Creating the cooperative environment is one aspect of a CRC that distinguishes it from many other major research funding sources.  One key area of our success will be gauged by the way in which industry and research groups feel the model provides cooperative opportunities well beyond our CRC. The past seven years have involved many positive examples of synergy. I trust that continued cooperation will be a major legacy of our operations.

Our CRC has also provided some significant research investments which would not have been as likely under normal funding arrangements.  We have made substantial investment in the areas of genomics, molecular markers and plant metabolic engineering. Achievements in these areas are likely to form the backbone of many more advances in sugarcane research for years to come.

It is quite normal at this stage of a CRC to sit back and anguish over the things that should have or could have been done better. But what makes this CRC significant is the understanding that books can be written on why things cannot and won't work - it takes a special type of person to acknowledge and address obstacles and to create a successful way forward. The future success of CRC SIIB outcomes will rely on a continued positivity and a resilient approach to research and its application in the commercial world.

As is the case with any organisation, the people who make up the organisation are its most valuable asset. I owe an enormous debt of gratitude to the Program Leaders, CRC Office staff and Board who have made all of this possible. We would not have achieved so much without their professionalism and commitment to our research and its management.  I hope that your time spent working with our CRC has been as rewarding as mine and wish each of you every success for the future.

Please stay in touch.
Peter Twine

A number of institutions involved in sugarcane biotechnology, mainly driven by Eoin Wallis at BSES and Jim Peacock at CSIRO, were keen to investigate options for a significant investment in sugarcane biotechnology.

And so started the CRC SIIB bid: developed with significant input from Robert Birch and John Manners, submitted in April 2002 and advised of its success in December 2002. The Centre and Commonwealth Agreements, together with the formation documents for ManCo and IPCo, were developed and finally signed on 23 August 2003. 

Queen NutraPharm, Metabolix and Dow AgroSciences joined the CRC SIIB through subsequent Joinder Deeds in 2004, 2007 and 2008 respectively. Farmacule (an original participant) withdrew in 2007.

On the 30^th of June 2010, the research activities of the CRC SIIB wind up.

In particular it provides for:

1. Winding up our obligations with our Participants through the completion of the research and the documentation of the work by way of Final Project reports.
2. Finalising our commitments to the Commonwealth CRC Program.
3. Deregistration of our two companies, ManCo and IPCo.
4. And, registering Sacron Innovations as the focus of the next stages of commercialisation of the CRC IP and other outputs.

Dr Annette Hilton (pictured with Harry Kanasa) will soon begin her new job at the Australian Catholic University (ACU) in Melbourne as a Lecturer in Science and Mathematics Education. A major aspect of the science education program at ACU is a focus on sustainability and real-world applications of scientific research.

Dr Hilton said that she would use her experience and knowledge from the CRC SIIB Education project to make connections for the student-teachers about new areas of biotechechnology research.

"I'll also be using my research on the applications of technology to science education to provide the student-teachers with resources and teaching strategies for use in their future careers as science teachers."

Other success stories: Karl Pioch is off to Germany to start a new postdoctoral position at the University of Cologne on 1 July, and Alex Whan will start his new job as a postdoctoral research fellow at CSIRO Plant Industry in Canberra later in July. Most recently, Alex has been working at SRDC as an Investment Manager, focusing on the development of the National Framework for Sugar Industry Research, Development and Extension.

Please tell us about your successes or otherwise on the CRC SIIB Facebook Group – contact Suzanne Morris on 0412 240 167 if you need help to join the Facebook group.

During the past seven years, our CRC has filed and maintained the following patents:

i.  Enzymes and Methods for Degrading Chlorinated S-triazines, 19 December 2007, Sugar Industry Innovation Pty Ltd.

ii. Polyhydroxyalkanoate Production in Plants, 11 July 2007, Sugar Industry Innovation Pty Ltd.

iii.  Compounds Affecting Glycemic Index, 16 April 2010, Sugar Industry Innovation Pty Ltd.iv.    Glycemic Index Lowering Extract and Method of Extraction, 28 April 2010, Sugar Industry Innovation Pty Ltd.

v. A Method for Treating a Paper Product, 11 July 2008, Sugar Industry Innovation Pty Ltd.

vi.    A Method for Coating a Paper Product, 11 July 2008, Sugar Industry Innovation Pty Ltd.

vii.  Production of Hyaluronic Acid, which is a merger of the following two applications:

a.   Production of Hyaluronic Acid (1), 31 August 2007, Sugar Industry Innovation Pty Ltd and the University of Queensland.

b.   Production of Hyaluronic Acid (2), 14 May 2008, Sugar Industry Innovation Pty Ltd and the University of Queensland.

The most recent patent application filing being: Glycemic Index Lowering Extract and Method of Extraction.

The CRC also has the Australian Registered Trade Mark for AuthOrder®, and has this year filed Trade Mark Applications for Barrecote™ and GI-Wise™.