Written by Tony Malkovic Friday, 23 May 2008 11:16
Oliver is a student at Murdoch College, which is part of the Murdoch University campus in Perth.
Working with a mentor, Murdoch University’s Adjunct Associate Professor Chris Florides, Oliver developed a test to identify varieties of subterranean clover that have high oestrogen levels that can cause sheep infertility.
Murdoch College has a specialist biotech program and Oliver says he’s been collaborating on biotech projects with Associate Professor Florides for some four years.
“I’ve done DNA testing with him, on minkey whales and the heritage of sheep, and all that sort of stuff. So this is the next step in our working partnership,” says Oliver.
Oliver was able to identify markers that accurately identify the clover seed varieties, which are normally indistinguishable from each other.
According to Associate Professor Florides, the ‘eureka’ moment came when they realised that techniques used for testing cereals could provide a better way of identifying the troublesome clover varieties.
“We thought: ‘Could we apply the same technology to clover?’ because that would save a lot of time and be more accurate,” he says.
“And of course, that was speculation, there was no guarantee that we would find that.”
Using a high-powered mass spectrometer, the only one of its kind in Australia, Oliver was working with eight different sub-clover varieties.
“He obtained the unique profiles for those eight varieties, and he determined that he could identify them individually,” says Associate Professor Florides.
As a result, WA’s Department of Agriculture and Food is set to adopt the test, reducing its testing times from two months to only two days, and at a fraction of the cost.
Oliver says he’s always loved science and is set to make it his career.
“I was originally looking at metallurgy at Murdoch Uni, but doing this course has led me to think of going into the biotech industry, whether at Murdoch or overseas,” he says.
Oliver and another Perth student – Bindhu Holavanahalli, who investigated the effects of post-harvest treatments on table grapes – will fly to San Diego in early June to represent Western Australia at the BioGENEius Challenge competing against 14 finalists from the United States and Canada.
|
20/6/08 In breaking news the Premier announced yesterday Oliver and Bindhu finished third and fourth respectively at the sanofi-aventis International BioGENEius Challenge. Well done - ED. 
Federal Science Minister Senator Kim Carr with Bindhu and Oliver after their win at BIO 2008 /
Image: DIISR
|
Related stories:
BioGENEius competition a boon for industry
High school scientists aim for US as part of biotech push
