Hexima opens glasshouse at La Trobe

The new glasshouse facility at La Trobe University is built by Hexima. Covering 1200 square metres, it houses Australia's leading transformation facility.

Transcript

Narrator:

Hexima's new $2 million glasshouse facility located at La Trobe University's Research and Development Park has been officially opened by Federal Member for Calwell, Maria Vamvakinou.

Ms Maria Vamvakinou:

For the University it is incredibly beneficial because it raises it's status and it's profile in this significant area. Universities have to meet the challenges on the 21st century.

Narrator:

Hexima is Australia's first listed agricultural biotechnology company. It develops innovative technologies to increase agricultural productivity by reducing the effects fungal disease has on major crops such as corn.

Professor Marilyn Anderson:

Hexima has a major contract or partnership with Pioneer DuPont which is a major US or a major international company and the aim of this partnership is to produce corn plants with enhanced resistance to fungal diseases.

Narrator:

The 1200 square meter glasshouse is Australia's leading corn transformation facility. Hexima's partnership with corn seed developer and supplier Pioneer Hybrid International, seeks to help farmers meet growing demands by improving a seed's resistance to fungus through gene technology.

Professor Marilyn Anderson:

Our aim is to find new genes that confer disease resistance and transfer these genes into corn plants. In order to do this we need to have a good facility to do the gene transfer and also a facility for growing up and testing the plants. We'll producing up to 10 000 plants per year which is why we needed a new facility such as this size.

Narrator:

The Hexima facility is located next to the Agribio Centre for Agribioscience, a $288 million investment by La Trobe University and the Victorian Government. A further $94.3 million has been invested by the University and the Federal Government into the new La Trobe Institute of Molecular Science, which will accommodate the Hexima gene discovery team.

Professor Tim Brown (DVC Research):

I think the Hexima glasshouse facility is an exciting illustration by the way in which both LIMS and Agribio will connect will connect with the broader community and make research go from the bench top all the way through into production and in this case exciting new production of corn varieties.

Narrator:

Along with the La Trobe Institute of Molecular Science and the Centre for Agribioscience, the Hexima glasshouse is set to put La Trobe at the forefront of cutting edge science.

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