New Zealand’s bioprotection continues to be a priority

New Zealand’s bioprotection continues to be a priority

The Bio-Protection Research Centre – a Centre of Research Excellence located at Lincoln University – has had its funding confirmed for another five years, by the Hon Steven Joyce, Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment, today.

Established in 2003, the Bio-Protection Research Centre’s (BPRC) primary goal is to strengthen the value of New Zealand's pastoral, horticultural and forestry industries through research to generate next generation bioprotection (biosecurity and biocontrol) solutions.

“We are absolutely thrilled that the Tertiary Education Commission has continued to fund the Bio-Protection Research Centre until 2020. The work this Centre does is fundamental research that underpins plant bioprotection and plant biosecurity for New Zealand and is strategically relevant,” says Lincoln University Deputy Vice-Chancellor – Scholarship and Research, Dr Stefanie Rixecker.

The BPRC brings together New Zealand’s leading experts in bioprotection, and is a partnership between Lincoln University, AgResearch, Massey University, Plant & Food Research and Scion. It also includes collaborations with several other national and international research institutes.

Another important aspect to the BPRC is they incorporate one of the strongest bioprotection postgraduate training groups in the Southern Hemisphere. Former students are now employed in research, industry and policy positions throughout the world.

The BPRC has three main research themes focussed on protecting the plant-based systems in New Zealand: pests and pathogens, biological controls, and biosecurity and invasion.

In the wake of the Queensland fruit fly threat for example, it was vital that research continued in these three main research themes to be able to protect New Zealand’s productive industries.

“The BPRC research is led by outstanding scientists who are leaders in their respective fields and the quality of their scientific work is highly respected,” says Bio-Protection Research Centre Director, Professor Travis Glare.

“I would like to thank the staff, our five partners and the TEC for ensuring our funding continues. We now have financial security for the coming five years to continue to work very closely with other government organisations and industry, to develop novel bioprotection tools and solutions.”

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