Australian Embassy
Indonesia

Australian science innovators head to Indonesia

Media Release
2 May 2014

Australian science innovators head to Indonesia

Seven Australian scientists will travel to Indonesia next week to take part in the Australia-Indonesia Innovative Research Seminar Series.

The seminar series is part of the Australian Embassy Jakarta’s Arts and Cultural Program 2014 and will feature some of Australia’s leading thinkers and innovative researchers.

The scientists will travel in three groups over 10 days to deliver seminars and meet their Indonesian counterparts in Jakarta, Bogor, Bandung, Makassar, Malang and Yogyakarta.

Australian Ambassador to Indonesia Greg Moriarty said the seminar series, supported by both the Indonesian Academy of Sciences and the Australian Academy of Science, would showcase Australian scientific innovation.

“There is an enduring tradition of scientific cooperation between Australia and Indonesia,” the Ambassador said. “This series will again put the Australian researchers in touch with their counterparts in Indonesia to explore issues of mutual interest and concern.”

“The seminar themes - biomedical research, sustainable energy and agriculture - have been carefully selected to ensure they are of interest to an Indonesian audience.

“This seminar series is the first of two to be held this year. In a few months’ time, we will bring another group of Australian scientists and researchers to Indonesia to undertake a similar program,” he said. “I hope this series will help strengthen professional relationships between the scientists of both nations, as well as between our academic institutions.

The Australian Embassy’s Arts and Cultural Program 2014 is on now until November. It is supported by the Australian Government through the Australia International Cultural Council, an initiative of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The program includes concerts, visual art exhibitions, dance, literature, fashion and skateboarding in locations across Indonesia, including Jakarta, Bandung, Surabaya, Yogyakarta, Denpasar, Kupang and Makassar.

The Arts and Cultural Program 2014 is generously supported by the ANZ Bank, the Australia-Indonesia Institute, Queensland University of Technology, the Victorian Government, Curtin University, Deakin University, Ernst and Young, Flinders University, Macquarie University, the University of New South Wales, the University of Queensland and the University of Tasmania.

Media Enquiries:
Mubarok, Public Affairs Officer: Hp 0811 993306, Email: [email protected]

 

Seminar series calendar

Yogyakarta
9am Monday 5 May
Universitas Gajah Mada
Theme: Biomedical Research Professor Anne Kelso, Head of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza at the Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory
Professor David Muljono, Head of Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratory at Eijkman Institute for Molecular Biology
 

Jakarta
9.30am Tuesday 6 May
Australian Embassy Theme: Biomedical Research Professor Anne Kelso, Head of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza at the Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory
Professor David Muljono, Head of Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratory at Eijkman Institute for Molecular Biology
 

Bogor
9am Thursday 8 May
Institute Pertanian Bogor
Theme: Agriculture Professor Roger Leigh, School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, University of Adelaide
Distinguished Professor James Dale, AO
Centre for Tropical Crops and Bio commodities, Queensland University of Technology
Professor Paddy Nixon, Deputy-Vice Chancellor (Research), University of Tasmania
 

Makassar
8.30am Friday 9 May
Universitas Hassanudin
Theme: Agriculture Professor Roger Leigh, School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, University of Adelaide
Distinguished Professor James Dale, AO
Centre for Tropical Crops and Bio commodities, Queensland University of Technology
Professor Paddy Nixon, Deputy-Vice Chancellor (Research), University of Tasmania
 

Bandung
9.30am Monday 12 May
Institut Teknologi Bandung
Theme: Sustainable Energy Dr Scott Watkins, Stream Leader for Organic Photovoltaics, CSIRO Materials Science and Engineering and Future Manufacturing Flagship
Professor Vladimir Strezov, Faculty of Science, Macquarie University
Professor Peter Newman, AO, John Curtin Distinguished Professor of Sustainability and Director of Curtin University Sustainability Institute, Curtin University
 

Malang
1pm Tuesday 13 May
Universitas Brawijaya
Theme: Sustainable Energy Dr Scott Watkins, Stream Leader for Organic Photovoltaics, CSIRO Materials Science and Engineering and Future Manufacturing Flagship
Professor Vladimir Strezov, Faculty of Science, Macquarie University
Professor Peter Newman, AO, John Curtin Distinguished Professor of Sustainability and Director of Curtin University Sustainability Institute, Curtin University

Biomedical Research
Monday, 5 May at 0900 – 1130 at Universitas Gajah Mada, Yogyakarta
Tuesday, 6 May at 0930 – 1130 at Australian Embassy Jakarta

Professor Anne Kelso
Head of WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza at the Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory, Victoria

 

Biography:

After obtaining her PhD in immunology at the University of Melbourne, Anne Kelso undertook research on cell-mediated immunity at the Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research, the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (Melbourne) and the Queensland Institute of Medical Research (Brisbane). From 2000 until 2006, she was also Director of the Australian Government-funded Cooperative Research Centre for Vaccine Technology.

In 2007 Professor Kelso returned to Melbourne as Director of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza where she oversees the Centre’s virological surveillance for the WHO Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System.

She also holds an honorary professorial appointment in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Melbourne where she is part of large research program working on immunity to influenza viruses, funded by the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council.

Abstract:

Pandemic influenza viruses – research and collaboration

Influenza viruses present three quite different public health challenges. First, seasonal human influenza is caused by human-adapted influenza type A and B viruses which circulate around the world with significant global morbidity and mortality every year. Current vaccines reduce the impact of seasonal influenza but they require regular updating to match these rapidly evolving viruses. Second, pandemic influenza occurs when a new influenza A subtype emerges that evades existing population immunity and transmits readily between humans. Previous influenza pandemics have ranged from mild in 2009 to extremely severe in 1918–1919 when at least 50 million people died worldwide. Seasonal influenza vaccines are largely ineffective against these novel viruses. Third, animal influenza A viruses (e.g., H5N1 and H7N9) occasionally infect humans, sometimes causing severe disease, and may have the potential to become pandemic viruses.

Indonesia and Australia are partners with 110 other countries in the World Health Organisation Global Influenza Surveillance and Response Network (GISRS). Through this global network of WHO National Influenza Centres, collaborating centres and regulatory laboratories, countries work together to monitor the influenza viruses infecting humans and to reduce their impact. By comparing the antigenic and genetic properties and antiviral drug sensitivity of viruses collected by GISRS laboratories, the collaborating centres build a picture of their evolution and assess the need to update seasonal and potential pandemic influenza vaccines or to change recommendations on the use of antiviral drugs. Suitable viruses are selected and candidate vaccine viruses are developed for distribution to manufacturers around the world. As GISRS laboratories are at the front line in the identification of novel influenza viruses, they play a critical role in global pandemic preparedness. They also contribute to wide-ranging international research on influenza virology, pathogenesis and immunity and the development of new antiviral drugs and vaccine technologies.

In this seminar, Professor Kelso will discuss the different and complementary roles played by the WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza in Melbourne and the WHO National Influenza Centre in Jakarta in the global surveillance of seasonal and potential pandemic influenza viruses. She will present the characteristics and evolution of seasonal influenza viruses currently circulating in humans in the Asia-Pacific region and give a brief overview of the avian and swine influenza viruses that are believed to pose the greatest pandemic threat at the moment.

Finally, she will introduce some of the research on influenza that her Centre is undertaking with a range of collaborators in Australia and elsewhere on virus evolution, antiviral drug resistance and development of novel vaccine technologies to improve protection against new influenza subtypes.

Dr David Muljono
Head of Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratory at Eijkman Institute for Molecular Biology, Jakarta

 

Biography
Professor Muljono is a clinician who also works in the arena of basic biomedical research. He joined the Eijkman Institute for Molecular Biology in Jakarta in 1995 as the head of the hepatitis laboratory, and has been carrying out basic and translational research in viral hepatitis.

He is also actively involved in international and national activities targeted to public health in the prevention and control of viral hepatitis and emerging diseases. In July 2011, he was awarded the title Academy Professor in Life Science by the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) and the Indonesian Academy of Sciences (AIPI). In November 2011, Professor Muljono was inaugurated as the Academy Professor Indonesia in Hasanuddin University, Makassar, which is the host university where he is considered as Guru Besar Luar Biasa.

He also holds an Honorary Associate Professorial appointment from Sydney Medical School, and is a recipient of the Satyalancana Karya Satya Medal, awarded by the President of Indonesia in recognition for the devotion to society.
Professor Muljono is the current chairman of the National Expert Committee for Viral Hepatitis, and just been appointed as the member of Strategic and Technical Advisory Committee for Viral Hepatitis (STAC HEP), which is an advisory committee to the Director General of WHO.

Abstract
Hepatitis- a world view

One third of the world population has been infected with hepatitis B, and around 400 million persons are chronically infected with hepatitis B and C viruses, resulting in 1.4 million deaths anually due to severe liver diseases and cancer. Most people with chronic viral hepatitis, however, are not aware of their infection and do not receive appropriate treatment. With substantial contribution to the health and socio-economic burden, viral hepatitis is a thus serious but under-recognized global health problem. Measures for prevention and control viral hepatitis have been taken; these include reaching every child with hepatitis B immunization and ensuring the safety of blood transfusion service. Advances have also been made in the area of treatment. However, new cases continue to occur, and the birth dose coverage rate with hepatitis B vaccine remains unacceptably low. In addition, many countries still have very limited access to diagnostic tests and treatment. Improved surveillance and studies are required to provide decision-makers with information on the extent of the problem, and more commitments to prevention and early detection are urgently needed to develop efficient prevention and control strategies to curb the disease.

Agriculture
Thursday, 8 May at 0900 – 1230 at Institut Pertanian Bogor, Bogor
Friday, 9 May at 0830 – 1130 at Universitas Hassanudin, Makassar

Professor Roger Leigh
School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, University of Adelaide, South Australia

Biography

Professor Roger Leigh is a scientist with over 35 years research experience and an international reputation for his work on the physiology and biochemistry of nutrient uptake and storage in plants.

He joined the University of Adelaide in October 2006 and was Head of the School of Agriculture, Food and Wine until early 2010 when he became Director of the Waite Research Institute at the University.

Prior to moving to Adelaide he was Professor of Botany at the University of Cambridge and Professorial Fellow at Girton College, Cambridge. Before Cambridge, Professor Leigh worked at Rothamsted Experimental Station in the UK, rising to the post of Deputy Director.

Throughout his career, Professor Leigh has contributed to many boards and scientific committees. Currently he is the Chair of the National Committee for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food at the Australian Academy of Sciences. He is a Past President of the Australian Council of Deans of Agriculture and has been Vice-President and President of the Society for Experimental Biology in the UK.

Professor Leigh obtained his PhD from the University of Wales, Bangor and was awarded an Honorary Fellowship in 1998, the University’s highest award.

Abstract

Optimising plant nutrition for maximising yields

Optimal plant nutrition is a basic requirement for maximising the yield and quality of agricultural crops but achieving maximal fertiliser efficiency while minimising unintended environmental affects is a challenge.

In this talk Professor Leigh will demonstrate:

how an understanding of plant physiological processes at the cellular level can be used to identify when a plant’s nutritional needs are met; how novel fertiliser formulations can improve nutrient availability to plants; and how progress in plant genetics is permitting manipulation of salt tolerance in crops using both traditional breeding and genetic engineering techniques.

He will illustrate these approaches with examples from his own research and that of colleagues on the University of Adelaide’s Waite Campus. He will also give a brief introduction to the Waite campus, one of the largest agricultural research and education precincts in the Southern Hemisphere. Where possible, he will indicate how the results from the research are potentially applicable to Indonesian agriculture.

Distinguished Professor James Dale, AO
Centre for Tropical Crops and Biocommodities
Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland

 

Biography

Distinguished Professor James Dale is the inaugural Director of the Centre for Tropical Crops and Biocommodities (CTCB) at Queensland University of Technology (QUT) which incorporates tropical crop biotechnology, the Syngenta Centre for Sugarcane Biofuels Development and Sugar Research and Innovation (SRI).

Professor Dale is also leading a major international Grand Challenges in Global Health Project funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to develop biofortified bananas for East Africa with potential further application in Asia.

Abstract

Developing disease resistant bananas

Bananas are one of the world's top 10 crops, a staple in many countries and a major dietary component in most countries of the wet tropics and sub-tropics. They are however plagued by many diseases which threaten their continued production. Improving current cultivars by conventional breeding is nearly impossible because of the high level of male and female sterility. Genetic modification is an attractive option therefore for developing disease resistance in cultivars that are already accepted by growers and consumers.

QUT is leading a program of partners from Australia, Indonesia, Kenya and Malawi to develop local cultivars of bananas with resistance to two of the most devastating diseases, Fusarium wilt and banana bunchy top virus (BBTV).

The resistance to Fusarium wilt is based on identifying and deploying resistance genes from a wild diploid banana, Musa acuminata malaccensis. Some seedlings of the banana have resistance to both Fusarium wilt Race 1 and the more serious Tropical Race 4. Field trials are being carried out in Australia of Cavendish bananas that have been transformed with a malaccensis R gene and some lines are looking particularly promising.

Resistance to BBTV is more challenging but already work has commenced in glasshouse trials using a RNA interference (RNAi) approach to develop a novel virus activated resistance mechanism.

The project grant proposal is in the final stages of assessment and Professor Dale and colleagues are working towards a July start date for all the countries involved.

Professor Paddy Nixon
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research), University of Tasmania

Biography
Professor Paddy Nixon B.Sc (Hons), MA, PhD, C.Eng holds the post of Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) at the University of Tasmania. Professor Nixon has responsibility for the research and innovation strategy of the University, the University research institutes, research students, research infrastructure and commercialisation services.


Prior to taking up this position he was Science Foundation Ireland Research Professor at University College Dublin. Professor Nixon has significant industrial and commercial experience. He has had active collaborations with Microsoft Research, HP, INTEL, Oracle and IBM. From 2007-2009 he was Academic Director of the INTEL Technology for Independent Living Centre. He has been a founder of three start-ups including founding CEO of NDRC Ltd (www.ndrc.ie) an IP development company supported by a €40 million investment by the Irish Government. Professor Nixon was an IBM faculty fellow at the IBM Dublin Centre for Advanced Studies.

He has published over 220 publications including editing 9 books. He was chair of the €22 million EU Disappearing Computer Initiative and chaired the EU-NSF international strategy project on ambient (sensor systems) computing. He has given the prestigious Science and Society public lecture for the Royal Edinburgh Society, the keynote address at the launch of FP6 FET programme and given keynotes at numerous conferences.

He also chaired the national public consultation in Ireland for Next Generation Broadband for the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources. He is currently chair of the Digital Futures Advisory Council in Tasmania.
Abstract Sensor technology and applications in agriculture, aquaculture and logistics – Sensing Tasmania (SenseT)
The advent of big data analytics is changing many of the current paradigms across science and industry. The scale of innovation in sensor technology is facilitating sophisticated modelling and data analysis of the real world in real-time. Although, these core methodologies have been around for many years, the continuous price reduction of hardware and some services (e.g. cloud computing) are making more affordable the application of these methodologies to a vast array of domains.

In this presentation Professor Nixon will describe the Sensing Tasmania project (SenseT) which is constructing a whole of economy, whole of state sensing and data infrastructure. He will highlight the impact SenseT is having in the agriculture, aquaculture, and logistics domains.

Professor Nixon will explain how SenseT will collect real-time data about the conditions under which food is produced, processed, transported, stored and sold. He will also describe how that information will be made available to consumers, producers and distributors as part of the research project to verify and improve the quality of food products.

Sustainable Energy

Monday, 12 May at 0930 – 1300 at Institut Teknologi Bandung, Bandung
Tuesday, 13 May at 1300 – 1630 at Universitas Brawijaya, Malang

Dr Scott Watkins

Stream Leader for Organic Photovoltaics, CSIRO Materials Science and Engineering
CSIRO Future Manufacturing Flagship

Biography

Dr Scott Watkins is the Stream Leader for Organic Photovoltaics in CSIRO’s Future Manufacturing Flagship and is based in the Division of Materials Science and Engineering, Clayton, Victoria.

Dr Watkins has a PhD in Chemistry from the University of NSW (UNSW) and has developed research interests which span the synthesis and analysis of new materials through to the fabrication and testing of devices. Between 2000 and 2004 he worked with Cambridge Display Technologies in the UK on the development of light-emitting polymers for display and lighting applications.

Dr Watkins joined CSIRO in 2004 to work on materials and applications in the field of plastic electronics. Plastic electronics is broadly defined as the use of molecular or polymeric organic semi-conductors as the active material in electronic devices. Specific applications of the technology include Organic Light Emitting Diodes (OLEDs), Organic Photovoltaics (OPVs), Organic Field Effect Transistors (OFETs) and a variety of sensor applications.

At CSIRO Dr Watkins has led projects on both OLEDs and OPVs and coordinates CSIRO’s involvement in a number of national and international consortia aimed at developing applications of plastic electronics by linking industry with research.

Abstract

Flexible electronics – thin film solar cells

CSIRO is the Australian Government’s applied research organization. Within CSIRO, the Flexible Electronics Research Theme is developing materials and technologies for applications such as thin film solar cells, organic light emitting diodes and thin film field effect transistors.

In this presentation Dr Watkins will introduce the range of activities and collaborations that CSIRO is involved with in the area of flexible electronics. This includes several research consortia involving universities and companies around the world.

Dr Watkins will then describe in detail the work on two different technologies for thin film solar cells. In the first area, organic solar cells, he will discuss the materials and processes that have been developed to enable the making of fully printed solar cells up to A3 in size. Specifically the performance of these devices and the applications of this renewable energy technology will be highlighted. These applications include a variety of uses from small consumer devices and advertising components through building integrated solar films to large area solar panels.

The second area of research that Dr Watkins will cover is the work on solution processed, nanoparticle solar cells. The processes that have been developed take 4 nm diameter particles and grow them into 70 nm diameter crystals within the film. Using this approach has resulted in CdTe-based devices with power conversion efficiencies in excess of 10% made from solution, in air.

Finally, he will also highlight the outreach and education activities that we have been involved with.

Associate Professor Vladimir Strezov

Program Director, Environmental Science
Faculty of Science, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales

 

Biography

Associate Professor Strezov completed his PhD in Chemical Engineering at the University of Newcastle where he jointly worked with the pyrometallurgy research team of BHP Research Laboratories in Newcastle. Before joining Macquarie University in 2003 he was a research associate and laboratory manager at the University of Newcastle.

Since January 2010 he has been appointed an Associate Professor, Program Director Environmental Science. He is also the Director of Higher Degree Research (2013-) in the Graduate School of the Environment, Department of Environment and Geography, Faculty of Science at Macquarie University.

Associate Professor Strezov’s current research projects are concerned with improvement of energy efficiency and reduction of emissions in minerals processing, electricity generation and production of biofuels. He has established close links with several primary industries leading to successful joint projects in the field of energy and sustainability.

Abstract

Sustainable production of biofuels

Biofuels are the only carbon-based renewable substitutes for the fossil fuels that can offer considerable environmental and sustainability benefits, when sourced and processed in a sustainable way. While the first generation of biofuels has attracted significant criticism due to its competition with food, the emerging second (lignocellulosic biomass), third (algae) and beyond the third generation of biofuels are now gaining interests due to their attractive properties.

Biomass utilisation for energy production has zero net CO2 emissions to the atmosphere and with that can offset the atmospheric carbon emissions from energy production. Biomass is lower in sulphur and ash than the fossil fuels which can result in lower atmospheric emissions of pollutants. Additionally, biomass can be sourced from many industries as an unwanted by-product or can be cultivated deliberately as an energy crops.

This presentation discusses the opportunities for sustainability production of biofuels using the system engineering approach. The presentation will review each of the existing commercial and emerging technologies for production of gaseous and liquid biofuels.

The presentation will also discuss production of biochar, which has applications to substitute for fertilizers in agricultural activities and, with that, sequester carbon in the soils.

The presentation is a summary of the book written by Strezov and Evans, Biomass Processing Technologies (2014) which covers 15 years of Associate Professor Strezov’s research activity in the area of sustainability of biofuel production.

Professor Peter Newman AO

John Curtin Distinguished Professor of Sustainability
Director of Curtin University Sustainability Policy (CUSP) Institute
Curtin University

 

Biography

Professor Peter Newman is the Professor of Sustainability at Curtin University and Director of CUSP. He is on the Board of Infrastructure Australia and is a lead author for transport on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). His books include Green Urbanism in Asia (2013), Resilient Cities: Responding to Peak Oil and Climate Change (2009), Green Urbanism Down Under (2009) and Sustainability and Cities: Overcoming Automobile Dependence with Jeff Kenworthy which was launched in the White House in 1999.

In 2001-3 Professor Newman directed the production of Western Australia’s Sustainability Strategy in the Department of the Premier and Cabinet. In 2004-5 he was a sustainability commissioner in Sydney advising the NSW Government on planning and transport issues.

In 2006/7 he was a Fulbright Senior Scholar at the University of Virginia Charlottesville. In 2011 he was awarded the Sidney Luker medal by the Planning Institute of Australia (NSW) for his contribution to the science and practice of town planning in Australia. In 2014 he was awarded an Order of Australia for his contributions to urban design and sustainable transport, particularly related to the saving and rebuilding of Perth’s rail system.

He was an elected Fremantle City Councillor from 1976-80 where he still lives.

Abstract

Sustainable development and green growth

The world needs to change quickly if we are to achieve sustainable development. The good news that shows the world is changing is not often presented in the media but some important peaks in fossil fuel investment, power consumption, conventional oil production and use of cars, can now be seen.

The role of green growth strategies in places like Indonesia will be outlined.