Developing next-generation environmental intelligence systems that help protect Australia's borders through continuous automated monitoring, molecular diagnostics, and trusted decision support.
Collaborators
This project was delivered in collaboration with the University of Canberra National eDNA Reference Centre (NRC) and the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF), combining accredited molecular diagnostics with advanced automated environmental monitoring technologies.
The Challenge
Australia's ports process enormous volumes of freight every day, creating continual opportunities for exotic pests and diseases to enter the country.
Government authorities require surveillance systems that are highly reliable, time-efficient and cost-effective while operating within fast-moving logistics environments. Traditional monitoring approaches often rely on periodic manual sampling, delaying detection and increasing operational costs.
Our Solution
Data Effects deployed early prototypes of its automated airborne eDNA and intelligent insect monitoring systems for an eight-month operational trial across two critical Approved Arrangement Facilities:
- Rapid Haulage, Port of Adelaide
- Mainfreight Perishables, Port of Melbourne
Automated samples were collected every two weeks and analysed using the National eDNA Reference Centre's accredited molecular testing workflows, creating an end-to-end surveillance pipeline from autonomous field collection through to laboratory confirmation.
The Impact
The project demonstrated that combining autonomous environmental sampling with accredited diagnostic testing can provide government agencies with rapid, high-integrity evidence to support decisive biosecurity responses.
By reducing reliance on manual surveillance while improving the consistency and quality of environmental intelligence, the project provides a practical pathway toward continuous monitoring across Australia's freight and logistics network.