RIEL seminar series
Sniffing out citrus canker and beyond
| Presenter | Dr Vinuthaa Murthy and Dr Hao Wang | |
|---|---|---|
| Date |
|
|
| Time |
to
|
|
| Contact person | E: riel.outreach@cdu.edu.au | |
| Location |
CDU Casuarina Campus Yellow 1.1.39 and online If you wish to attend this seminar online: https://charlesdarwinuni.zoom.us/j/85892437338 |
|
| Open to | Public | |
The Northern Territory’s citrus industry came under attack in 2018 from a highly contagious bacterial disease called citrus canker. Citrus canker is a highly infectious bacterial disease caused by the bacterium Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri (Xcc). Severe infection can lead to defoliation, dieback, blemished fruit, and premature fruit drop.
CDU chemists, Dr Hao Wang and Dr Vinuthaa Murthy won a contract with the Department of Industry, Tourism and Trade (DITT) in 2020 to develop a scent profile and synthesise artificial scent lures for the detection of citrus canker disease.
The project set out to determine the volatile organic compound (VOC) profile of the infected citrus plants at the CDU, Yellow 2 labs using the gas chromatography-mass spectrometer (GC/MS). Key chemical compounds emitted by different citrus varieties, both infected and non-infected, were identified over time. Artificial scent blends (lures) were synthesised based on the VOC profile and provided to DITT. Two sniffer dogs are now trained with the artificial lure to detect the citrus canker-infected plants.
This presentation will also provide an overview of the analytical chemistry instrumentation available at CDU, Yellow 2 labs for identifying and quantifying the chemical components of natural and synthetic materials.
Dr Vinuthaa Murthy is a Senior lecturer in Chemistry at the College of Engineering, IT & Environment and the current president of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute, NT branch. Her expertise is on applying Computational and Analytical Chemistry techniques to solve the structural properties of small molecule interaction with macromolecule surfaces. Currently her research focuses on characterisation of nanoparticles conjugated with native plant extracts with biomedical applications such as antimicrobial and wound healing and nano-systems used in water treatment to remove persistent contaminants.
Dr Hao Wang is a Senior Technical Officer managing the newly established analytical chemistry laboratory at Energy and Resources Institute, CEITE. Before joining CDU, He worked in the Global and Tropical Health Division of Menzies School of Health Research, studying malaria treatment and drug resistance. His expertise is in analysing small molecules using instrument with various chromatography and spectrometry techniques.
Related Events
'Culture-based conservation' approach to supporting governance of Indigenous territories
Read more about 'Culture-based conservation' approach to supporting governance of Indigenous territoriesIndigenous Peoples are crucial for the long-term persistence of the Earth’s biodiversity and ecosystem services. In the Philippines, the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act of 1998 protects Indigenous rights to own and manage territories. The forests of Indigenous territories are habitats of the Philippine eagle – a forest eagle that is endemic to the Philippines where it is a national bird and an apex forest predator.
Carbon and water adventures in north Australia
Read more about Carbon and water adventures in north AustraliaWith climate change and increasing land use pressures there is more and more demand for knowledge of carbon dynamics and water use as well as water resource management. Lindsay’s research is focused on providing better understanding of the biophysical environment of tropical land and water systems.
From CCTV to AI
Read more about From CCTV to AIFish farms have historically been a black box in terms of understanding the behavioural needs and preferences of the fish within them, as the only chance to assess what they are up to is when they break the surface. Sunil has been monitoring fish behaviour below the surface of farms for 35 years.
