CSIRO forms new division

CSIRO has announced a new research addition: a Division of Animal, Food and Health Sciences. The new division is an amalgamation of the former divisions of Livestock Industries and Food and Nutritional Sciences.

In the months leading up to the official 1 July formation of the new division, staff from the two former divisions have been working together to ensure a smooth transition. CSIRO says all projects and agreements will continue and staff contacts for partners and clients will remain the same.

Leading the new division is Dr Martin Cole, Chief of Food and Nutritional Sciences and an internationally recognised microbiologist. Cole says the 568 staff from the former divisions will form one of the most comprehensive cross-disciplinary life science capabilities in the world and maintain CSIRO’s unique position in the whole of food-value-chain research.

“Just as the last century has seen a revolution in computing, biology is experiencing a major wave of technical innovation flowing from the significant advances made in the life and computational sciences. Our capacity to understand complex processes in a highly targeted manner is vital to our capitalising on opportunities in the food, health and life science industries,” Dr Cole said.

“This new understanding will have profound impacts on animal production and health, human nutrition, and prevention of infectious and lifestyle diseases. The new division will allow us to capture these opportunities. It will connect primary production to food processing and manufacturing and consumer needs.

“This is something more than a merger. This is about creating a division that affords new science approaches that more effectively provide our clients and research partners with the greatest benefits,” Dr Cole said.