ACPFG Annual Report

CEO’s Report
This report marks a major phase transition for our centre.
ACPFG was originally established with a very broad brief.
While the focus was to develop and deliver genomics
technologies for the Australian grains industry, Stakeholders
had diverse expectations that have, not surprisingly, changed
over the life of ACPFG. Our strong international and domestic
collaborations and high quality science have reduced our
original commercial drive, reflecting the path of cereal
improvement in Australia, which remains largely in the public
sector. While these shifts have translated into changes in
the strategic plan for ACPFG, the scientific premises of the
organisation have remained constant. When ACPFG was
established plant genomics was seen as providing a new set of
technologies, which offered opportunities to tackle previously
intractable problems. The target identified – abiotic stress
tolerance – was ambitious given the available resources, but
allowed the development of capabilities and was clearly of
prime importance to cropping in Australia. The severe climatic
conditions in Australia over the past few years and political
awareness of climate change have confirmed the importance
of tackling abiotic stresses.
Over the past five years we have been establishing the
capabilities, resources and linkages needed to provide a
plant genomics platform of the highest international standard.
There were several assumptions made in developing the
strategy. Firstly, we assumed we could apply the technologies
developed largely for humans and model organisms to species
with highly complex genetic and genomic makeups. For
example, is it practical to apply the techniques of transcript,
protein and metabolite profiling to species where little of the
genome is sequenced? Our second assumption was that we
could exploit the extensive genetic information and genetic
populations for wheat and barley to target individual genes.
By and large both assumptions have proved valid. Technology
platforms have been established and used to tackle a wide
range of traits. Positional cloning, albeit combined with
clever bioinformatics, transcript profiling and yeast screening,
resulted in the isolation of the major boron tolerance locus
from barley. Similarly, by combining forward and reverse
genetics, the genes involved in aluminium tolerance from
rye and the major genes involved in sodium exclusion from
durum wheat have been isolated.
2 2007 ACPFG ANNUAL REPORT