Sejong News
Sejong University Discusses Plant Life Science Cooperation with Southern Cross University (SCU), Australia
오세혁
2026-06-01
“Establishing a Joint Research Roadmap for Phytochemical-Based Digital Breeding to Address Global Phosphate Fertilizer Shortages”
The 'Phytochemical-Based Digital Breeding Lab' and the global mid-career research project team for the 'Identification and Utilization of Core Genes Related to Phosphate Use Efficiency' at Sejong University held a joint symposium with Professor Tobias Kretzschmar’s research team at Southern Cross University (SCU) in Australia from January 19 to 21, 2026. The discussion centered on food crop research to counter global phosphate fertilizer shortages and methods for cooperation in natural product-based life sciences.
The 'Phytochemical-Based Digital Breeding Lab' is operated under the Global Basic Research Lab program funded by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF). Meanwhile, the 'Identification and Utilization of Core Genes Related to Phosphate Use Efficiency' team is supported by the Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) and the NRF as a global mid-career research project. Professor Joong Hyoun Chin of the Department of Smart Bio-Industrial Eco-Sciences at Sejong University serves as the principal investigator, with Professors Kyung Do Kim and Hyun-Seung Park from the same department, alongside Professor Hyun Uk Kim from the Department of Bio-Industry and Bioresource Engineering, participating as co-investigators.
On the first day of the symposium, attended by key administrators including SCU Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Research Professor Renaud Joannes-Boyau, the Sejong University research team presented their vision for digital breeding, recent milestones, and achievements in rice research. On the second day, the delegation visited cultivation and demonstration sites for major crops—including milk thistle, tea plants, coffee, macadamia, and pigmented rice (including carbon-reducing rice varieties)—to concretize a "field-oriented advanced research" cooperation model for genetic resource and novel trait discovery. On the final day, the participants synthesized their discussions to finalize the 'Korea-Australia Plant Life Science Bilateral Cooperation Roadmap' and outline the direction for upcoming joint research initiatives.
Furthermore, until January 26, Professor Joong Hyoun Chin—joined by Professor Rae-Hyun Cho of Pusan National University and Professor Jinmi Yoon of Inha University—conducted individual in-depth discussions and co-advising sessions with SCU students and researchers, laying the groundwork for substantive joint research projects and talent exchange. The visit of the research delegation from Sejong, Pusan, and Inha universities was featured across SCU’s internal media and online channels.
Professor Chin stated, “As international consensus grows regarding plant-derived resources and food shortages, this initiative will serve as a momentum to elevate international cooperation to the next level—specifically in developing crops with enhanced phosphate use efficiency and researching plant-derived natural products, which are core elements of food and medicinal materials.”