BIO 2022
The University of Queensland –
ranked 7th globally for biotechnology
From agriculture and biotechnology to science and sustainability, UQ research has impact – right across the world, every day.
The University of Queensland specialises in research that creates meaningful impact.
UQ continually builds on its global reputation in key areas of national and international significance through interdisciplinary collaboration with more than 400 international industry partners.
UQ's world-leading research is delivered by an interdisciplinary research community that includes four life sciences institutes:
Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology
Institute for Molecular Bioscience
Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation
Queensland Brain Institute
Explore our capabilities below, or get in touch to discuss how we can work with you.
Capabilities
Health
Fast facts
Global top 50 University
150+ active licence agreements
US$51B+ gross product sales
100+ companies created
360+ US-granted patents
432 institutional partners across the globe
#1 Australian institution for life sciences
(Nature Index)
95% of UQ research above world standard
(ERA Assessment 2022)
Case Studies
UQ engages globally with more than 400 industry partners – together, we are creating real change with meaningful impact.
Biomanufacturing Hendra antibodies
In Queensland in September, 1994 the very first outbreak of Hendra virus occurred. Within a matter of days one human and thirteen infected horses had died. By 2009, four people along with numerous horses had died after contracting Hendra, and more outbreaks were on their way. Scientists at the National Biologics Facility at UQ’s AIBN developed a bioprocess to produce clinical amounts of an antibody developed in the US that blocked entry of the virus to human cells, allowing the immune system to fight off the virus. Production of the antibody for emergency compassionate use has since continued and, to date, the antibody has been administered to more than 10 people, who had high risk exposure to Hendra virus. None developed the illness. The NBF have also enabled a recently- completed phase I clinical trial.
Reprogramming bacteria to ‘eat’ greenhouse gas waste
AIBN researchers are working on ways to improve the efficiency of biofuel and chemical manufacture while recycling waste carbon – by better understanding the gene function of bacteria. Their aim is to use anaerobic bacteria or acetogens, which use carbon monoxide or carbon dioxide (CO2) to grow, to convert waste CO2 into useful chemicals and biofuels. Most of the world’s chemicals are currently made from fossil fuels, but by using recycled carbon to feed bacteria, we can produce cleaner, greener chemicals and also use up the harmful gases which would usually contribute to climate change. AIBN is using cutting-edge automated synthetic biology to investigate exactly how all these bacteria make energy and how it can be reprogrammed to ‘eat’ greenhouse gas waste.
Deep Brain Stimulation
The Queensland Brain Institute (QBI) is home to one of the world’s leading deep brain stimulation (DBS) teams at the Asia Pacific Centre for Neuromodulation. Researchers here are using DBS technology to discover new ways of treating a range of neurological disorders such as movement disorders, and mental illnesses including obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). Recently in an Australian first trial, the team showed deep brain stimulation can help people with severe OCD – even in cases where patients haven’t responded to previous treatments. In collaboration with industry partners, a remote care platform has been developed which allows patients to access treatment for Parkinson’s disease from anywhere in the world. The team is now using the technology in a clinical trial to treat anorexia nervosa, a disease with the highest mortality rate of any psychiatric disorder in young women.
Ultrasound
Every three seconds, someone in the world develops dementia. The Queensland Brain Institute’s Clem Jones Centre for Ageing Dementia Research is developing a ground-breaking therapeutic ultrasound approach to target dementia in their Scanning Ultrasound Research Program. The team has developed and fabricated the UltraThera<sup>Pilot</sup> trial-ready medical device, which will initially be used to establish that scanning ultrasound is safe in Alzheimer’s disease patients. Ultimately the aim is to develop a non-invasive and portable ultrasound therapy for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease and other brain disorders in outpatient settings. As the ultrasound device commercialisation progresses, pre-clinical research will continue in tandem to bring the next phase technologies and applications online.
Inflazome
What began as a simple plan to treat inflammatory diseases is now a multi-million-dollar success story. Inflazome, a gutsy start-up with a laser focus on developing new drugs to treat chronic conditions and debilitating diseases, is a masterclass in the power of collaboration and commercialisation. IMB researchers founded Inflazome in 2016 with colleagues at Dublin’s Trinity College to find new ways to treat the likes of arthritis and cardiovascular, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and motor neurone diseases. Four years later, Inflazome had fast-tracked two drugs to clinical trial stage and was snapped up by multinational pharmaceutical company Roche for $A600M. The landmark deal remains one of the largest in Australian and Irish biotech history and cements IMB’s position as a global leader in drug discovery and research innovation.
Protagonist
Awards and accolades; partnerships and public listings: Protagonist Therapeutics has come a long way since the fledgling start-up took root at IMB, supported by passionate philanthropists. Conceived in IMB’s world-class research labs in 2001, Protagonist pioneers new oral drugs targeting hard-to-treat conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease and rare blood disorders, replacing the need for surgery, transfusions and injections. Over two decades, Protagonist expanded beyond IMB’s St Lucia campus to labs across the globe, listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange, partnered with Janssen Pharmaceuticals in a deal worth almost $US200M and was named Australian Company of the Year in 2016. But through it all, the company remains driven by how its innovations benefit patients. Its ground-breaking drugs and leading research not only mean an economic windfall for Protagonist but a better life for patients.
Bioclay – sustainable crop protection spray
Crop viruses and pests reduce global food production by a massive 20 to 40 per cent. UQ scientists have developed BioClay - an agricultural nanotechnology innovation, to help reduce food production losses from pests and pathogens, without the toxic environmental impacts of current chemical sprays.
Novel plant propagation techniques
To boost production of horticulture crops such as avocado, UQ researchers are combining microscopic tissue culture cuttings with new plant propagation techniques to produce hundreds of plants from a single cutting ready for planting in 12 months.
Get in touch
UQ’s world-leading research is delivered by an interdisciplinary research community of more than 1500 scientists across our six faculties, eight research institutes and 100+ research centres.
Explore our specific capabilities
- Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience
- Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation
- Queensland Brain Institute
Get in touch to discuss your project and partner with us
Email: researchpartnerships@research.uq.edu.au
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