Australian Embassy hosts Biotechnology and Nanotechnology Seminar

Australian and Indonesian academics, education experts and professionals participated in a seminar on Biotechnology and Nanotechnology at the Australian Embassy on 17 January, coordinated by Australian Education International (AEI).

Professor Christopher Franco and Associate Professor Nico Voeckler from Flinders University presented three seminar sessions on the following topics: ‘Application of Pharmaceutical Microbes to Increase Agricultural Crops Yields’, ‘Nanostructured Materials for the Control of Biointerfaces’ and ‘Using Plant Cells as Factories for Drug Production.’

According to Associate Professor Nico Voelcker, nanotechnology is attracting tremendous attention both in terms of fundamental scientific research and technological development.

“Interest has come from industry both small and large, from government agencies, from investors, from entrepreneurs and from the general public”, he said.

One of the topics covered by Professor Nico is ‘Nanostructured Materials for the Control of Biointerfaces’.

Professor Franco discussed the usage of actinobacteria as inoculants for agricultural crops in order to increase grain yields by controlling the losses caused by major fungal root pathogens. Actinobacteria are well known as producers of antibiotics. This technology also has the potential to be applied to other cropping systems, including horticultural crops and floriculture.

In the second session, Professor Franco discussed the enormous potential of plant cell culture for secondary metabolite processes. Unfortunately there are still only a few commercially viable processes due to poor yields, metabolic instability of cell lines and limitations of scale. Professor Franco presented a case study using Vitis Vinifera, which provides medicinal and health benefits.

For further information:
Claudina Milawati (AEI) mobile 081 118 1944