EDITION 9   |   APRIL 2024

ADW 2024 presentations are now available online

The hybrid Annual Diagnostics Workshop 2024 (ADW 2024) took place at the Twin Towns Conference and Events Centre in Tweed Heads, NSW, from 19 - 20 March 2024. Themed: Challenges of unculturables and their vectors, the following topics were presented:

• National Plant Biosecurity Diagnostic Network (NPBDN) updates (Session 1)
• National Diagnostics Protocols (NDPs), collections, and proficiency testing (Session 2)
• The challenges of diagnosing pests and pathogens (Session 3)
• Vectors of unculturable plant pathogens (Session 4)
• Methods for improved detection and identification (Session 5)
• Innovative tools for detection and identification (Session 6).

The program, consisting of presentation sessions, a panel discussion, and workshops, brought diagnostic practitioners together to share their knowledge and learnings and to facilitate connections and collaborations among NPBDN members. The second day of ADW 2024 also overlapped with the Annual Surveillance Workshop (ASW 2024), allowing NPBDN and Plant Surveillance Network Australasia-Pacific (PSNAP) members to meet and network between the day’s sessions.

Additional highlights of ADW 2024 included:

• 31 presentations: including three presentations delivered by invited guests Dr Andrew Turley, Prof. Andrew Geering, and Cait Selleck; seven presentations from our successful 2022/2023 and 2023/2024 NPBDN residential awardees; and one panel discussion session around Non-destructive nucleic acid extraction methods
• three shoulder workshops were also integrated into the program: Workshop 1: The fundamentals of the Australian Plant Pest Database (APPD); Workshop 2: National Diagnostic Protocol (NDP) development and review; and Workshop 3: Rapid molecular assays to detect honeybee mites
• 70 in-person delegates attended the event from all Australian states and territories, the USA, and New Zealand
• 82 virtual delegates tuned in online
• a networking event at the end of Day 1.

Dr Cathy Todd, Horticulture pathologist at South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI) and Network Implementation Working Group (NIWG) coordinator, had this to say about the event,

“We trust attendees gained value at ADW 2024, both from the networking opportunities afforded by the growing membership base with international connections, and from the content including novel methods and plant pests. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Plant Health Australia (PHA) for coordinating the events and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) for their funding support.

We hope to see members again at the upcoming Virtual Annual Diagnostics and Surveillance Workshop on Wednesday, 5 June 2024. If you would like training activities for diagnosticians such as the ADW to continue, please let your Chief Plant Health Officer (CPHO) know, as sustainable funding options for 2025 and beyond are currently being considered”.

ADW 2024 was delivered by PHA with content and structure lead by the NIWG and funded by DAFF as a part of the National Plant Biosecurity Diagnostics and Surveillance Professional Development and Protocols projects. PHA would like to acknowledge and thank the NIWG for their effort, support, and time contributions invested into planning and making ADW 2024 a great success. A special thank you is also extended to invited speakers Dr Andrew Turley, Prof. Andrew Geering, and Cait Selleck, for taking the time to share their valuable insights at ADW 2024.

NPBDN members can access ADW 2024 presentations below (note: members must be logged into the portal to access the presentations).

ADW 2024 shoulder workshop presentations now available 

Materials presented at two of the three shoulder workshops held at the ADW 2024 are now available for in the member-only portal (note: materials presented at Workshop 1 – The fundamentals of the Australian Plant Pest Database (APPD) are available to APPD members only, and will not be published on the NPBDN website).

Feedback is important to improve content and logistics for future workshops. Please find links below to anonymous surveys for each workshop. 

Shoulder Workshop 2 – National Diagnostic Protocol (NDP) development and review:

• Access the workshop materials
• Take the survey

Shoulder Workshop 3 – Rapid molecular assays to detect Honeybee mites:

• Access the workshop materials  
• Take the survey

Save the date for Virtual ADSW 2024 

NPBDN is delighted to announce this year’s Virtual Annual Diagnostics and Surveillance Workshop (ADSW) 2024 is taking place Wednesday, 5 June 2024, from 11.00am AEST.

Attendance is exclusive to PSNAP and NPBDN members. Register your interest to attend below before Friday, 31 May 2024 to receive a calendar invitation.

More details on the program and invited speakers will be released in the coming weeks, so keep an eye out for updates on the NPBDN website and via your inbox.

Preparations for Virtual ADSW 2024 are undertaken by the NIWG, Plant Surveillance Network Working Group (PSNWG), and PHA.

Dermestidae and Khapra beetle identification workshop coming soon

All Australian CPHOs will be contacted in the coming weeks to nominate staff from each jurisdiction to attend the upcoming Dermestidae and Khapra beetle identification workshop which will be held at Deakin University, Burwood, Victoria from 27 - 31 May 2024.

Khapra beetle (Trogoderma granarium) is a serious pest of stored grains, rice, oilseeds, and dried foodstuffs, and is listed as Australia’s number two National Plant Priority Pests (NPPP).

To increase capability in identifying this destructive pest, the workshop will cover:

• morphology of larval and adult Dermestidae 
• information on phylogenetic updates of the Dermestidae and the consequences for diagnostic capabilities
• Dermestidae genera present in Australia and their key characteristics
• recognition and identification of critical Trogoderma and related genera
• hands-on training in making simple slides of larval and adult Dermestidae as well as dissections and preparations required for diagnostic purposes.

Participants are encouraged to bring their specimens of Dermestidae and similar beetles for identification or confirmation during this workshop.

The workshop will be delivered by Dr Adam Ślipiński and Dr Lingzi Zhou from the Australian National Insect Collection at CSIRO. They are both experts in beetle taxonomy covering many groups of Australian and world taxa and recently revised the Australian genera of Dermestidae.

This initiative is part of the National Plant Biosecurity Diagnostics and Surveillance Professional Development activities, funded through DAFF and delivered by PHA. Travel and accommodation support will be provided to each Australian jurisdiction.

New eLearning course for the Australian Plant Pest Database (APPD) launched 

PHA is pleased to announce the launch of a new online learning course for the Australian Plant Pest Database (APPD), titled: Introduction to the Australian Plant Pest Database (APPD).

Launched in 2022, the APPD collates plant pest and pathogen specimen data from Australian herbaria and insect collections. The purpose of the APPD is to support market access and inform government policy decision-making.

The course is available on PHA’s Biosecurity Online Training (BOLT) platform and explores how to use the APPD to access information on vouchered specimens of plant pests and pathogens. The course topics include: the search function, alert function, specimen information and contacting collection managers.

The course is designed for those who are new to the APPD and includes videos and clear overviews of the website's features. Access to the course is restricted to current approved users of the APPD with each new enrolment request individually assessed before being granted.

If you already have access to the APPD and would like to complete the course, please click here. If you have an existing BOLT profile you can simply request enrolment however if you don't have a profile, you will need to create one. Please ensure your BOLT profile and your APPD profile have the same email address as this will be used to assess your access.

Enrol today or if you have any questions or feedback on the course, please contact the PHA Training team at training@phau.com.au or appd@phau.com.au.

Upcoming biosecurity events

• 2^nd Symposium of Tephritid Workers of Asia, Australia, and Oceania (TAAO), Beijing, China | 6 – 10 May 2024
• PBRI Plant Health Student Networking event, Cairns, QLD | 7 May 2024
• Plant Biosecurity Research Initiative (PBRI) Symposium, Cairns, QLD | 8 – 9 May 2024
• Dermestidae and Khapra beetle identification workshop, Burwood, VIC | 27 – 31 May 2024
• Australasian Soilborne Diseases Symposium (ASDS) Conference 2024, Kingscliff, Northern NSW | 26 – 30 August 2024
• Australian Biosecurity Symposium, Gold Coast, QLD | 27 – 29 August 2024
• Australasian Plant Virology Workshop 2024, Gold Coast, QLD | 29 – 31 October 2024

Career opportunities

Job opportunities

Visit the careers page on the NPBDN website to keep up to date with current job and PhD scholarship advertisements.  Current career opportunities include:

• Various career opportunities are available on The Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF). 
• The Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) is advertising for a Manager Capacity and Extension, and a Senior Manager - Extension and Adoption to join their team based in Canberra, ACT.
• AUSVEG is advertising for a Biosecurity and Extension - Support Officer to join their team based in Glen Iris, Melbourne, VIC.
• The Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) is advertising for a General Manager, Research to join their Executive team based in Bruce, ACT.
• The Department of Industry, Tourism and Trade is advertising for a Principal Plant Biosecurity Officer to join their team in Darwin, NT.

Career profile

About the Network

The National Plant Biosecurity Diagnostic Professional Development and Protocols Projects are coordinated and delivered by PHA and funded by DAFF. The objectives of the Projects are to enhance and strengthen Australia’s diagnostic and surveillance capacity and capability to identify priority plant pests that impact on plant industries, environment and the community.