The Annual Surveillance and Diagnostics Workshop (ADSW) is an annual networking event which allows diagnosticians and surveillance practitioners to come together and share knowledge and learnings. The last face-to-face ADSW was held in March 2020.

This year’s Annual Diagnostics and Surveillance Workshop (ADSW) was held from 30 August to 1 September at AgriBio at La Trobe University in Melbourne. The theme of the hybrid workshop was “Surveillance and Diagnostics – integrated to inspire and innovate” and the program had three subthemes:

Subtheme 1:  Integration and innovation: cases and opportunities for bringing elements of the biosecurity system together

Subtheme 2:  Inspiration and discovery of the new

Subtheme 3:  National surveillance program updates

The workshop was facilitated by Plant Health Australia (PHA) and funded by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) as a part of the ‘National Plant Biosecurity Diagnostics and Surveillance Professional Development and Protocols’ projects.

Some of the highlights include:

• 45 abstracts received
• 132 participants in person
• 69 participants (virtual)
• 7 workshops (training and additional meetings)
• 9 sessions
• 9 guest speakers
• 4 panel discussions
• diagnostic and surveillance residential updates
• first ever student session
• trade show (latest technologies on display)
• networking social event.

“The ADSW was a successful event with initial feedback indicating that more joint diagnostics and surveillance workshops should be held,” said Dr Lucy Tran-Nguyen, PHA National Manager, Diagnostics.

“We are planning to include a field trip, panel discussions and training in future workshops,” she said.

An ADSW report will be completed in the near future and uploaded to: NPBDN website and the Plant Surveillance Network website.