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1300 363 400

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Enquires@csiro.au

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About CSIRO

The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation is Australia's national science agency and one of the largest and most diverse research agencies in the world.

Livestock Industries

CSIRO Livestock Industries is supporting Australia's livestock and allied industries to become stronger global competitors in the 21st century.

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/science/Improved-health-welfare-adaptation.html Two Murray Grey calves and a cow in a paddock. CSIRO is working to reduce the incidence and level of diseases, stress and pain in farm animals.
/news/Vaccine-protects-from-Hendra-virus.html Two horses. CSIRO scientists have shown that a new experimental vaccine helps protect horses against the deadly Hendra virus.
/news/Research-on-beef-methane-emissions.html The sheep blowfly (Lucilia cuprina). CSIRO is continuing its research to eliminate blowfly strike – a devastating disease that affects sheep.
/news/Research-on-beef-methane-emissions.html CSIRO's state-of-the-art laser. CSIRO's innovative solutions for measuring cattle methane emissions include state-of-the-art laser technology.
Two Murray Grey calves and a cow in a paddock.
Researchers have developed a revolutionary technique for the rapid detection and quantification of petroleum hydrocarbons.

Our Research

A CSIRO scientist at Armidale, New South Wales, checks a mob of steers in the cattle yards.

Transforming the animal and its products
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CSIRO PhD student working at the highest level of biosecurity - biosecurity level 4 - at the Australian Animal Health Laboratory.

Safeguarding Australia against emergency animal diseases
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A scientist looking into a microscope with images being displayed on the computer monitor beside it.

Diagnosis, Surveillance and Response
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Transforming the animal and its products – We are exploring new technologies to increase the contribution of livestock industries to the Australian economy, and to reduce the environmental footprint and improve the nutritional value and quality of livestock products. Learn more>
Safeguarding Australia against emergency animal diseases – Through our research to detect and limit the spread of emerging diseases and devastating livestock plagues, we are helping to protect human and animal health, community resilience and trade. Learn more>
Diagnosis, Surveillance and Response – Our scientists deliver national response to emergency animal and fish diseases, including diseases of wildlife and zoonotic diseases. Learn more>

Our Expertise

People

Professor Alan Bell is a renowned animal scientist
Professor Alan Bell: Chief CSIRO Livestock Industries

Professor Alan Bell is a renowned animal scientist with a distinguished career in research and teaching in both the United States and Australia.
Dr Greg Harper, Deputy Chief, CSIRO Livestock Industries.
Dr Greg Harper: Deputy Chief, Business Development, CSIRO Livestock Industries

Dr Greg Harper is a CSIRO Livestock Industries' Deputy Chief with responsibility for technology commercialisation and innovation for agribusiness. He is located at the Queensland Bioscience Precinct in St Lucia, Brisbane.
Head shot of Dr Chris Prideaux.
Dr Chris Prideaux: Deputy Chief, CSIRO Livestock Industries

Dr Chris Prideaux is the author of numerous articles, conference papers and three international patents covering various areas of vaccine development.
Dr Gene Wijffels.
Dr Gene Wijffels: Research Program Leader, Integrated Mammalian Biology

Dr Gene Wijffels is a protein chemist with expertise in protein interactions, vaccine development and immunology.
Dr Martyn Jeggo, Director of CSIRO Livestock Industries' Australian Animal Health Laboratory.
Professor Martyn Jeggo: Director, Australian Animal Health Laboratory

Professor Martyn Jeggo leads the Australian Animal Health Laboratory, a global leader in research and diagnosis of major new and emerging diseases that affect livestock throughout the world.
Australian Animal Health Laboratory (AAHL) Assistant Director, Dr Peter Daniels.
Dr Peter Daniels: Theme Leader - Diagnosis, Surveillance and Response

Dr Peter Daniels is involved in numerous animal health projects in South-East Asia, focussing on diagnosis and control of disease and development of laboratory quality systems. He is responsible for coordinating the delivery of Australian Animal Health Laboratory's routine and emergency diagnostic services.
Dr Deborah Middleton.
Dr Deborah Middleton: improving Australia's biosecurity

Dr Deborah Middleton is a registered specialist in veterinary pathology. She is working to protect Australia against animal and zoonotic diseases (those that can pass from animals to people).
Dr Ian Purvis is a quantitative geneticist and expert in Merino breeding programs.
Dr Ian Purvis: practical applications for Australia's livestock industries

Dr Ian Purvis is a quantitative geneticist with a close involvement in sheep breeding programs in Australia and overseas.
Dr Charmley has a background in beef cattle management and nutrition and is currently working to improve animal productivity and environmental outcomes for the northern Australian beef industry.
Dr Ed Charmley: researching livestock environment interactions

Dr Ed Charmley is leading CSIRO's research to improve productivity and environmental outcomes for the northern Australian beef industry.
Dr Waqar Ahmad, developing environmental remote sensing applications.
Dr Waqar Ahmad: developing remote sensing applications

Dr Waqar Ahmad is a Principal Research Scientist and Group Leader in Spatial Informatics, based at the CSIRO Centre for Environment and Life Sciences in Floreat, Perth, Western Australia.
Meet our staff

Locations

Aerial view of CSIRO Livestock Industries’ FD McMaster Lab, Armidale.
Armidale, NSW (FD McMaster Laboratory)

Research at FD McMaster Laboratory develops tools for breeders of sheep and cattle to optimise profitability, livestock welfare and on-farm decision support systems, resulting in more efficient animals and better management practices.
Queensland Bioscience Precinct - a world-class collaborative scientific environment for biological research, development and commercialisation.
Brisbane: St Lucia, Qld (Queensland Bioscience Precinct)

Research partnerships such as those at the Queensland Bioscience Precinct will provide solutions to the major problems facing the nation and the world.
CSIRO's Australian Animal Health Laboratory (AAHL).
Geelong, Vic (Australian Animal Health Laboratory)

CSIRO's Australian Animal Health Laboratory (AAHL) conducts diagnosis, training, technology transfer and research which is essential to the success of animal health in Australia.
The main entrance of the CSIRO CELS site in Floreat, Perth, Western Australia.
Perth: Floreat, WA (Centre for Environment and Life Sciences (CELS))

The Centre for Environment and Life Sciences draws together the capabilities of seven CSIRO research areas to provide solutions to environmental management problems and to improve the health of Australians.
The Australian Tropical Sciences and Innovation Precinct in Townsville.
Townsville, Qld (Australian Tropical Sciences and Innovation Precinct)

CSIRO and James Cook University (JCU) are working together, creating a world class research hub at the Australian Tropical Sciences and Innovation Precinct (ATSIP) at JCU's Townsville campus.
Photo of the entrance to CSIRO's Lansdown Research Station.
Woodstock, Qld (Lansdown Research Station)

CSIRO's Lansdown Research Station in tropical Queensland facilitates scientific research to improve the productivity and sustainability of the northern Australian beef industry.

Australian Animal Health Laboratory

CSIRO's Australian Animal Health Laboratory (AAHL).
Australian Animal Health Laboratory (AAHL)

CSIRO's Australian Animal Health Laboratory (AAHL) is a front line defence – helping to protect Australia from the threat of exotic and emerging animal diseases.

Making a Difference

Dehorning the national beef herd could save the industry millions of dollars a year.
Breeding the horns out of cattle

A discovery by CSIRO scientists has been central to the development of an accurate DNA test that may help the Australian cattle industry end the painful practice of dehorning beef cattle.
A livestock transport truck.
Improving conditions for livestock - on the road

CSIRO researchers worked with Australia’s farming industries to ensure objective science underpins animal welfare standards for road transport practices.
Foot-and-mouth disease is the most infectious viral disease known. This image of a pig snout demonstrates the effects of foot-and-mouth disease.
CSIRO well prepared for foot-and-mouth disease

CSIRO is enhancing Australia’s biosecurity preparedness and capabilities to mount an effective response to a potential outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) through a five-year FMD risk management program.

Scientist showing the wrinkle-free breech area of sheep bred for breech strike resistance.
Breeding for Breech Strike Resistance

CSIRO has been collaborating with the sheep and wool industry to develop genetic alternatives to mulesing.
Image of a cow's nose.
Bovine genome decoded

Breakthrough research into the genetic blueprint of the domestic cow could lead to major improvements in Australia's farming industry.
Dr Deborah Middleton.
Opinion: combating the deadly Hendra virus

Hendra virus has been the cause of much discussion over the past decade. Leading Hendra researcher Dr Deborah Middleton explains how CSIRO scientists are contributing to ongoing efforts to minimise the risk of the deadly virus in humans and horses.
AAHL is helping boost the ability of countries in the region to control and eradicate infectious animal disease.
The AAHL Regional Program

CSIRO Livestock Industries' Australian Animal Health Laboratory (AAHL) is supporting Southeast Asian countries in their efforts to control and eradicate infectious animal diseases.
 Channel Name:
Livestock Industries
Index of Livestock Industries related information:

Overviews

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  • Image of the globe from space showing Australia, and the sun rising over the horizon.
    The bioeconomy

    The bioeconomy is an emerging term for the sustainable production and conversion of biomass for a range of food, health, fibre and industrial products and energy.

  • Image of a stockman mustering cattle.
    CSIRO Livestock Industries: contacts by location

    CSIRO's Division of Livestock Industries has more than 500 scientific and support staff in six locations around Australia.

News

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  • CSIRO's Australian Animal Health Laboratory (AAHL).
    Cattle plague's defeat holds valuable lessons

    Lessons learned from the recently successful 50-year campaign to rid the world of cattle plague (rinderpest), could assist in controlling other devastating diseases such as foot and mouth disease, according to world renowned veterinarian, Dr Peter Roeder.

  • Beef cattle.
    Research sheds new light on methane emissions from the northern beef herd

    New CSIRO research indicates that the amount of methane emitted from cattle fed on tropical grasses in northern Australia is up to 30 per cent less than figures currently used to calculate the northern cattle industry’s contribution to Australia’s greenhouse gas accounts.

Science

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  • A photograph of land with crops in the foreground and some trees in background.
    Carbon in Australian agriculture

    Tackling greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is considered to be one of the most serious national and international challenges of our time. Australia has a sizable potential to sequester carbon and mitigate GHG in agricultural production and land use systems.

  • Grazing beef cattle is a major industry in the Burdekin catchment.
    Reducing livestock methane emissions

    CSIRO is undertaking an extensive research program to develop practical solutions for reducing methane emissions from livestock such as sheep and cattle.

Business

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  • Image of valuable bioactive components can be isolated from agricultural and food processing streams.
    Bioindustry product development

    By applying skills in basic biological science, particularly genomics and protein biochemistry, CSIRO researchers are developing new products for the food, animal health and human pharmaceutical industries.

  • Adam Foord, CSIRO scientist, working in the laboratory
    Recombinant antibodies

    CSIRO has the capability to create recombinant antibody and peptide-based reagents for innovative diagnostic and therapeutic applications.

Multimedia

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  • Image of three calves on a field.
    Large Animal Facility

    Take a rare glimpse inside Australia's front-line defence against emerging animal diseases – CSIRO's Australian Animal Health Laboratory, by watching this video (9:25) and downloading the 4-page transcript.

  • This year's Snowdon Lecture presenter – University of Texas virologist, Dr Thomas Ksiazek.
    2009 Snowdon Lecture: a 'one biology' approach to dealing with emerging infections

    On 2 July, Professor Thomas Ksiazek, one of the world's leading virologists, presented the 2009 Snowdon Lecture at CSIRO Livestock Industries' Australian Animal Health Laboratory (AAHL) in Geelong, Victoria. Watch his presentation (66:12) or download the PowerPoint slides. (87 pages)

People & Places

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Publications

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  • CSIRO scientist, Dr Sandra Eady, with rabbits.
    Meat rabbit farming: an introduction

    This document provides background information on the essential features of meat rabbit production. (7 pages)

  • Two Belmont cows in the paddock.
    CSIRO Livestock Industries E-newsletter

    CSIRO's Livestock Horizons e-news brings you the latest research developments aimed at improving the productivity, biosecurity and environmental footprint of Australia's livestock industries.

Resources

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Livestock Industries E-newsletter

Related Links

Food Futures Flagship

Sustainable Agriculture Flagship

AAHL Collaborative Biosecurity Research Facility (ACBRF)

General Contact

Mr John Smith
Communication Manager
Livestock Industries
Phone: 61 7 3214 2960 
Alt Phone: 61 4 6773 6671  
Fax: 61 7 3214 2900 

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