Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (QAAFI)

QAAFI Success at #APSS2025 Congratulations to Carla Castro Tabilo and Francisca Diaz-Aviles from the NUT-Sense group, Centre for Animal Science, for their outstanding achievements at the 36th Annual Australian Poultry Science Symposium 2025! 🎉 🐔 Carla won the Best Poster Award for her PhD research on prebiotics and gene expression in the broiler chicken jejunum. She recently submitted her thesis and started as a nutritionist at Baiada Poultry. 🐔 Francisca, a first-year PhD student, received the Mingan Choct Award for Best Oral Presentation for her work on goblet cell populations in the broiler small intestine. Eugeni Roura | AgriFutures Australia | Australian Chicken Meat Federation (ACMF) | Chicken Nutrition, Gut Health and Environment

Advancing Weed Management in Queensland 🌾 Congratulations to The University of Queensland's QAAFI and School of Agriculture and Food Science, who will lead the Queensland node of the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC’s) $47 million Weed Management Initiative. In collaboration with Charles Sturt University, the University of Adelaide, and the University of Western Australia, UQ will focus on improving weed control and herbicide resistance—critical challenges for Australian agriculture. The Queensland project will be led by Professor Bhagirath Singh Chauhan (QAAFI) and Associate Professor Shane Campbell (AGFS). A key component of the initiative is capacity building, with UQ establishing three PhD positions and one postdoctoral position to develop the next generation of weed science experts. Read more: bit.ly/4iEeRvA #WeedManagement #AgResearch #SustainableFarming #UQScience

QAAFI proudly supports International Women’s Day 2025! 🌿 Together, we celebrate the achievements of women in science, agriculture and beyond—those who drive innovation, champion diversity, and strive for a more inclusive future. To kick off the day, we'd ike to congratulate Dr Anne Sawyer on receiving a 2025 Thomas Davies Research Grant. Her research is on RNA as a novel spray-on vaccine to protect plants from Phytophthora, a devastating pathogen threatening native Australian vegetation. bit.ly/3F4wUwA Check out more of QAAFI’s incredible women who #AccelerateAction every day in research: 🔬 Dr Maral Seididamyeh – Slowing food spoilage without chemicals: bit.ly/43r77c5 🌾 Dr Geetika Geetika – Sorghum breeding to boost grain crops: bit.ly/43oc6u3 🐟 PhD candidate Jessica Hintzsche – Using AI to revolutionise barramundi farming: bit.ly/450lr9h 🌱 Dr Alice Hayward – Deep freezing native plants at risk of extinction: bit.ly/45HXd3w #WomenInScience #QAAFI #PlantResearch #GenderEquality #IWD2025 The Australian Academy of Science

Congratulations to QAAFI's Dr Karishma Mody and Professor Ala Tabor on securing Australia’s Economic Accelerator (AEA) Ignite funding for their innovative research!🌿🔬 🔹 Dr Karishma Mody – Developing BenPol technology for the management of cotton bollworm and western flower thrips, tackling major agricultural pests. 🔹 Professor Ala Tabor – Advancing a dual bovine venereal disease vaccine with a proof-of-concept trial, helping to safeguard cattle health and productivity. These projects are part of a highly competitive funding round, with more than $59 million awarded nationwide to accelerate research commercialisation. #ResearchImpact #Innovation #Agriculture #UQ

*Please see pinned post for latest update* UQ’s campuses and facilities will close from 11.59pm on Tuesday 4 March 2025. The Atrium will be closed to alumni from 6pm on Wednesday 5 March 2025.   This decision has been made to prioritise the safety of our community. Staff and students are encouraged to visit our dedicated webpage for up-to-date information: https://lnkd.in/gt-FScpA

An exciting opportunity for Early Career Researchers and plant breeders! Join a one-day workshop on 3 June ahead of the 17th Australasian Plant Breeding Conference in Perth to hear first-hand from leading industry experts. Co-hosted by the Training Centre and the IRTG for Accelerating Crop Genetic Gain, this will be your opportunity to explore ground-breaking advances in predictive breeding and meet and interact with keynote speakers from the Conference. Deadline for applications is 7 April. You will need to be registered for APBC2025 to attend. ➡️ Apply here https://lnkd.in/g7CGamnu #CropScience #PredictiveBreeding #Perth #APBC2025 #Genomics

This year’s new look TropAg International Agriculture Conference continues the mission of “Addressing global challenges” in agriculture and food production. Save the date: Nov 11-13. Find out more via the link: https://bit.ly/41zK8ud Australia's Food and Beverage Accelerator (FaBA) Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) Brisbane Economic Development Agency

This year’s new look TropAg International Agriculture Conference continues the mission of “Addressing global challenges” in agriculture and food production. Save the date: Nov 11-13. Find out more via the link: https://bit.ly/41zK8ud Australia's Food and Beverage Accelerator (FaBA) Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) Brisbane Economic Development Agency

Slowing food spoilage without chemicals. How bushfood extracts and light can help keep food fresh for longer. Fascinating #UQResearch from Dr Maral Seididamyeh. https://bit.ly/4bdfpGk Hortau Department of Primary Industries (Queensland) Uniquely Australian Foods #nativebushfood #foodscience #FunctionalFoods #HealthTech #AustralianAgriculture

Bunya Nut Boom! Dating back to the Jurassic-era, the bunya nut is now a rising superfood 🌰 Bunya, or bonyi-bonyi as it is known to the Gubbi Gubbi people of South East Queensland, are nutritious, protein-packed nuts— and so much more than food. Read about the long-standing traditions behind this native Australian food, and its delicious versatility in modern cooking. 🔗bit.ly/3D9A0Pj Jaqueline Moura Nadolny #BunyaNut #BushTucker #IndigenousFood #Superfood