Australia's national science agency, CSIRO, has officially opened its new $90 million state-of-the-art facility in Canberra, named 'Diversity'. This cutting-edge building is dedicated to preserving over 13 million irreplaceable biodiversity specimens, serving as a crucial resource for future scientific exploration and understanding of Australia's natural heritage.
The 'Diversity' facility consolidates the Australian National Wildlife Collection and the Australian National Insect Collection, housing a vast array of specimens including birds, orchids, egg clutches, tissue samples, and millions of insects. Dr. Doug Hilton, CSIRO's Chief Executive, highlighted the facility's pivotal role in advancing research across environmental monitoring, pest and disease control, and sustainable resource management. These collections have historically been foundational to Australian science, policy, agriculture, and conservation efforts.
The facility employs advanced preservation techniques, featuring temperature-controlled, bushfire- and pest-resistant vaults to ensure the long-term integrity of delicate specimens. While not accessible to the public, the collections are available to researchers and citizen scientists globally, supported by sophisticated laboratories for data extraction and sharing. Dr. Clare Holleley, Director of CSIRO's Australian National Wildlife Collection, described the facility as a "time machine for Australia's biodiversity," offering crucial temporal snapshots of specimens to help scientists better comprehend and anticipate shifts in the nation's fauna and flora.
The Australian National Insect Collection, established in 1928, holds over 12 million specimens, making it the world's largest repository of Australian insects and related invertebrates. The Australian National Wildlife Collection, established in 1966, safeguards nearly 200,000 zoological specimens, including skins, skeletons, and tissue samples, primarily of Australia's vertebrate fauna. Construction of the 'Diversity' facility began in autumn 2022 and was completed just over two years later, representing a significant investment in Australia's scientific future.
The integration of these extensive collections under one roof, along with new genomics and digitisation capabilities, is set to accelerate research into areas such as new pharmaceuticals derived from insect venoms and understanding species' adaptation to climate change. Biological specimens are vital for scientific research, offering insights into species, space, and time, and are crucial for cataloging biodiversity, managing endangered species, and preventing invasive species.
The 'Diversity' building itself is designed with biomorphic forms and nature-inspired interiors, featuring a perforated façade that subtly educates about Australia's unique species, reinforcing the building's core purpose of preserving and expanding our understanding of biodiversity for generations to come.