We are pleased to share that the Bioplatforms Animal Disease Genomics Initiative is now listed as an official project supporting the ambitions of the DAFF Animalplan 2022–2027, Australia’s first national action plan for production animal health.
Led by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF), Animalplan 2022–2027 provides a coordinated national framework to strengthen animal health across Australia’s livestock industries. It brings together government, industry and research to ensure Australia remains well prepared to prevent, detect and respond to animal health threats.
In collaboration with the animal health community, this initiative enhances disease research and biosecurity through two key efforts:
- Reference Genome Library – Sequencing and annotating high-quality genomes of priority animal pathogens, including bacteria, fungi, viruses, and parasites. These resources will be openly available to support disease understanding and management.
- Animal Virome Atlas – Metagenomic sequencing to map virus diversity in animals, exploring how virome structures change and assessing ecological and evolutionary disease drivers.
By generating open-access genomic data, this initiative strengthens Australia’s ability to understand, monitor, manage, and respond to animal disease threats.
