The potency of trans-Tasman scientific collaboration has been celebrated at the Australian Synchrotron with the visit of the Prime Minister of New Zealand, the Honourable John Key and the Victorian Minister for Innovation, Mr Gavin Jennings.
After being welcomed by the Chairman of the Australian Synchrotron’s Board, Mrs Catherine Walter, the Prime Minister emphasised the importance of trans-Tasman collaboration involving scientists, governments and business.
In particular, the Prime Minister was briefed on the groundbreaking work of a team of Australian and New Zealand researchers who had cultivated a variety of broccoli with a boost to its naturally occurring antioxidants. He was told that work is proceeding on enhancing a trace element, selenium, which stimulates proper cellular functioning within the human body and has significant antioxidant properties that may resist cancer development.
“Booster Broccoli”™ is a non-GM plant variety that has been developed to deliver improved health and nutritional benefits. The further research work now under way aims to enhance selenium by regulated feeding through the plant’s root system and foliage.
Accompanying the Prime Minister, Mr Jennings said the outcomes of innovative scientific collaborations would deliver tangible health benefits to families in Australia and New Zealand - and ultimately to people around the world. He added that it would help vegetable growers in Australia become more competitive in the global market.
Booster Broccoli™ is now in production on farms throughout eastern Australia and will be marketed under the brand of Vital Vegetables®. Booster Broccoli™ is expected to be available to consumers from this week.
The Australian Synchrotron’s X-ray Fluorescence Microscopy (XFM) beamline was used by New Zealand scientists in July 2009 to generate elemental maps of selenium in broccoli tissue after regulated feeding. The images generated by the beamline investigation revealed the location and concentrations of selenium and other essential compounds such as iron, zinc and manganese. Further investigations by the synchrotron are planned, in order to optimise the nutrient mix in the broccoli. With success in broccoli, the way will be open to use the synchrotron’s XFM beamline to determine nutrient type and location in other Australasian vegetable crops, eventually contributing to the better health of consumers.
Anticipating further involvement in the project, the Director of the Australian Synchrotron, Professor Robert Lamb, said that the potential of the Australian Synchrotron to add value to Australasian products was virtually infinite. He emphasised that the synchrotron was among the most powerful investigative tools on the planet, being capable of delivering hitherto inaccessible information at great speed and in unimaginable detail.
Vital Vegetables® is a $40 million, ten year collaborative research partnership comprising Plant & Food Research New Zealand; the Victorian Department of Primary Industries; Horticulture Australia Limited; and peak vegetable industry grower associations, Horticulture New Zealand, AusVeg and Vilmorin Cie, a leading global seed company. The Vital Vegetables® project builds a sophisticated commercial platform to manage research and development, innovation, product development, production of nutritionally enhanced vegetables, quality control and marketing. This approach provides a basis for Australasian vegetable growers and industries to be more competitive in global markets, based upon groundbreaking science.
Researchers involved in the project included Dr Marian McKenzie, Plant & Food Research, Palmerston North; Dr Ronan Chen; Dr Rod Jones, Victorian Department of Primary Industries Knoxfield (field trials); Mr Bret Henderson and Mr Michael Imsic, Vital Vegetables, DPI Knoxfield; Dr Philip Taylor, Deakin University, Burwood (microscopy and section cutting); Dr Bridget Ingham (Industrial & Research Limited / Royal Society of New Zealand); PhD student, Mr David Freestone, Deakin University; and Australian Synchrotron XFM beamline scientists, Dr David Patterson, Dr Martin de Jonge and Dr Daryl Howard.
Further information: Brad Allan, Australian Synchrotron Senior Marketing, Media and Communications Officer. Tel: + 61 3 8540 4125; mob 0403 036 116.
NZ Prime Minister John Key (LHS) discusses the finer points of broccoli with Robert Lamb.