EDITION 8   |   FEBRUARY 2024

ADW 2024 program now available

The Annual Diagnostic Workshop (ADW) 2024 is fast approaching and will be held from Tuesday, 19 March to Wednesday, 20 March 2024, at the Twin Towns Resort in Tweed Heads on the NSW and QLD border. The event program and shoulder workshops have now been finalised.

Download the ADW 2024 program via the button below.

Three shoulder workshops will also be held before ADW 2024 commences on Tuesday, 19 March 2024. These workshops will be run concurrently from 9:00am – 11:00am (AEST):

• Workshop 1 – The fundamentals of the Australian Plant Pest Database (APPD)
• Workshop 2 – National Diagnostic Protocol (NDP) development and review
• Workshop 3 – Rapid molecular assays to detect Honeybee mites.

For more information on the three concurrent workshops taking place at ADW 2024, please click below.

If you are unable to attend ADW 2024 in person, you are welcome to attend virtually. Please register for virtual attendance below before COB Friday, 8 March 2024.

NPBDN Xylella workshop materials now available to members

Materials presented at the workshop Xylella spp. everything you need to know from sampling to diagnostics, and the new National Diagnostic Protocol, which was held at the 24th Australasian Plant Pathology Society (APPS) Conference in November 2023, are now available to members on the NPBDN website (please log into the portal to access).

For more information on Australia’s number one National Priority Plant Pests, Xylella spp., visit the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) website.

Golden death of almonds caused by Xylella fastidiosa in Spain. Image provided by Toni Chapman, NSW DPI.

The National Biosecurity Training Hub is now live 

Plant Health Australia (PHA), the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Agriculture Victoria, New South Wales Department of Primary Industries, and Animal Health Australia, have partnered to create the National Biosecurity Training Hub - Australia’s first one-stop shop for biosecurity training.

The Hub unifies and streamlines training to facilitate national visibility of biosecurity-related training across government, industry and community in a single location. The Hub is a centralised platform that supports biosecurity prevention, preparedness, response and recovery by providing users with access to the latest biosecurity-related training materials and courses suited to different industries, levels and skill sets.

Designed with learners in mind, the Hub is easy to navigate with a library of plant, animal and aquatic biosecurity training that is searchable using a topic, keyword, location and preferred method of delivery. The quality assurance protocols ensure each course listed meets the required standard.

Calling all students | The PBRI Plant Health Student Network

The Plant Biosecurity Research Initiative (PBRI) Plant Health Student Network was established in September 2022. Since its inception, the Student Network has attracted over 250 students globally and has delivered online meetings that focus on student-identified needs.

Meeting topics have included career journeys, the value of science communication, writing tips/tricks and provide perspectives from a diverse range of invited guests of varying ages, locations and fields (industry, university, government).  

Students of all levels (undergraduate, honours, Masters, PhD) and Early Career Researchers (ECRs) contributing to plant health are invited to become members of the PBRI Plant Health Student Network.

To find out how to join the Network, visit the NPBDN website via the button below. 

2024 Think Tank Series: Protecting Australia from exotic fruit flies

Join The National Fruit Fly Council (NFFC) for the first Think Tank webinar of 2024 on Thursday, 28 March from 1.00pm – 2.00pm (AEDT). Experts from the Northern Australia Quarantine Strategy (NAQS) will discuss the monitoring and management of Queensland’s Torres Strait, Northern Peninsula Area and Papua New Guinea’s Treaty Villages.

Register now to attend this year’s PBRI Symposium

The biennial Plant Biosecurity Research Initiative (PBRI) Symposium will be held from Wednesday, 8 May – Thursday, 9 May at the Cairns Convention Centre in Cairns, Queensland.  

The PBRI contributes to a nationally coordinated science-based system that protects the biosecurity all of Australia’s plant industries and the environment. By partnering with Australia’s plant Research and Development Corporations (RDCs), industry, as well as state and federal biosecurity stakeholders, the PBRI aims to co-ordinate funding for research and development, deliver vital projects and attract further co-investment. Visit the PBRI website for more information.   

Note that delegates who register by Sunday, 31 March 2024, will qualify for discounted Early Bird registration fees. 
 

3^rd Australian Biosecurity Symposium | August 2024

Registration, abstract submissions, and sponsorship opportunities are now open for the 3rd Australian Biosecurity Symposium being held from 27 - 29 August 2024 at the Sea World Resort, Gold Coast, QLD.  

The two-day Symposium will cover the themes of Innovation, Immersion, and Inclusivity. Delivered by the Biosecurity Collective, the Symposium aims to connect key decision-makers, innovators, and researchers to positively shape the future of the Australian biosecurity landscape. 

Important dates: 

• Abstract submissions due by Sunday, 31 March 2024 
• Early bird registration closes Wednesday, 15 May 2024. 

NPBDN Website | Reference Collections Initiative

National Plant Biosecurity Diagnostic Network (NPBDN) Members can now access new content that is available via the Reference Collections Initiative on the NPBDN website. This includes:

• contact details for Australia’s Reference Collection Managers
• video tutorial series on specimen preservation
• manuals on specimen accessioning and management.

The reference collections listed focus on pests and diseases of plants, including insects, mites, nematodes, fungi, oomycetes, bacteria, and viruses, which have been stored to ensure long-term access. Each of these physical scientific collections contain tens of thousands of diverse specimens.

Specimens in these collections are stored as pinned, slide mounted, pressed and dried, preserved in alcohol, and/or as living cultures. All stored specimens require ongoing input from Reference Collection Managers to maintain specimen integrity, ensuring that specimens and their data are accessible and accurate.

The initiative aims to increase awareness of reference collections and to build capability in their use in research and biosecurity. Specimens stored in these collections are a valuable resource as they serve as physical evidence for pest and disease status for Australia, document native and endemic biodiversity, and underpin science by securing the specimen-based evidence of research outputs.

Reference collections news

The New South Wales (NSW) Governor, Her Excellency the Honourable Margaret Beazley, visited the reference collections at NSW DPI Orange Agricultural Institute. Jordan Bailey from NSW Department of Primary Industries also presented at the Governing Board Meeting of the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF).

Career Opportunities

PhD scholarship opportunities

Two PhD scholarship opportunities are currently advertised on the NPBDN website, including at Charles Darwin University and the University of Queensland.

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:

• Bioinformatics Research Scientist for Plant Health | CSIRO
• Program Manager - Biosecurity, Pests and Disease | Wine Australia
• National Extension and Adoption Manager | Wine Australia.

Career Profile

About the Network

The National Plant Biosecurity Diagnostic Professional Development and Protocols Projects are coordinated and delivered by Plant Health Australia and are funded by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. 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.