Bulletin

Issue: May/June 2007

News

Global focus on La Trobe bioscience discoveries

Two out of five biotechnology research projects showcased by the Victorian Government at BIO2007 in Boston – one of the world’s most influential biotechnology business conferences – have their origins in La Trobe University laboratories.

One, in the field of bio-medical science, has implications for the development of drug therapies to treat mitochondrial diseases, as well as many neurodegenerative disorders where mitochondrial dysfunction plays a central role.

The other, in agri-bioscience, involves new technology that could lead to doubled crop yields by delaying the leaf ageing process.

International focus on these achievements in May coincided with the State Budget announcement for a new $180 million Biosciences Research Centre to be built on La Trobe University’s main Melbourne campus at Bundoora.

The mitochondrial research is led by La Trobe Head of Microbiology, Professor Paul Fisher. It provides a completely new understanding of the mechanisms that cause mitochondrial disease – namely that they may result from a signalling disorder in the cells, rather than an energy insufficiency as was previously thought.

State Innovation Minister, Mr John Brumby, told the Boston gathering: ‘We hope this finding will lead to new approaches to treating both rare and prevalent diseases involving mitochondrial dysfunction.’ The original scientific discoveries underpinning the leaf ageing project are the work of two groups of La Trobe botanists, one led by Head of Life Sciences, Professor Roger Parish, and the other by former colleague, Dr Charles Pallaghy.

The technology is now being developed by the Department of Primary Industries (DPI) Victorian AgriBioscience Centre on the University’s Research & Development Park.

‘It will mean farmers can get the same crop yield from half the land being used,’ Mr Brumby said. ‘The modification of plant ageing, referred to as plant leaf senescence, has important agricultural consequences and leads to a wide range of potential applications.

‘The delayed leaf senescence leads to increased carbon fixation and thus to enhanced seed yields, increased production and quality. This research has huge potential for farmers all around the world.’ State Minister for Agriculture, Mr Joe Helper, said DPI scientists had collaborated with researchers from La Trobe to develop the delayed senescence technology.

‘This delayed senescence is based on the targeted modification of cytokinin, the natural hormone that influences growth and development, in plants,’ Mr Helper said.

‘Using this technology, which has been named LXR, cytokinin levels are increased in plants under the control of a highly developmentally regulated plant gene promoter.

‘The LXR also offers significant opportunities for applications in molecular farming which in turn could result in high value products for health, bioenergy and environmental outcomes.’ DPI Research Director and La Trobe University Professor, German Spangenberg, said initial trials of LXR technology under laboratory and glasshouse conditions had been undertaken using white clover, a key temperate pasture legume.

‘Results of the field evaluation of LXR white clover have shown a doubling of seed yields thus demonstrating the potential of the LXR technology to enhance seed production,’ Professor Spangenberg said.

Professor Spangenberg said that LXR delayed senescence technology is currently being evaluated in a range of other crops including wheat, canola and lucerne (alfalfa) under laboratory and glasshouse conditions prior to field trials.