A new research laboratory that will help Australia harness cutting-edge advances in biological sciences has been officially opened in Canberra.

The Centre for Biodiversity Analysis is a joint initiative established in partnership between the CSIRO and the Australian National University (ANU).

“The Centre is drawing on CSIRO and ANU’s world class expertise, and harnessing new and emerging technologies in biodiversity science to improve our knowledge of Australia’s biodiversity and enable governments and conservation NGOs to translate policy into meaningful actions,” said Professor Craig Moritz, Director of the Centre.

“It’s estimated that Australia is home to over half a million unique living species, many of which are found nowhere else on Earth, but of these only about one third are known to science.”

“Improved knowledge of Australia’s biodiversity – how many species, where they are, and how they evolve across environments and through time – will be especially important to ensure sustainable development and production, to maximize ecosystem benefits, and to protect our unique diversity in the face of rapid environmental change,” he said.