About Us
Climate change, invasive species and growing pest resistance are driving new challenges worldwide, including the unprecedented rise of dengue fever globally.
2024 has already surpassed the worst year for dengue cases on record, with over 14 million cases and over 10,000 dengue-related deaths. In Australia, the World Health Organization reports cases this year are approximately 2.0 times higher than in 2023.
About CSIRO
As Australia’s national science agency and innovation catalyst, CSIRO solves the greatest challenges through innovative science and technology. We work with organisations large and small, delivering world-leading research and development solutions.
About Oxitec
Oxitec is the world’s leader in sustainable biologically engineered solutions to the world’s largest pest threats for human health, food security, and environmental sustainability. The first to market and first to achieve successful commercialization of targeted, self-limiting species-specific pest solutions, Oxitec has developed the Friendly™ technology platform which is advancing diversified solutions to critical pest challenges around the world.
Combining CSIRO’s scientific leadership and Oxitec’s proven technology platform and scale-up and commercial expertise, Oxitec Australia is launching with a mission to bring novel biosecurity solutions to impact in Australia and wider Oceania, in partnership with Indigenous communities, the region’s leading universities, and local governments.
“Oxitec Australia offers a unique opportunity to help combat the growing threat of invasive and exotic pests. Factors like climate change and growing pesticide resistance will only bring greater challenges to the health of Australians and our region via vector-borne diseases. By investing in new and innovative solutions that complement existing control programs, we can reduce the public health impacts of these exotic and invasive mosquito species.”
Director of Health & Biosecurity at CSIRO, Professor Brett Sutton
“The launch of Oxitec Australia is a bold, strategic initiative to combat the region's most pressing invasive pest challenges and is a demonstration of what can be done with governments and innovators come together to solve big challenges. In collaboration with Indigenous communities, leading scientific institutions, industry partners and farmers, we’re committed to transforming how pest threats to health, food security and ecosystems are addressed. In doing so, we aim to not only protect lives, livelihoods and biodiversity, but also empower Indigenous communities to take the lead in addressing their pest challenges."