Mission MushVroom will be the first study to cultivate and grow mushrooms in space. Oyster mushrooms are the perfect space crop, helping astronauts meet their nutritional needs on long-duration space missions like those to Mars, while closing the loop in plant agriculture and helping to minimise inputs and waste. They are quick to grow, double in size every day, and have nutrients found across food groups, including the unique ability to make vitamin D on UV exposure- the only supplement currently given to astronauts on the International Space Station.

Brisbane's ARM Hub, North Queensland Banana Farmers and Hort Innovation have teamed up to help growers identify opportunities to cut costs by adopting ‘continuous improvement and automation technology’.

This research focuses on the automation of banana de-handing, aiming to reduce manual labour and enhance processing efficiency. By developing and integrating robotic systems into this core process, the project addresses labour constraints and creates opportunities for wider automation adoption in banana handling and packaging operations.

A specialised Food Science and Nutrition campus run by Murdoch University has launched at the Food Innovation Precinct WA.