Environomics - an ‘omics-based platform for next-generation environmental science
Tuesday, 20 Sep 2016

A new CSIRO Future Sciences Platform on environmental genomics, or Environomics, has been announced. With indicative funding of ~$4.5M over 2-3 years the program will be led by Andrew Young (CSIRO, Director NRCA) .

CBA Director Craig Moritz led discussions with ANU to support the bid. The Environomics FSP envisages strong interactions across CSIRO and ANU via the CBA and the recently opened SIEF-funded EcoGenomics and Bioinformatics Laboratory (EBL), and a joint CBA- Environomics FSP post-doctoral position will be advertised shortly.

The Environomics FSP aims to develop the next generation of environmental science based on genomics, phenomics, big data informatics and simulation. This has the potential to reinvent how:
  • ecosystem health is measured and monitored;
  • biodiversity responses to environmental change are predicted;
  • biological resources are managed; and
  • biosecurity threats are detected.
The key aims of the Environomics FSP are to:
  • Develop capability for genomic analyses of non-model species, including accessing genomic data from specimens in CSIRO's National Research Collections;
  • Advance methods and applications in environmental DNA, including improved bioinformatics; and
  • Develop visualisation and modelling tools with which to intersect and interpret the deluge of genomic, specimen and environmental data.
Environomics FSP research projects: