QAAFI is a world leading research institute for sustainable tropical and sub-tropical agriculture and food production. Combining the scientific expertise from The University of Queensland and the Queensland Government since 2010, QAAFI has four research centres including animal, crop, horticultural, and food and nutritional sciences. QAAFI uses artificial intelligence, nanotechnology, genomics, gene editing and big data to produce safer, nutritious food, using less resources. UQ is number one for agricultural science in Australia and globally is one of the most highly ranked institutions in agriculture. Using our research facilities throughout tropical and subtropical environments in Queensland, QAAFI is well placed to deliver agriculture and food science to improve the productivity, competitiveness and sustainability for food, fibre and agribusiness industries.

Website

https://qaafi.uq.edu.au/

Organisation type

• University Research Centre
• Queensland Government – Partner

Number of research staff

300-500 research staff

Address

Queensland Bioscience Precinct, 306 Carmody Road, St Lucia QLD 4067

Strengths and capabilities

• Plant breeding and genetics
• Plant health
• Crop physiology and modelling
• Farming systems science
• Food quality and human nutrition
• Sensory and consumer science
• Animal breeding and genetics
• Animal health
• Animal nutrition
• Animal welfare

Facilities and major equipment

• Queensland Bioscience Precinct, St Lucia
• Ecosciences Precinct, Dutton Park
• Health and Food Sciences Precinct, Coopers Plains
• Hartley Teakle Building, St Lucia
• Gatton Research Station
• Tor Street Complex, Toowoomba
• Leslie Research Station, Toowoomba
• Hermitage Research Station, Warwick
• J. Bjelke Petersen Research Station, Kingaroy
• Maroochy Research Station, Nambour

Lead researcher

Professor (at QAAFI) Robert Henry—DNA-based methods for identification of plants and their pathogens and development of molecular markers for plant breeding

Achievements of the centre

• Recipient of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation funding of A$6.4 million to improve sorghum breeding programs in Africa
• A world-first study found that fibre binds up to 80 per cent of cancer-inhibiting antioxidant polyphenols in fruit and vegetables
• Innovative beef cattle genomic research to improve Australia’s $5 billion a year livestock sector

Key science sectors

More information about the sectors this centre is involved in:

• Advanced manufacturing
• Biotechnology
• Environment and nature
• Food and agriculture
• Digital economy
• Tropical