b'A look at seed industry developments around the globe.Mexico bans GMO corn,STATUS AUSTRALIA Bioplatforms, investsWhile 2022 has seen resulting in a predicted lossResearchers and industryFederal Governmentextreme climates, it is not an are set to benefit from a $2funds through the Nationalexception, and is rather a new of innovation in research,million funding boost to aCollaborative Researchnormal for farmers in the near and disruptions injoint venture facility betweenInfrastructure Strategy to helpfuture, according to AFBV. The University of Westernbiomolecular science andWith late frosts, high tempera-Ukraine will affect carbonAustralia and Proteomicsresearch in Australia. tures, floods and droughts, emissions globally.International that does vitalElke Stroeher, thethe scope and range of the work in agricultural testing ofOperations Manager atimpact of plant pathogens proteins. UWA in the WA Proteomicsand pests will change.The funds will allow theFacility and a Senior ResearchIn the past, plant research WA Proteomics Facility toOfficer at UWAs Centre forhas focused on developing acquire more advancedMicroscopy, Characterisationplants resistant to biotic stress automation equipment andand Analysis, said the fundsfrom pests and diseases. Now, expertise to expand output towould allow the facility to helpthat research must also center potentially thousands of sam- WA research projects whilearound programs that combat ples from a single client. also being available to supportabiotic stress from climate Owen Duncan, scien- industry clients. damage that harms the pro-tific lead at UWA in the WAThe Commonwealth hasductivity and quality of crops.Proteomics and a Researchchosen to invest in our facil- Therefore, new plant Fellow at UWAs Centre fority here in Western Australiatechnologies are necessary Microscopy, Characterisationbecause our effective publicto respond quickly to these and Analysis, said the facil- private partnership can sup- new needs. AFBV believes ity does work as diverse asport research and industrythat the public sector should testing the impact of cancerneeds at the same time,regain the leading role in treatments on cells to analys- Stroeher said.improving technologies and ing how a variety of wheatSource: University of Westernsearching for gene function may respond to harsh envi- Australia in newly required traits. It will ronments. only be possible for breeders We will have cancerto engage in new research researchers who are testingSTATUS FRANCE and development if public different treatments and manyAssociation Franaise desauthorities offer a regulatory samples can be analysed toBiotechnologies Vgtalesframework that enables them see if and how the cancer is(AFBV) requests the generalto market plants obtained suppressed, Duncan said. mobilization of Europeanthrough new genetic engi-In agriculture, we can seepublic and private research toneering tools.how large numbers of differ- guarantee rapid implementa- AFBV expects the same ent wheat lines might dealtion of a plan that addressesboost in the strategic field of with saline conditions thatplant variety adaptation togenetic improvement so that can then help plant breedersclimate change. agriculture may benefit from make better decisions aboutAFBV considers the useall the technological innova-accelerating the breeding ofof new plant biotechnologiestions it needs to fight against salt tolerant plants.as a necessary condition forclimate damage and respond Proteomics Internationalthe success of this adaptationto societys concerns about and UWA in partnership withplan, which has become allfood security, concluded the Bioplatforms Australia willthe more necessary not onlyrelease.invest $2 million over the nextto ensure food security but three years to allow for indus- also the economic sover-trial scale screening with theeignty of the EU in light of aSTATUS ECUADORbulk of the funding comingvisible acceleration of climateIn the last five years, the 127 from Bioplatforms. change, shared a release. members of the Association 132/ SEEDWORLD.COMDECEMBER 2022'