Queensland teams on synthetic biology initiative

In Australia, an A$4.5 million initiative to boost Australia’s synthetic biology capabilities will be built by The University of Queensland and CSIRO, helping drive advances in areas such as manufacturing, industrial biotechnology, environmental remediation, biosecurity, agriculture and healthcare research. The CSIRO – UQ Synthetic Biology Initiative involves a close collaboration between the CSIRO Synthetic Biology Future Science Platform (SynBioFSP) and UQ’s Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN).

AIBN Director Professor Alan Rowan said the initiative included a collaborative research program, based at AIBN.

“Building on current capabilities, the alliance will recruit senior synthetic biologists and train a new cohort of synthetic biologists with a focus on industrial bioengineering,” he said.

“Our joint vision is to help create a sustainable, export-oriented biotechnology and bioproducts sector, attracting significant national and international investment, and creating regional, high-value and knowledge-intensive jobs.