alison.bentley@anu.edu.au

In 2024, Bioplatforms Australia will launch Plant SynBio Australia, a new national capability for world-class synthetic biology applied to plant and crop species. It will address current bottlenecks in each step of the Design-Build-Test-Learn stages of the synthetic biology pipeline in plants. Within the facility initial work will focus on transformation and gene editing services across major crop species, integration of available ‘omics technologies, and the development and deployment of new synthetic biology approaches that can be applied at scale through research to industry applications.

This introductory talk will provide an overview of this exciting new investment to accelerate Australia’s capacity to deploy synthetic biology tools in crops, linking with and enhancing the existing portfolio of synthetic biology investments in Australia and beyond. It will also highlight specific opportunities for the Australian and international wheat community to access services and resources supporting future wheat improvement.