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Dr BotellaGreen light for newplant technologyBin briefBrilliant green turf allyear round, needingless maintenance andmowing, could soon beavailable through newtechnology beingdeveloped at UQ.UQ Associate Professor JimmyBotella hopes to develop newturf varieties based on his discoveryof a common plant gene that can be“switched-on” to make a plant greeneras well as produce more flowers.This technology and two othersdiscovered by Dr Botella and his UQteam have been patented andpackaged into a deal valued at $3.26million, by UniQuest Pty Ltd, UQ’smain technology commercialisationcompany.UniQuest has licensed the technologyto Origo Bio Biotech, whichin turn has contracted AssociateProfessor Botella to develop newplant cultivars, including turf, withunique growth habits.Origo Biotech, backed by OrigoInvestments Pty Ltd, is an Australiancompany majority owned by SpanishinvestorsUniQuest Innovation and Comm-ercial Development manager AndrewCecil said the new turf cultivar wouldbe ideal for golf courses.“We intend for this new grass tobe lush, slow-growing and require lessfrequent mowing and fertilising thanexisting cultivars,” Mr Cecil said.“Other new products will includeunique varieties of flowering plantsfor potted colour and a cultivar ofpapaya that is slow to ripen.“ Also, the technologies could beapplied to substantially increase theproduction of important crops likerice.”UniQuest Managing Director,David Henderson, said he was delightedthat Origo had recognised thepotential of the technologies developedat UQ.“Professor Botella is renowned asan expert in his field. Origo’s investmentprovides a great opportunity torealise a commercial return fromthese promising technologies,” MrHenderson said.Origo Biotech will begin theresearch and development programearly this year.’.........new products willinclude unique varieties’of flowering plantsGottschalk MedalThe Australian Academy ofScience has awarded AssociateProfessor Melissa Little from UQ’sInstitute for Molecular Bioscience(IMB) the prestigious GottschalkMedal for medical sciences.The award recognises herwork to understand the complexgenetic messages controllingkidney development and how thismay be applied to prevent or curechronic renal failure.It was the second time anIMB researcher has received theMedal, the first being Deputy-Director (Research), ProfessorBrandon Wainwright.Pharmacy awardsNine students from UQ’s Schoolof Pharmacy have won PharmaceuticalDefence Limited prizesfor academic excellence.The on-course honoursstudents were awarded the prizesfor receiving a grade point averageof at least 6.44 for their third year ofundergraduate studies. They eachreceived a cash prize of $1200 anda further $1000 contributiontowards their research projects.The successful students wereHung Tran, Mathew Yeung, JodieBrown, Claire Vickers, RachelHsu, Andrea Lennie, Susan Hua,Khiem Tran and Sherry Wu.Child health studyFindings from one of the world’smajor longitudinal health studies,run by UQ and the Mater Hospitalin Brisbane show a child’s longtermhealth by the time they are14 may be affected by the socialand economic characteristics oftheir family.Professor Jake Najman, fromUQ’s Schools of Social Sciencesand Population Health, who headsthe study, said the new researchshowed that by age 14 somechildren from disadvantagedsocio-economic backgrounds hadalready had the basis of theirfuture health compromised.Business leadershipUQ Business School PhD studentMarie Dasborough has beenawarded the 2003 Kenneth EClark Student Research Award forbest student paper in leadershipby the Centre for CreativeLeadership in the United States.Ms Dasborough’s paper,Cognitive asymmetry in employeeaffective reactions to leadershipbehaviours, presented a theory thatleaders’ behaviours were importantsources of positive and negativeemotional responses in employees.She will receive $1500 andtravel to the Centre to present herpaper at a colloquium this year.8 UQ NEWS, february 2004