Our program, funded by DFAT and the Indonesian government under the KONEKSI initiative, focuses on building climate-resilient crops. We are collaborating with Universitas Gadjah Mada, BRIN (Indonesia), and the International Rice Research Institute (Philippines). The project aims to study the physiology and molecular mechanisms behind drought-tolerant phenotypes of Indonesian rice grown in rain-fed fields in eastern Indonesia.
An additional goal of the program is to conduct social science research on the regulation and acceptance of genetically modified (GM) foods and crops in Indonesia. Over the course of the project, we have hosted seminars and workshops—both online and in-person in Indonesia and Australia—to train the next generation of leaders and scientists in the use of genetic modification technologies for crop improvement.
Two Indonesian researchers have been hosted at ANU to learn molecular cloning and genome editing, while two other Indonesian scientists will soon visit IRRI to expand their knowledge of plant transformation and tissue culture. We hope this project will foster further collaboration through the Future Crops Centre in the Asia-Pacific region.
Fifteen collaborators from Indonesia and the Philippines attended our Centre’s Annual Meeting in Adelaide, along with our university students, staff, and most of our industry partners. They participated in one of our Professional Intensive Courses and discussed projects with our students.
We also hosted a one-day workshop that included meetings and visits to the Waite campus, featuring the APPN facility and the ARC Plant for Space lab.
