Project Name
Application of Focused Identification of Germplasm Strategy (FIGS) in Australian Environment

The project will improve the efficiency and shorten the timeline associated with novel gene discovery for crops of importance to both the Australian grain industry and resource-poor farmers globally. It will do this by improving upon currently developed FIGS methodology and by identifying and delivering tailor made subsets of germplasm to pre-breeders and breeders who are looking for new sources of adaptive traits (biotic and abiotic). This multi-task process, will allow the discovery of previously undiscovered genes and useful variations of known genes for resistance to serious pests and diseases with improved higher yielding and better adapted varieties. The impact of this project will not only be realized in Australia but also globally as the approach becomes industry standard for the genebank community thereby improving the overall efficiency of genetic resource utilization, which is of increased significance in the context of global challenges posed by climate change to agro-ecosystems world wide.