Overview
The Australian Animal Disease Genomics Initiative is a national program to improve how Australia understands, detects and manages animal diseases through genomics.
Bioplatforms Australia established this initiative with the animal health sector. It has $1 million in funding. This support will produce core molecular data and methods for national surveillance, diagnostics, and disease intervention across livestock, aquaculture, and wildlife systems.
Initiative Lead: Sarah Richmond, General Manager – Science
Initiative Chair: Prof. Mark Hutchinson
Project Contact: srichmond@bioplatforms.com
Project Status: Active
Objective alignment:
- 2 - Improve Australia’s surveillance and diagnostic capacity for animal pests and diseases
Activity alignment:
- 2.2 - Develop and implement novel technologies, such as POC animal testing and genomics, to address gaps in diagnostic capacity
Project updates
Future Actions
The Australian Animal Disease Genomics Initiative will launch another Request for Partnership in early 2026.
September 2025
Successful projects were announced. Find further details at Bioplatforms Australia.
Under the Reference Genome Library, projects are producing high-quality genomes for priority pathogens and parasites. These include Coxiella burnetii (Q fever), Moraxella, Vibrio, Trypanosoma, the brown stomach worm, and Marteilia sydneyi (QX disease). These datasets will improve diagnostics, strain typing, outbreak tracking, and future vaccine or treatment work.
Under the Animal Virome Atlas, projects are mapping viral diversity in honeybees, native stingless bees, ticks, lizards, koalas, marsupials, and wildlife hospitals. They study how viruses move between wildlife, livestock, and people. They also study how stress, landscape and climatic change shape disease risk.
These projects unite universities, state agencies, wildlife hospitals, and industry partners. Together, they will build a stronger national picture of animal pathogens. They expand our capacity for genomic surveillance, and give reference laboratories and agencies better tools to act early and protect Australia’s animals, industries, and ecosystems.
July 2025
The Initiative launched an open Request for Partnership. It accepted proposals for projects to generate foundational genomic data for priority animal pathogens, parasites, and viromes.
The call focused on two themes:
- Reference Genome Library – Build a collection of high-quality, openly available genomes for key animal pathogens. These include viruses, bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and parasites.
- Animal Virome Atlas – Characterise viral diversity and ecology across animal populations and environments.
Data types supported through this round include:
- long-read and short-read genomes
- population genomics (via whole-genome resequencing)
- transcriptomics
- metagenomic sequencing (for Animal Virome Atlas theme)
- proteomics and metabolomics may also be supported where they enhance outcomes.
See more
See more about the Bioplatforms Australia project.