A treatment using natural compounds as a clean solution to fungicides in horticulture and a cheap oral swab test to predict methane emissions in livestock are the targets of two funding grants for University of Queensland researchers.
Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food researchers Dr Maral Seididamyeh and Dr Chian Teng Ong have received Australian Economic Accelerator Ignite Round 2 grants to work with industry to advance early‑stage commercialisation research in food and animal science.
Dr Seididamyeh said she was delighted to secure the grant.
“We are focused on taking the photodynamic treatment (PDT) unit from proof-of-concept in the laboratory to a lab-scale automated and packing line simulated prototype,” Dr Seididamyeh said.
“The aim is to show that the unit allows control of post-harvest fungal decay in citrus.
“It should also lead to a reduced reliance on fungicides.
“Led by QAAFI, the project is a partnership with ATEK Integrated Engineering, which is designing and building the automated prototype, and Mildura Fruit Company, who’s expertise will ensure the technology works in the industry.”
QAAFI’s Dr Ong has received funding to accelerate the development of the Methane Oral Sample Test (MOST) into a field-ready tool.
“MOST takes proven science into the paddock, building on the LESTR (Low Emission Saliva Tool for Ruminant) project funded by Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA),” Dr Ong said.
“We’re incredibly excited and grateful to receive this support, which is a strong vote of confidence in the science behind MOST and its potential to drive meaningful change.
“MLA will continue to support MOST which refines the LESTR breakthrough into a field-ready, practical prediction tool, supporting scalable and impactful methane mitigation across livestock systems.
“AGFR (Australian Genome Research Facility) will come on board to streamline the molecular and bioinformatic processes.”
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.
Images are available via Dropbox.
Media: QAAFI Communications, Natalie MacGregor, n.macgregor@uq.edu.au, +61 409 135 651.
