CANBERRA, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) — Australia’s national science agency has opened a biodiversity center to safeguard over 13 million specimens.
The new building, named Diversity, in the capital Canberra, unites the Australian National Wildlife Collection and the Australian National Insect Collection under one roof in temperature-controlled, bushfire- and pest-resistant vaults, according to a statement released Thursday by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO).
Diversity houses one of the world’s largest collections of Australian and Papua New Guinean birds, a vast archive of insects, and other preserved specimens spanning 150 years, to aid biosecurity, conservation, climate resilience and environmental management.
“They are a hidden powerhouse, supporting everything from tracking pest incursions to discovering new species and understanding the genetic diversity of Australia’s native ecosystems,” said CSIRO Chief Executive Doug Hilton.
Equipped with advanced genomics and digitization labs, the 90 million-Australian dollar (59 million-U.S. dollar) center will allow researchers and citizen scientists worldwide to extract DNA, capture high resolution images and share data, according to the CSIRO.
Jointly funded by the CSIRO and the Department of Education, the project began in 2022, with construction taking just over two years and a further year to relocate the 13 million specimens, it said.
