The Seed - Biosecurity Innovation Hub

In free range situations, the risk of exposure to avian influenza is higher due to more chance of flocks being exposed to infected wild birds or their droppings.

High Pathogenicity Avian Influenza (HPAI) is an extremely contagious disease of poultry that can cause very high mortality. Australia’s poultry meat production is valued at around $3.5 billion and a HPAI outbreak could have severe consequences for the poultry meat and egg industries and the Australian economy. Control measures often involve depopulation and euthanasia of entire flocks to prevent further spread of the disease.

The key to managing emergency animal disease outbreaks lies in understanding disease transmission, which can be gained in near real-time by gathering and analysing data during an outbreak.

Following a serious outbreak of HPAI in Victoria in 2020, we joined forces with CSIRO under the Biosecurity Innovation Program in 2021-22 to build capacity for understanding the spread of HPAI virus, undertaking the ‘Extending the SPREAD application to Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza’ project.

CSIRO had initially developed the System for Preparedness and Response to Emergency Animal Diseases (SPREAD) platform for foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), a serious and highly contagious disease that affects all cloven-hoofed animals including cattle and sheep. The platform provides a web interface for accessing data storage, analysis and modelling to help understand how FMD can spread between farms.

Further development of the web interface which is aimed at adapting the SPREAD platform to HPAI continues. Work completed under the Biosecurity Innovation Program has led to the development of integrated models, analytics, and a database specific to HPAI, including genomic networking and the application of meteorological data for modelling wind-borne spread. We are working with CSIRO to further test and validate these tools.

These developments are valuable in making sure we are better prepared for future HPAI outbreaks on poultry farms, improving our ability to respond swiftly and effectively to protect our livestock and economy.

Australia’s wBallast water released from a ship in portaterways are full of unique animals and plant life. To ensure we have safe and sustainable oceans to enjoy, it’s important we keep marine pests out of our waters and manage their spread.

Marine pests are plants and animals which aren’t native to Australia and can include crabs, mussels, sea stars, worms, and algae. If marine pests establish in our waterways, it’s almost impossible to get rid of them. They can damage marine habitats and structures, our aquaculture industries and even impact human health.

The spread of marine pests through ballast water is becoming an increasing concern. Ballast water is used to give ships stability during turbulent seas or while carrying light loads. When the water is released from the ship, it can contain invasive marine species.

The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has established the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships Ballast Water and Sediments 2004 (BWM Convention), which Australia ratified to in 2016. This puts in place discharge standards and requires the adoption of treatment equipment for all vessels using ballast water.

To verify a ship’s compliance, our biosecurity officers collect samples of ballast water, which presents a challenge due to the large volume of water required.

To address this, the Innovation Pilots Team has partnered with the Marine and Aquatic Biosecurity Section (MABS) to assess the efficacy of existing, commercially available ballast water sampling and analysis kits. The objective is to ensure ships can fulfill regulatory requirements under the Biosecurity Act 2015 in turn safeguarding coastal waters from marine invasive species.

The pilot aims to demonstrate the functionality of commercially available technology to determine if they meet IMO standards i.e. can the equipment analyse all three organism size classes in the D2 Discharge Standard, >50μm, 10-50μm and <10μm, efficiently, reliably, and accurately. It will test if the technology is easy and intuitive to use, portable and lightweight and if biosecurity officers are able to make a decision or direction based on the result.

Everyone collaborating on this project is excited and remain dedicated to keeping our waters free of marine invasive species. To find out more about this pilot, please contact innovationpilots@aff.gov.au

In our ongoing effort to bolster biosecurity and champion innovation, testing of our robot dog, Spot, continues.

Developed by robotics designers, Boston Dynamics, Spot can navigate rough and uneven ground, operate remotely, do automated tasks, and capture crucial data that has the potential to strengthen our biosecurity.

One of Spot’s strengths is its ability to carry up to 14kg of equipment, including cameras, light detection and ranging, and sensors. This means Spot could take on hazardous container surveillance and inspection work and reduce the occupational risks for our biosecurity officers.

By integrating robotics into our inspection work, we’re prioritising the safety of our dedicated biosecurity officers and enhancing our efficiency.

In 2022, Spot was put through its paces when it was dispatched to the Port of Darwin and the Ranger Uranium Mine to do container inspections and collect environmental samples and readings. The trial was an opportunity to assess Spot's basic functionality and manoeuvrability and capture clear images under challenging conditions.

As a result of the pilot study, we identified areas for improvement, but with further refinement this ground-breaking technology could become an invaluable solution for our activities.

Spot the robot dog is just the beginning, and we are excited about the future possibilities that robotics and automation will bring to our biosecurity system.

Click here to watch Spot in action.

To celebrate the International Day of Plant Health 2023, the Australian Chief Plant Protection Office hosted a Plant Health Science Exchange on Friday 12 May.

The International Day of Plant Health raises global awareness on how protecting plant health has broader impacts such as reducing hunger and poverty, protecting biodiversity and the environment, and boosting economic development. The exchange provided a chance for our department and the general plant health community to trade knowledge and innovation on plant health, environmental protection and biodiversity.

Those attending were fortunate to rub shoulders with our Minister, Senator the Hon Murray Watt, Secretary Andrew Metcalfe as well as everyone’s favourite robotic detector dog, ‘Spot’, who treated all to a demonstration of his amazing skills to assist managing biosecurity risk and improving Work Health & Safety for staff.

Keynote speaker for the day was our new Australian Chief Environmental Biosecurity Officer, Dr Bertie Hennecke, who addressed the important theme of environmental protection and biodiversity, and the winners of the #plant health day photo competition were announced by Australian Chief Plant Protection Officer, Dr Gabrielle Vivian-Smith.

The exchange was a success, highlighting our efforts to protect Australia’s agriculture, unique environment and biodiversity through innovation in plant health research and plant biosecurity.

Spot enjoying a pat from Secretary Andrew Metcalfe and Minister Murray Watt at the Plant Health Science Exchange.

The department’s new building HQ in Canberra ‘Agriculture House’. Our Canberra office has officially moved to a new building and are now located at ‘Agriculture House’, Canberra City.

To help us with the move we had a surprise addition to our team, Temi – the telepresence robot. Temi is equipped with cutting edge technology that help staff to navigate the new building and answer any visitors questions.

With the help of Temi, we are exploring the use of telepresence robots to improve biosecurity measures and reduce the risk of exposure for staff. Telepresence robots, such as Temi, are being trialled for tasks such as providing assistance with access to information, providing directions, remote learning, and development training. We aim to determine if robots like Temi can support our staff by making tasks safer and more efficient, while identifying areas where operational efficiencies and cost savings can be achieved.

You can learn more about our new office on our website.

Our Canberra staff recently moved to a new building and brought Spot along for the ride.

Spot is an incredible creation from Boston Dynamics that has been making waves in the tech world. This amazing robot can move around in almost any environment and has a wide range of applications, including helping with daily activities to manage biosecurity risks and improve Work Health & Safety (WHS) of staff.

Spot and temi enjoying each other’s company.Spot’s been in the spotlight this year with our initial trials in Darwin and the Ranger Uranium Mine in the Northern Territory, showcasing its agility in undertaking routine inspections and remote data capture. We’re excited to have our very own Spot, and we will be trialling it at other locations around Australia including at our Post Entry Quarantine Centre to test its ability to undertaking routine tasks like watering plants, feeding animals and spraying herbicides.

Spot can manoeuvre across a range of surfaces, provide clear images under a range of conditions, and identify biosecurity risk material (BRM). Spot can also live-stream, take images, and even dance. He can also carry payloads, including an arm that can open doors and pick up items, that could allow it to collect data and detect harmful gases,

With the use of Spot, we can enhance detection capabilities, reducing WHS risk, removing subjective errors, creating a more traceable data record, and reducing the time to undertake some activities, allowing staff to focus on higher priority work. As a result, we can minimise labour and repetitive strain injuries, reduce the need for staff to handle aggressive animals, and eliminate the need for biosecurity officers to be out in the elements.

Innovation, science, and technology initiatives have the potential to revolutionise the way we operate and helps keep staff safer. By exploring new technologies like Spot, the department can stay ahead of the curve and find new and exciting ways to enhance Australia's biosecurity systems.

Spot has already proven to be a valuable member of our team. We cannot wait to see what more this amazing robot can do, and we're excited to see what the future holds.

You can learn more about other pilots the department is undertaking by visiting the innovation pilots initiative page of our website.

Over 250 exotic marine species have been introduced into Australia through biofouling on international vessels, which is the primary means of spread. In response to the increased global regulations on biofouling there is a need for technology that can predict and reduce the biofouling risk of vessels before their arrival in Australia.

Aquatic hitchhikersWe are on the case and taking a comprehensive approach to biofouling by implementing new requirements and utilising various technologies. This will help to better predict and reduce the risk of exotic marine species being introduced into Australia through international vessels.

Our Marine Biosecurity Unit (MBU) is also implementing new requirements and pursuing various projects by collaborating with the Centre of Excellence for Biosecurity Risk Analysis (CEBRA) and the Pilots team.

One of the many initiatives being trialled is the use of remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) to inspect vessel hulls as an alternative to using divers. The Pilots team is working with MBU to evaluate the effectiveness of ROVs.

A CEBRA project is also identifying biofouling in a speedy and cost-effective way. CEBRA is using machine learning and artificial intelligence to label biofouling images with ultimate efficiency collected by ROVs, and even extending the model to analyse video footage. By mid-2024, they will be able to spot biofouling faster than a speeding ship!

And if that's not impressive enough, another project is using a maritime pathway risk decision support tool to provide early assessment of biosecurity risks from vessels. With the help of artificial intelligence, it predicts the level of biofouling so we can see what’s lurking beneath the surface.

As we continue to work on these projects, we remain committed to protecting Australia's marine environment and ensuring the continued success of our biofouling journey.

So next time you're out in the water, take a moment to appreciate the work being done to keep our waters free from biofouling and protect our delicate ecosystem.

Senator the Hon Murray Watt, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, and the Hon Gayle Tierney MLC, Victorian Minister for Agriculture, recently released information on the Northern Pacific Seastar Pheromone Trap project.

The amazing project aims to control the population of invasive sea stars in temperate waters of Australia to protect native marine species and preserve the biodiversity of our waters.

Scientists in Victoria are working to identify the pheromone that causes invasive northern Pacific seastars to congregate en masse during mating to help remove the pest from Australian marine areas and fisheries. The exotic pests, first identified in 1995, have been estimated to number more than 165 million and a single female can produce between 5-20 million eggs annually. The scientists are collecting and testing molecules released by the northern Pacific seastars during mating season to identify the pheromones that trigger congregation.

You can learn more about this exciting project in the media release issued January 2023.

Researchers working on the northern pacific Seastar pheromone trap project.Northern Pacific Seastar (Asterias amurensis) – Marine Pests

aThe Plant Innovation Centre at Post-Entry Quarantine (PIC@PEQ)

The Plant Innovation Centre at Post-Entry Quarantine (PIC@PEQ), part of the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, is a team of dedicated scientists who:

Since 2017, PIC@PEQ have worked closely with a range of external partners including universities, state governments and biosecurity treatment providers, to champion new and innovative initiatives to improve business outcomes ­– particularly in relation to cutting-edge diagnostic technologies and novel treatment strategies.

One such project is ‘High Throughput Sequencing (HTS) for high-risk plant diagnostics in PEQ’, a collaborative effort between PIC@PEQ, Science and Surveillance Group, Queensland University of Technology, Agriculture Victoria, Hort Innovation and the New Zealand Ministry of Primary Industries.

Mark Whattam, the Director and founder of PIC@PEQ, said that HTS will be a game-changer for how we detect and identify viruses in high-risk plants imported into Australia.

“At present, we run dozens of individual tests for viruses which is expensive and time-consuming,” Mr Whattam said.

“HTS will replace all of these with a single test. It will result in improved detections, cheaper imports, and faster clearance times with less resources.”

HTS is scheduled for implementation in late 2022, with the necessary policy settings currently under development via a divisional working group chaired by David Dall, the department’s head of Plant Science and Risk Assessment.

ROVs can be used to detect pests that threaten Australia’s marine environments and industries

Marine pests, such as the Asian green mussel, can hitch a ride to Australia on ships or other vessels. Once established, marine pests have impacts on Australia’s unique environment, economy and way or life. We need to constantly be on the lookout for marine pests, to stop their introduction and spread.

Remotely Operated underwater Vehicles (ROVs) are emerging as a powerful new tool to detect introduced marine pests. These underwater drones can search for pests on the underside of ships, port infrastructure or in the natural environment.

The Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment has funded the modification of ROVs to make them more powerful surveillance tools, and trained biosecurity personnel in their use. Features such as high-resolution cameras, live streaming of footage, sonar and sample collection tools have been tested and a report outlining the results is now available.

Training videos and documents will also be published on the marine pest website late this year and will be used to support the use of ROVs for biosecurity surveillance.

ROVs are already being used for biosecurity surveillance around Australia and interest is expected to grow as new features are developed, experience in their use is gained and prices continue to drop.

Check out the video of ROVs in action, or find out more about developments in marine biosecurity surveillance using ROVs