CRC for Plant Biosecurity - diagnostic

CRC60044: Nematode taxonomy - PhD

VANMEURSA — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 01:11:47 +0000

Diagnosing karnal bunt

VANMEURSA — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 02:12:10 +0000

Karnal bunt is disease of wheat caused by the fungus Tilletia indica and was first discovered in northern India in 1930. It has since spread to other parts of India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Nepal, Iraq, Iran, Mexico, South Africa and southern and eastern parts of the United States.

It is currently absent from Australia; featuring as a category two pest in the Emergency Plant Pest Response Deed. Preferring cool and humid conditions, our climate would be suitable for it to spread if it became established here, which would have a major economic impact on our wheat industry and exports.

Stringent quarantine regulations on the imports of new wheat varieties or breeding lines for sowing, as well as enforcing cleanliness of imported agricultural machinery, helps to manage the risk of karnal bunt entering the country.

For growers, it’s difficult to detect karnal bunt in the field. Only a few seeds on each head are attacked by the disease. The symptoms became more evident during processing when the grain is replaced with powdery dark spores that emit a strong and fishy odour.

To help Australia respond efficiently to a suspected incursion of karnal bunt, Dr Mui-Keng Tan from Industry & Investment New South Wales and her project team have recently completed over three years of research which will enable quick and accurate diagnosis in the laboratory. The new protocol is currently with the Sub-Committee of Plant Health Diagnostic Standards (SPHDS) for validation, and hopefully endorsement as an accepted international diagnostic standard.

One of the project’s objectives was to incorporate the most sensitive and appropriate tool in the enhanced protocol. Mui-Keng says, “the endorsement of the tool by SPHDS will reflect its recognition of the value of biotechnology advancement in plant diagnosis which is so evident in medical and veterinary diagnosis”.

Completing the project hasn’t always been easy sailing. Mui-Keng’s team faced many hurdles along the way, including the first and most challenging part of the project which was to develop a robust protocol that would withstand the rigours of an international ring test. Mui-Keng and the team also found it difficult geographically. Working on CRC projects, often means project team members are located in different states. In this case, Mui-Keng was in New South Wales and working with Ms Dominie Wright based in Perth at the Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia. To overcome this obstacle the team used every opportunity (CRC Science Exchange 2007, National Workshop March 2008 at EMAI, overseas training workshops August 2008 in UK and Italy) to discuss and plan, particularly for the international ring test.

The international ring test had to fit in with the work schedules of participating laboratories. Datelines for the completion of the ring test had to be moved a couple of times, giving the project team a feeling of uncertainty about the outcome as the project approached its due date. As the results slowly filtered in, Mui-Keng was pleased to see the results from the laboratories that had undertaken training in the protocol in contrast to those that had not. Mui-Keng was also very happy with the way the project team worked stating that the project team were able to overcome their challenges with sheer hard work and patience.

When undertaking a complex scientific project, there are also rewards. Mui-Keng found the most gratifying part of her project was the very kind and generous contribution of spore materials and knowledge from scientists working on bunt in Australia and overseas. She believes this generosity was critical to the success of the project. These scientists include Dr Indu Sharma, Dr Roger Shivas, Dr Michael Priest, Mr Yi Jianping, Dr John Brennan, Dr Gordon Murray, Dr L Carris, Kerrie Wratten, Dr John McDonald and Dr S Christiansen. Mui-Keng also gives high praise to the technical officer in the project, Ms Aida Ghalayini, who she says was a pleasure and delight to work with.

Mui-Keng was extremely relieved and very happy when the final report was submitted to the CRC. She was very pleased that the objectives of the project had been achieved. She also said the sense of elation far exceeded the many moments of frustration during the course of the project.

So what’s next for Mui-Keng now that she’s successfully completed her project with the CRC? She is exploring projects in wheat research and currently pursuing support for the innovative application of molecular technology to study the molecular basis (at the gene level) of phenotype variation for two wheat traits. Everyone at the CRC wishes her and the project team the best of luck with their future research activities, and hopes they have similar successful outcomes.

Thai scientists visit the nation's capital

VANMEURSA — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 05:33:42 +0000

Due to the increased movement of people and agricultural produce across the globe, international collaboration has become more important than ever to help protect our borders against incursions of exotic pests and diseases and maintain pest-free status within borders to ensure market access for export produce.

Following on from the April edition of The Leaflet when Gary Kong and his project team visited Bangkok, it was now our turn to host. Four CRC scientists from Thailand completed their second residential period in Australia, staying from October to early December.

Dr Nuttima Kositcharoenkul, Mr Alongkot Phodee, Ms Preyapan Pongsapich and Ms Sukhontips Sombat are now half way through a series of six of these training workshops, three in Australia and three in Bangkok. Over three years, this intensive program will provide them with specialised training in molecular diagnostics.

Nuttima and Alongkot have been training in Dr Deb Hailstones’ laboratory at Industry & Investment NSW and working with Ms Michelle Flack, Ms Anna Englezou and Ms Ania Deutscher. Preyapan and Sukhontips spent their time training in Dr Brendan Rodoni’s laboratory at Department for Primary Industries, Victoria, under the care of Miss Linda Zheng and Mr Chris Bottcher.

As part of their 2009 program, the four trainees met up in Canberra in the week of 23 November, accompanied by some of their Australian laboratory colleagues. The group dropped in the CRC office to meet the staff, which was a great opportunity to put faces to names! Research Leader, Dr David Eagling met with the trainees to discuss their areas of work, both in Bangkok and in their current training, and potential collaborative research areas for the future.

During their stay in the nation’s capital the group also visited CSIRO Entomology to meet up with the remote microscopy team. To add further value to their visit, they made some new contacts at the Australian National Insect Collection and Australian National University. Before the group departed there was just enough time to visit some of Canberra's tourist attractions, including the Botanic Gardens, the Thai consulate, Mrs Sawanit Phongprapai and Parliament House.

Each member of the group is specialising in a particular area. Nuttima’s training in Australia has concentrated on molecular diagnosis of phytopathogenic bacteria, particularly the Xanthomonads and Alongkot has been focusing on molecular analysis of fruit flies. Preyapan and Sukhontips are specialising in viruses and viroids, particularly in potatoes. The Thai team have now headed home, with another workshop scheduled for Bangkok in the first half of 2010, they will then return to Australia later in the year.

This intensive training program is one of the themes within the CRC project ‘Increasing the diagnostic capacity in Thailand’, led by Dr Gary Kong of Queensland Primary Industries and Fisheries and co-funded by Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR). Other themes include remote microscopy, advanced taxonomic training and surveillance.

Photo caption: The group visited the CRC office, from left Ms Preyapan Pongsapich, Ms Sukhontips Sombat, Mr Alongkot Phodee, Dr Nuttima Kositcharoenkul, Dr Deb Hailstones, Dr David Eagling, Ms Michelle Flack, Ms Anna Englezou and Miss Linda Zheng

Article written by: Dr Deb Hailstones, Program Leader, Diagnostics Research Program

Increasing diagnostic capacity in Thailand

VANMEURSA — Fri, 01 May 2009 04:32:06 +0000

In late March, the CRC's project team for ‘Increasing diagnostic capacity in Thailand' spent a week in Bangkok to continue the training of a group of Thai scientists in molecular diagnostics, skills that will assist them in the development of a Thai Diagnostic Network.

The collaborative project is led by Dr Gary Kong from Queensland Primary Industries and Fisheries, and is co-funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research. Dr Kong travelled to Thailand with fellow Australian team members Dr Andrew Geering (QPI&F), Dr Deb Hailstones (NSWDPI) and Dr Linda Zheng (DPI Victoria, in place of Dr Brendan Rodoni).

This trip is part of a series of visits (both to and from Australia) to build Thailand's capacity in molecular diagnostics. In 2008, four Thai scientists travelled to Australia to spend three months with the project teams learning diagnostic techniques for a range of pests (which have particular biosecurity importance for both Australia and Thailand) such as citrus canker, potato viruses and fruit flies.

During the recent visit to Thailand, the Australian team assessed the Thai scientists' progress in implementing molecular diagnostic tests and their ability to identify essential criteria in developing robust diagnostic standards. The project team were encouraged to see the processes and principles that had been taught the year before, were being followed. The project team also assisted the Thai scientists in setting up their diagnostic laboratories and selecting specialised equipment to be purchased, to enable them to detect and characterise specific plant pests and pathogens.

The next phase of the project will see the Thai scientists return to laboratories at NSWDPI and DPIVic in October 2009 to continue their training. In addition two Thai trainees are studying taxonomy in Queensland.

This project recognises the importance of international collaboration to ensure effective biosecurity practices across the continuum.

Dr Gary Kong with Mr Alongkot Phodee and Ms Preyapan Pongsapich.

CRC20093: Increasing diagnostic capacity in Thailand

K.Scott — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 02:39:20 +0000

Program

Diagnostics

CRC60038: Epiphyas Revision - PhD

K.Scott — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 02:13:54 +0000

CRC20030: Nanobead Diagnostic Platform

K.Scott — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 06:38:40 +0000

Program

Diagnostics

admin — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 10:01:56 +0000