Tropical Crops and Biocommodities

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Program Leader: Prof James Dale

Tropical Crops and Biocommodities (TCB) brings together broad expertise in plant biotechnology, with particular emphasis on the expression of novel genes in tropical crops. The domain comprises three strong components: biofortification of tropical crops to improve human nutrition, control of diseases of tropical crops through the deployment of novel resistance genes, and the use of plants to produce novel products such as medical proteins, biomaterials and biofuels.

The research team has great depth of experience in tissue culture and transformation, plant molecular biology, plant gene discovery, transgene expression technology, protein expression and purification, plant virology, and plant disease resistance. This expertise has underpinned the development of a number of advanced transgenic plant lines through field trials, including PRSV-resistant papaya and virus-resistant sugarcane.

Research and development in the domain has focused on tropical crops including banana, sugarcane, papaya, sweet potato, taro, tomatoes, cucurbits and tobacco (as a bioreactor). Queensland is the ideal environment for developing the future generations of genetically enhanced tropical crops; the state is blessed with an ideal climate, cutting-edge research facilities, sophisticated agricultural production, political support for emerging bioindustries, and a defined regulatory environment. This is underpinned by access to tropical germplasm developed over many years.

Tropical Crops and Biocommodities has established strong links with both the tropical crop and molecular farming industries (through partnerships with banana growers, Sugar Research and Innovation, and Farmacule BioIndustries Pty Ltd). The team also has extensive and active collaborations in the USA (University of Nebraska, Clemson University, ProCell Inc), Vietnam, the South Pacific, Uganda, South Africa, Thailand and Papua New Guinea.