Highlights of ADW 2024 - National Plant Biosecurity Diagnostic Network (NPBDN)

The hybrid Annual Diagnostics Workshop 2024 (ADW 2024) took place at the Twin Towns Conference and Events Centre at Tweed Heads, NSW from 19 – 20 March 2024, addressing the theme ‘The challenges of unculturables and their vectors’.

Through presentation sessions, a panel discussion, and workshops, the program brought diagnosticians and members of the NPBDN network together to share their knowledge and learnings, and facilitate connections and collaborations. The second day of ADW 2024 overlapped with the Annual Surveillance Workshop (ASW) 2024, allowing both NPBDN and Plant Surveillance Network Australasia-Pacific (PSNAP) members to meet and network between sessions.

Highlights of ADW 2024 included:

31 presentations, including three presentations delivered by invited guests Andrew Turley from CSIRO who spoke about a national approach to biological collections; Andrew Geering from the Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation who presented a review of Begomoviruses and whiteflies in the Top 42; Cait Selleck from Agriculture Victoria who spoke about froghoppers and potential vectors of Xylella fastidiosa
a panel session delivered by Francesco Martoni, Reannon Smith and Elizabeth Fowler on non-destructive nucleic acid extraction methods
seven presentations from our successful 2022/2023 and 2023/2024 NPBDN residential awardees
three shoulder workshops: the fundamentals of the Australian Plant Pest Database (APPD); National Diagnostic Protocols (NDP) development and review; and Rapid molecular assays to detect Honey bee mites
70 in-person delegates attended the event from all Australian states and territories, New Zealand and Florida in the United States
82 delegates attended virtually
a social networking event was held at the conclusion of Day 1.

ADW 2024 was delivered by Plant Health Australia (PHA) with content and structure lead by the Network Implementation Working Group (NIWG) and funded by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) as a part of the National Plant Biosecurity Diagnostics and Surveillance Professional Development and Protocols projects.

Workshop materials are available to NPBDN members. Click here to join.