.au, +61 409 135 651.
