Australia in brief
New centre opens in Brisbane to focus on healthier food research
Funded by the Australian Research Council to the tune of A$2.7m (US$2.4m), the industrial transformation training centre has been tasked initially with teaching 13 young scientists about health and nutrition, consumer and sensory science, commercialisation and business leadership.
The centre’s broad aim is to ensure Australia is well positioned to create and market healthier foods and to respond to a surging demand from Asia’s expanding markets.
It will combine the expertise of principal partner the Australian Food and Grocery Council, as well as collaborating partners the International Rice Research Institute, Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation, Wuhan University and Huazhong University of Science.
Centre Director, Professor Melissa Fitzgerald is an expert in rice quality and breeding and has extensive connections with rice improvement programmes in Asia.
