The evolution of diagnostics

K.Scott — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 01:26:58 +0000

On Sunday 12 February 1809, Charles Robert Darwin was born; a British naturalist who would become famous for his contribution to science and theories of evolution. During 1829 while studying a Bachelor of Arts, he began eagerly collecting beetles, with some of his findings published in Stephens' Illustrations of British Entomology.

Step forward 200 years and Darwin's legacy into diagnostics continues with the launch of two unique web-based tools which quickly and accurately identify plant pests and diseases threatening Australia.

On Thursday 12 February 2009, Mrs Lois Ransom, Australia's Chief Plant Protection Officer launched the CRC's Plant Biosecurity Toolbox and Biosecurity Bank at Melbourne's Immigration Museum.

During her speech, Mrs Ransom recognised these diagnostic tools have the potential to save Australian agriculture millions of dollars in lost production caused by plant pests and disease incursions, and will also help demonstrate Australia's high plant health protection standards to world trade partners.

Both projects are world-class plant pest diagnostic tools and two of the first outputs from the CRC's research portfolio. The Plant Biosecurity Toolbox includes photographs and details of pests (including the symptoms and damage they cause) and links them to information and instructions on a range of diagnostic tests to confirm the pest's identity.

Closely linked to the toolbox, the Biosecurity Bank enables researchers to locate and order DNA samples and clones of interest to develop and validate diagnostic tests and for biodiversity and genomics research.

Over 100 guests representing industry and Australia's plant biosecurity community witnessed the web-tools in action when CRC project leaders, Dr Gary Kong and Dr Andrew Geering took to the stage. Gary and Andrew demonstrated how Australia's diagnostic network can use these tools to rapidly and confidently confirm if an organism is a threat to Australian agriculture. At the conclusion of formalities, guests were able to use one of the laptops around the room to try the web-tools for themselves.

Plant pest and disease diagnostics is based on identifying characters and features, the very things Darwin observed in developing his theory of evolution. While Darwin spent considerable time drawing and keeping journals, it's possible that (on what would have been his 200^th birthday) he would have been impressed with the evolution of diagnostics.

The Plant Biosecurity Toolbox and the Biosecurity Bank will continue to be populated with characters and features of high risk plant pests. The continued growth of these tools will help diagnosticians quickly identify new incursions and respond to future challenges in the battle between pathogen and host.

Dr Andrew Geering, Project Leader for the Biosecurity Bank explains its features to the audience.

www.biosecuritybank.com

Dr Gary Kong, Project Leader for the Plant Biosecurity Toolbox answers questions from the launch's MC, Ms Bernie Hobbs.

www.padil.gov.au/pbt

Back to The Leaflet.

Web to catch exotic plant pests

K.Scott — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 05:40:20 +0000

Media Release: 13 February 2009

Plant pests and diseases coming into Australia can now be identified fast and accurately using a web-based diagnostic toolbox, potentially saving Australian agriculture millions in lost production.

Launched yesterday by Mrs Lois Ransom, Australia's Chief Plant Protection Officer, the Plant Biosecurity Toolbox provides a collection of detailed diagnostic information on exotic plant pests that can be used by Australia's diagnostic network to more rapidly and confidently confirm if it is an organism which threatens Australian agriculture.

Developed by the Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) for National Plant Biosecurity, the toolbox includes photographs and details of pests - and the symptoms and damage they cause, and links them to information and instructions on a range of diagnostic tests to confirm the identity of the pest. Early detection and confident identification mean that immediate steps can be taken to minimise the risk or impact of incursion.

"To date, identifying exotic pests has presented real challenges - particularly for plant health workers and others in regional and remote locations without access to specialist advice", Dr Gary Kong, researcher with the Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries, and Plant Biosecurity Toolbox Project Leader for the CRC.

"For many on the front line, the main resource used to find information about exotic pests has been ‘Google' or, for help in identifying a pest, they quiz their own networks or send a photo to an expert somewhere in the country," he said.

"The photo might then be passed around in an effort to find somebody with relevant knowledge. This takes time, and testing is still required to confirm the pest. This might take a week or longer - and by then it could be too late to prevent an outbreak."

The Plant Biosecurity Toolbox now provides an encyclopaedia of online information to support rapid diagnosis.

"This improved responsiveness will result in a better chance of containment and eradication of pests and diseases, potentially averting large losses to a number of agricultural industries," Dr Kong said.

Also launched yesterday and closely linked to the Toolbox is the Biosecurity Bank, which provides a national online reference collection of DNA samples and clones from agriculturally significant plant pathogens and pests. The samples can be used for the development and validation of diagnostic tests and for biodiversity and genomics research. Through the website, researchers can locate and order samples of interest.

Speaking at the launch at Melbourne's Immigration Museum, Mrs Lois Ransom said that with plant pest and disease incursions costing the nation in lost production, eradication responses and quarantine regulation, early detection, fast identification and diagnosis are essential in defending our crops and agricultural industries.

"Rapidity of response is our best chance of containing and eradicating plant pests and diseases, and the CRC's unique tools assist us achieving this goal," Mrs Ransom said.

The Plant Biosecurity Toolbox and Biosecurity Bank are the first tools of their kind in the world. They demonstrate Australia's plant health protection standards to world trade partners.

"In today's world where there is a push for greater confidence in our plant health status - including demands for evidence of that status, having access to tools that can help us achieve and document this knowledge is vital for our farmers, the government, agricultural industries and of course, our trading partners," she said.

The Plant Biosecurity Toolbox and Biosecurity Bank are global websites with open access which follow the Australian Sub-committee for Plant Health Diagnostic standards.

Plant Biosecurity Toolbox: www.padil.gov.au/pbt

Biosecurity Bank: www.biosecuritybank.com

High resolution photographs are available.

ends

CRC for Plant Biosecurity - toolbox

The evolution of diagnostics

Web to catch exotic plant pests

Media Release: 13 February 2009