Plant solutions
The new Australian Tropical Herbarium at James Cook University (JCU) in Cairns will aid the search for life-saving drugs and new foodstuffs.
With one hectare of the Daintree Rainforest in Far North Queensland containing more flowering tree species than in all of North America, Queensland’s tropical north is ideally placed to be a centre for research into how herbs can help humans.
The Australian Tropical Herbarium consolidates more than 160,000 preserved plant specimens from the major CSIRO Atherton Herbarium, Queensland Environmental Protection Agency’s Mareeba collection and James Cook University’s tropical plant collection.
“It’s an outstanding collection, backed up by an expert research team and state-of-the-art equipment,” tropical biologist Professor Paul Gadek said.
“That combination will make this a knowledge bank of tropical Australian plant and fungal diversity, with the potential to guide biodiversity research in South East Asia and the South Pacific regions,” Professor Gadek said.
Herbarium Director Professor Darren Crayn said the comprehensive collection will allow researchers to investigate all aspects of plant biodiversity, from genes through to whole eco systems.
“By helping us to understand what plants are where, and why, this collection will help us predict responses to climate change, aid in the discovery of new species and the development of plant products for possible use as new foodstuffs or life-saving drugs,” Professor Crayn said.
The Herbarium is located in the Sir Robert Norman Building which was officially opened by Premier Anna Bligh in March this year.
The building houses the $9.66 million Australian Tropical Forest Institute (ATFI), which is a hub for Australian and international research and commercial development, based on the biodiversity of tropical forests.
ATFI conducts a high-profile research program together with the CSIRO in the Tropical Landscapes Joint Venture, focussing on research supporting the sustainable management of tropical landscapes, including the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area.
Vice-Chancellor of JCU Professor Sandra Harding said the opening was the culmination of almost 10 years work, bringing together the expertise and strengths in research that existed across the region.
“None of this could have happened without our partnership with the Queensland Government through the Smart State initiative and a commitment by the government to encouraging scientific and economic development,” Professor Harding said.
The Queensland Government provided more than $7 million funding under the Smart State Research Facilities Fund for the construction of ATFI.
www.jcu.edu.au/atfi (non-government site)
Story: Hugh O’Brien
Last reviewed 17 July 2008
