Protecting Australia’s Livestock Through Better Biosecurity: How an Industry PhD Is Helping Track Disease-Carrying Insects

For Tomoko Okazaki, understanding how animal diseases spread is not just an academic challenge. It is research with direct implications for protecting Australia’s livestock industries and strengthening the nation’s biosecurity preparedness. Working through the National Industry PhD (NIPhD) Program, Tomoko is investigating the role of biting midges in transmitting serious animal diseases, while collaborating closely with industry partners responsible for animal health in the Northern Territory.  

Her NIPhD project was established through a collaboration between Professor Maxine Piggott, Professor of Tropical Biosecurity at Charles Darwin University, and the Northern Territory Government’s Berrimah Veterinary Laboratory. According to Maxine, the partnership emerged from existing discussions about working more closely together and provided an opportunity to create a PhD project that met the needs of the university, the research team and the industry partner simultaneously.  

Tomoko’s research focuses on biting midges of the Culicoides species, tiny insects capable of carrying significant animal diseases including African horse sickness and blue tongue disease. These diseases can have major impacts on livestock industries and domestic animals. As Tomoko explains, the insects can travel remarkable distances. “Biting midges are tiny insect which carrying significant animal diseases such as African horse sickness and blue tongue disease,” she says. “They can fly up to 700 kilometres, which is distance to our neighbouring countries.”  

Understanding how these insects move and spread disease is critical for maintaining strong biosecurity systems, particularly in northern Australia where proximity to neighbouring countries can increase the risk of future disease incursions. Tomoko hopes her research will contribute directly to practical outcomes. “I’m hoping to provide my information, my research results, to improve their biosecurity measures and also readiness for future potential animal disease incursions,” she says.  

A defining feature of the NIPhD Program is the close integration between researchers and industry partners. For Maxine, this industry embedding creates benefits for everyone involved. “Embedding the candidate early really helps for them to gain an understanding of what industry does and what industry needs,” she says. “The industry partner also benefits by seeing new skills that might be coming through universities that they may not be exposed to when we’re all working separately.”  

For Tomoko, the opportunity to work alongside industry has been one of the most valuable aspects of the experience. Access to the partner organisation’s laboratory facilities and equipment has strengthened her research while helping her better understand how her work can contribute to real-world challenges. “It is good opportunity to me to get better understanding what they’re doing and what I can do to help and improve their biosecurity program,” she explains.  

For both Tomoko and Maxine there are additional broader professional benefits of the program. Tomoko initially saw the financial support as an important advantage, but says the networking opportunities have become equally valuable. “It gives me opportunity to meet many researchers, peers, and university student, which is beneficial for my future career,” she says.  

Maxine agrees that the program creates meaningful pathways for future employment and workforce development. “The financial benefit is huge,” she says. “If they’re embedded, they’re paid at a good rate, it helps them to sort of think of a future career.” She also believes the model is particularly important in regional and remote areas. “The program, I think, is really good for something like the Northern Territory because we’re very remote. We have a very sparse population, so to be able to bring people in or people who are already here and to get new skills is really essential for the future of the Northern Territory.”  

Reflecting on her experience, Tomoko says the project has reinforced the value of research with practical impact. “It is good to see how my research contributes to protect animals,” she says.  

For Maxine, the benefits extend beyond a single research project. “The benefits as an academic supervisor is to develop better connections with industry,” she says. “It’s helped to develop my research ideas, and if you’re interested in your students having career opportunities, it’s a really beneficial program.”  

Together, their experience demonstrates how industry-connected research can generate new knowledge, strengthen biosecurity capability, build valuable professional networks and create pathways for the next generation of researchers, all while addressing challenges that matter beyond the university sector.