Lumen Waite 100 - Flipbook - Page 49
The pursuit eternal
WORDS › ANNA KANTILAFTAS | PICTURES › JACK FENBY
Pioneering research in plant breeding, alternative proteins,
and transformative technologies keeps the Waite at the
cutting edge in its constant pursuit of the next big thing.
At the core of the Waite’s research is innovation and a
commitment to sustainability.
Researchers at the Waite are currently working on
projects such as insect proteins; plants like hemp and
duckweed, which have novel industrial and space-faring
applications; hops, a crop with a developing local market;
reducing chemical residues of herbicides and chemical
sprays; and no-and-low-alcohol (NOLO) wines.
Associate Professor Paul Grbin, Head Winemaker and
co-lead of the Wine Microbiology Group in the School
of Agriculture, Food and Wine’s Department of Wine
Science, is one of the researchers leading the venture set
LUMEN
to reshape winemaking. Funded by the South Australian
government through the Department of Primary Industries and Regions in South Australia (PIRSA), the NOLO
project boasts an investment of $1.98 million and partners with the Australian Wine Research Institute.
The facility allows for the development of NOLO
research and product development and assists wineries in
creating innovative products, guiding them through the
entire process – from conception to packaging – without
significant upfront costs.
“Our main technology for removing alcohol is something
called a spinning cone, and this allows small and medium
