We’re excited to share that QCIF Digital Research has been named a finalist for its work on Taxodactyl, a modular, reproducible Nextflow workflow for the conservative taxonomy assignment of DNA sequences, designed for high-confidence, auditable results in biosecurity contexts.

This recognition reflects the outstanding work of the QCIF Bioinformatics and QCIF Data & Software members Cameron Hyde, Magdalena Antczak, Daisy Li, Sarah Williams and Claire Herne, in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) and Australian BioCommons to address an important national need.

“This project has been a fantastic challenge for the team, as it combines bioinformatics with software engineering to meet tough stakeholder requirements. This is exactly the kind of work that our team thrives on.”

Dr Cameron Hyde, Senior Software Developer, QCIF

Taxodactyl is transforming how biosecurity agencies identify unknown organisms at Australia’s borders, replacing manual, time-intensive DNA analysis with a fast, standardised and reproducible workflow. This enables more consistent, scalable and reliable decision-making, helping authorities respond to potential threats with greater speed and confidence.

Taxodactyl was made open source to help ensure it delivers broad value across biosecurity, agriculture and environmental research, extending its impact beyond a single application.

The Not-For-Profit / Community category at the QLD iAwards recognises tech innovations delivering meaningful social impact.

We thank the many contributors across QCIF Digital Research, the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and the Australian BioCommons, whose expertise and collaboration made this possible.