Wheat plays a vital role in Australia's agriculture, with over 41 million tons produced annually across more than 200 varieties. However, challenges such as pests, diseases, and climate variability make it essential to develop wheat strains tailored to specific environmental conditions. While traditionally plant research has relied on a single reference genome, the field is now advancing toward pangenomics—creating multiple reference genomes to capture the full genetic diversity of a species.

To support this shift, AGRF is collaborating with Professor Rajeev Varshney of Murdoch University to build a comprehensive pangenome for ten key wheat varieties, using advanced genomic technologies. This project will provide detailed contig assemblies and high-resolution genomic data by integrating PacBio HiFi long-reads with Hi-C (Omni-C) data. These efforts aim to improve wheat’s resilience to drought, disease, and other stresses, ultimately supporting global food security through genomics-driven crop improvement.

AGRF’s genomic data is helping researchers explore the connections between gut health, gut microbiota and brain health, particularly in relation to stress and depression.

“Our aim is to utilise microorganisms, especially fungi, to capture carbon from the atmosphere and return it to the soil.” Abed Chaudhury.

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