Tissue culture - An essential toolkit for crop improvement and productivity

Dr Jayeni Hiti Bandaralage is a Research Fellow based at the Department of Horticultural Science at QAAFI

ABSTRACT
Technological advancement in plant space is key to sustainable development in a circular bioeconomy. The modern Ag management systems highly rely on improved and superior genotypes and productivity. Tissue culture encompasses many technologies within and beyond, directly facilitating mass production, conservation and improvement of plants. Over the last decade the advancements in tissue culture have led to sustainable manufacturing of better and cleaner plants, much faster than ever forthe benefit of research, agriculture, production of essential compounds, reforestation and restoration for the betterment of humans and our planet.

PROFILE
Dr. Hiti-Bandaralage is plant biotechnologist at the Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, University of Queensland. She specialises in tissue culture and genetic improvement of plants in both academia and biotech-industry. Her PhD developed the World’s first high-throughput avocado tissue-culture technology, overcoming a 50-year industry-bottleneck for rootstock propagation. She also developed similar technologies for Australian native Duboisia and Cannabis and currently expanding her work to other economically and ecologically important plant species. Through her research she aims to deliver industry outcomes for the benefit of broader community.

About Science Seminars 
UQ's Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation hosts science seminars across the disciplines of animal, horticulture, crop, food and nutritional sciences. With a range of speakers from Australia and abroad, the series explores how high-impact science will significantly improve the competitiveness and sustainability of the tropical and sub-tropical food, fibre and agribusiness sectors. 

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The Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation is a research institute at The University of Queensland supported by the Queensland Government via the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries.