Bruker technology powers the Australian National Phenome Centre
The new Australian National Phenome Centre (ANPC), opened formally on 4 October by Acting Premier of Western Australia and Health Minister, the Hon. Roger Cook, Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister and Cabinet, the Hon. Ben Morton, and the Governor of Western Australia, the Hon. Kim Beazley AC, will collaborate in CRC projects around value-adding, precision nutrition and personalised medicine.
The key laboratory for CRC precision nutrition innovation, the new Australian National Phenome Centre (ANPC), was opened formally on 4 October by Acting Premier of Western Australia and Health Minister, the Hon. Roger Cook, Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister and Cabinet, the Hon. Ben Morton, and the Governor of Western Australia, the Hon. Kim Beazley AC. It will participate in CRC projects around value-adding, precision nutrition and personalised medicine.
Containing the world's most advanced assembly of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy technology, supplied by CRC participant Bruker, the ANPC is the most significant health research collaboration ever realised in Western Australia
The ANPC is helmed by world-leading phenomics pioneer Professor Jeremy Nicholson, who is also the Lead for the CRC's Research Program 3.
ANPC scientists will collaborate with CRC participants across Australia and with phenomics experts at compatible labs around the world with the aim of revolutionising our understanding, diagnosis and treatment of some of the world's greatest health challenges, including cancer, diabetes, obesity and dementia. Their work will provide a roadmap for people seeking to live longer, healthier lives, and will pave the way for the development of an array of high-value personalised medicine and precision nutrition products.
The team will be working with CRC food industry participants including Fable Foods, Mt Lindesay and Verona Fine Foods as they design and take new products to market, backed by scientifically validated health claims.
The ANCP is supported by state and federal governments, the Australian Research Council, Western Australian Health Translation Network, and Western Australian universities and research institutes. >>> View on website (https://www.futurefoodsystems.com.au/new-australian-research-centre-will-transform-human-health-worldwide/)
Consultation begins for the Western Sydney food plan
On Friday 18 October, Liverpool City Council hosted a meeting of interested local stakeholders to discuss Future Food Systems CRC research priorities for the proposed food and agribusiness hub in Western Sydney.
Held at the site of the new Western Sydney Airport, the meeting was attended by a broad range of stakeholders, including major local landholders and representatives of CRC partners, among them Liverpool CC, The Western City Aerotropolis Authority, NSW Farmers, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Western Sydney University (WSU), Costa Group and Escavox.
Liverpool CC CEO Kiersten Fishburn kicked off the proceedings with an overview of the council's partnership with the CRC, outlining the opportunities this would open for food producers, agribusiness and landowners in the Liverpool region and how Council, the CRC and stakeholders could work together to create a state-of-the-art agribusiness hub adjacent to Sydney's soon-to-be-built, curfew-free international airport.
Participants spoke about their vision for the food hub and the opportunities, changes and challenges presented by the new airport. Opportunities raised included the potential to channel new investment in infrastructure and services towards a more sustainable urban environment that would integrate a diversity of future food industry in the urban landscape the importance of embedding renewable energy and water engineering infrastructure via a master-planning approach and the opportunities to revision freight infrastructure and the articulation of road and rail to accommodate the needs of future high-value goods destined for the airport.
Regional specialisation was discussed, as was the potential for Western Sydney to become a hub for food and medical crossover industries, building on existing local capability.
As an example, it was noted that indoor cropping facilities located in a Western Sydney sustainable agrifood precinct could specialise in producing inputs for advanced nutraceutical factories co-located in the precinct.
Challenges raised included the difficulties faced by local community and industry in understanding and participating in government forward planning processes associated with the multi-billion-dollar investment being made in the region. Participants said that planning must accommodate a diverse range of industries and support both large and small business and that, in addition to high-tech industry, there must be provision for artisan food, sustainable outdoor agriculture and planning schemes that increased local access to affordable fresh food.
Participants expressed their willingness to be involved in research to develop a collaborative Food Plan for the region that addresses industry, government and community objectives. Examples of mapping and multi-criteria analysis previously developed by CRC researchers to underpin master planning were shown as examples of how the research team plans to work with local stakeholders to build scenarios for future food industry growth. Landholder and industry attendees expressed their willingness to contribute data to CRC food hub planning analysis.
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Providence Asset Group: smart city and innovative energy solutions to power future food industry
Australian-based investment company Providence Asset Group has joined the CRC, bringing a wealth of expertise in sustainability infrastructure, including large-scale renewable energy solutions and innovative technology in hydrogen-based energy storage.
The company is committed to advancing what it calls the ‘green city life’ concept, promoting this via disciplined investment in projects and funds purposefully chosen to drive long-term societal value, along with attractive returns for investors.
To this end, the group invests heavily in the development of clean, cost-effective renewable technologies, collaborating with globally recognised research institutions, industry partners and professional teams, says Director Alan Yu, “to open up the entire chain of investment, design, construction and project asset management in renewable-energy areas.
The group’s collaboration with global experts in cutting-edge technologies, he says, enables it to create truly future-focused communities.
"We develop 'smart' communities based on smart energy, water and food, and the promotion of healthy lifestyles," - Alan Yu, Director.
Providence will work with other CRC participants to enable the creation of intelligent future communities powered by clean, cost-saving renewable energy. As such they will be working across all three CRC programs in the areas of future food precinct microgrids in Program 1, and Industry 4.0 facility design in Programs 2 and 3.
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BeefLedger: beefing up secure, streamlined, transparent transactions
New CRC partner BeefLedger, with its expertise in blockchain technology and hands-on experience in the Chinese market, will be a boon to participants looking to export premium high-value food products. And that doesn't just mean beef.
Driven by a belief that consumers and all supply-chain participants can benefit from greater transparency and streamlined transactions, research-driven tech company BeefLedger is ready to put lessons learned in the beef supply chain to good use in the Future Food Systems CRC.
With food safety and fraud concerns huge issues, especially in countries such as China, Australia's reputation as a premium producer of ‘clean, green’ produce – including high-grade beef – means our food products are highly regarded and increasingly sought-after by millions of Chinese consumers.
And BeefLedger, with its extensive industry and research credentials and expansive, trusted network in China, is ideally positioned to help companies seeking to export effectively into this vast and growing market.
BeefLedger's core team has spent several years developing and commercialising an integrated blockchain-enabled beef provenance platform and smart contracting payments regime that streamlines payments and strengthens consumer confidence in product credentialing.
Now, they're bringing all this and more to the CRC.
Hong Kong-born, Australian-raised company chair Warwick Powell is excited to get on board, and keen to work with fellow CRC participants in developing smart, future-focused food precincts incorporating its systems that can take premium products from Aussie paddocks to Asian plates in the safest, most transparent and efficient way possible.
He's also interested in working with CRC partners on the development of fast blockchain-enabled delivery systems for time, tamper and temperature-sensitive products such as those for use in personalised medicine and precision nutrition.
CRC participants' meeting
The leaders of organisations participating in the Future Food Systems CRC are meeting in Sydney on 25 November to celebrate the commencement of the CRC, discuss governance arrangements and discuss next steps with project formation. The meeting will conclude with drinks and networking.
