R&D update
Australian brains set to make Australian Merino wool even better
Exciting new Australian technology is set to rapidly improve Australian wool quality.
Australia’s leading sheep research organisation, Sheep CRC, is using 5000 sheep from ‘information flocks’ and cutting edge technology to identify genes that produce sheep with high survival rates, as well as sheep able to grow luxurious wool fleeces and pure white wool.
Professor John Gibson, Director of The Institute for Genetics and Bioinformatics, with close ties to Sheep CRC, said of Australia’s new and improved sheep research body:
"The main feature of the new Sheep CRC will be a concerted effort to transform the rate at which new technology is adopted by the industry.
"We will ensure that there is a genuine customer focus and an understanding of market needs in defining the research," said Professor Gibson.
The latest research program focusing on sheep genetics is a small component of a larger campaign by Australian scientists and woolgrowers to improve the quality of Australian Merino wool while maintaining the world’s highest animal welfare standards.
To learn about the pioneering research and development programs undertaken by the Australian wool industry, please visit: www.wool.com.au