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AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE FOR BIOENGINEERING AND NANOTECHNOLOGY (AIBN) ANNUAL REPORT 07 contents 2 DIRECTOR’S REPORT` 4 DYNAMIC RESEARCH ENVIRONMENT 6 INDUSTRY FOCUS 8 RESEARCH EXCELLENCE 10 BUILDING AUSTRALIA’S RESEARCH CAPABILITY 15 RESEARCH PROJECTS 16 MAMMALIAN CELL LINES AND STEM CELL BIOPROCESSES 17 BIOPROCESS TECHNOLOGY 17 SYSTEMS BIOTECHNOLOGY 18 TISSUE ENGINEERING AND MICROFLUIDICS 18 VASCULAR RESEARCH 19 STEM CELL ENGINEERING 20 BIOPOLYMER PROCESSING 21 NANOTOXICOLOGY, BIOMATERIALS AND TISSUE ENGINEERING 21 POLYMER CHEMISTRY 22 BIOMOLECULAR ENGINEERING 22 ADVANCED MATERIALS FROM COMPLEX POLYMER ARCHITECTURES 23 GENE AND DRUG DELIVERY RESEARCH 24 SINGLE MOLECULE NANOTECHNOLOGY 25 NANOTECHNOLOGY AND BIOMATERIALS 26 ENERGY INTERFACE ARCHITECTURE FOR POWER SYSTEMS 27 FUNCTIONAL NANOMATERIALS 27 COMPUTATIONAL BIO AND NANOTECHNOLOGY 28 AIBN GRADUATE PROGRAM 31 RESEARCH TRANSLATION AND COMMERCIALISATION 32 APPENDICES 33 RESEARCH GRANTS 36 AIBN PUBLICATIONS 41 AIBN STUDENTS 42 AIBN SEMINARS 44 AIBN MEDIA COVERAGE VICE-CHANCELLOR’S MESSAGE The University of Queensland’s Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN) is rapidly gaining global traction by blending excellence in discovery with attention to the needs of industry and other end-users of research. Focussing on outcomes that will benefi t students, one quarter of whom are Professor Paul Greenfi eld AO human health and the environment, from overseas. In addition the AIBN VICE-CHANCELLOR AIBN scientists and engineers integrate has implemented new programs by THE UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND the physical, chemical and biological which undergraduate students can sciences. They utilise some of Australia’s gain important laboratory experience newest and best bio infrastructure to that contributes toward their degrees. apply innovative ideas and techniques, This laboratory experience exposes and have the added advantage of the students to the leading edge of access to high-quality equipment and Australian bio/nano research, further people throughout UQ. enriching their undergraduate studies. AIBN is part of UQ’s suite of research The year also saw the expansion of institutes. Staff maximise the impact of AIBN’s intellectual property portfolio; their own expertise by collaborating with there were three completed fi lings, – in particular – peers in the Institute for three national phase entries and fi ve Molecular Bioscience, the Diamantina provisional patents fi led. A start-up, Institute for Cancer, Immunology and Pepfactants Pty Ltd, raised pre-seed Metabolic Medicine, the Queensland investment, and two new ventures, Brain Institute, the Sustainable Minerals DendriMed Pty Ltd and TenasiTech Institute, the Faculty of Biological and Pty Ltd, emerged. As well, fi ve AIBN Chemical Sciences, the Faculty of projects attracted more than $150,000 in Engineering, Physical Sciences and proof-of-concept funds from UQ’s main Architecture, and the Faculty of Health commercialisation entity, UniQuest. Sciences. Gaining almost $12 million in research Under the stewardship of Professor grants and forging formal collaborations Peter Gray, AIBN staff and students took with The Dow Chemical Company and full advantage of 2007 as their fi rst full Korea Advanced Institute of Science and year in new $72 million headquarters. Technology are other initiatives for which Success in grant acquisition, international Professor Gray and his team deserve collaboration and commercialisation, in great credit. addition to strong growth in research These and other highlights of higher degree (RHD) student numbers, 2007 will be a platform for future signalled expansion in international and success by AIBN researchers national recognition of the AIBN. and their partners in discovery The Institute’s fl edgling graduate and commercialisation across program grew by more than 100 the national and international percent. The building houses 90 RHD communities. AIBN ANNUAL REPORT 07 1 DIRECTOR’S REPORT It has been gratifying to note that the endeavours of AIBN’s staff and students over the last 12 months has enhanced the Institute’s national and international reputation in three key areas that collectively distinguish it from other institutes in the country, namely the AIBN’s Research Excellence; Industry Focus; and Dynamic Research Environment. During 2007, AIBN experienced a period Alliances Program and from a number of of rapid consolidation and growth as other Australian and International funding the research groups took advantage of sources as detailed in this report. the excellent facilities provided in the In addition, Professor Max Lu’s ARC Institute’s new building. Centre for Functional Nanomaterials During the year, the number of research was successfully reviewed and as a groups grew to 17 and by the end of the result awarded the prestigious Centre of year the Institute numbered 340 staff and Excellence status. research higher degree students. The As is befi tting for a translational research reputation of AIBN is rapidly growing, institute with a strong technology both nationally and internationally, as focus, 2007 saw AIBN rapidly expand a place to carry out research of the its commercialisation and technology highest quality at the bio/nano interface. transfer operations. There are increasing This is demonstrated by the excellent interactions with local small to medium staff and students that our Group enterprises active in nanotechnology Leaders are attracting to the Institute and biotechnology, as well as with approximately two thirds of our growing linkages with a number of researchers moving to Brisbane to join key multinational partners. The report AIBN. Now that the Institute is housed in outlines AIBN start-up companies its state-of-the-art building, it has been formed during the year, and the close particularly pleasing to see an increase links developing between the Innovation in the number of research collaborations and Commercial Development team and between groups. These collaborations research groups in the Institute are opening up new, productive areas of It is for me to again acknowledge the research. efforts and contributions of the Institute’s AIBN performed particularly well in 2007 17 Group Leaders, led ably by the AIBN in attracting competitive research funding Executive consisting of Professors Julie from the Australian Research Campbell, Max Lu, Anton Middelberg Council (ARC), the National and Matt Trau. I also congratulate Ms Health and Medical Donna Hannan for her hard work and Research Council, dedication in the formation and growth the Cooperative of the Institute. In 2007 the University Research Centre fi ttingly recognised the major role she Scheme, from the continues to play in the smooth running Queensland State of AIBN by appointing her Deputy Government’s Director (Operations). National and The year has also been characterised by International a rapid increase in the physical facilities Research in the building, and I thank Dr Steve Love 2 AIBN ANNUAL REPORT 07 and his team for their hard work in rapidly Bioscience), Professor Perry Bartlett FAA commissioning a wide range of complex (Queensland Brain Institute), Professor equipment, in particular the three NCRIS Ian Frazer (The Diamantina Institute for facilities described in the report. Cancer, Immunology and Metabolic I must thank the unstinting support of The Medicine) and Professor Chris Moran University of Queensland, in particular (Sustainable Minerals Institute). the past Vice-Chancellor Professor John I also thank the Head of the School Hay who was a tireless advocate for the of Engineering Professor Graham AIBN. We acknowledge his contribution Schaffer and the Head of the and look forward to forging a similarly School of Molecular and Microbial close and enduring relationship with Sciences Professor Alastair UQ’s new Vice-Chancellor Professor Paul McEwan. Greenfi eld. Finally I acknowledge the I also thank the Deputy Vice-Chancellor contribution of Sir Sydney (Research) Professor David Siddle and Schubert, the foundation Chair his staff for their support in the past 12 of our State Government months. I acknowledge the support of Review Committee, who Professors Mick McManus, Stephen retired from this position Walker and Peter Brooks; the Executive in 2007. Deans of the Faculty of Biological and Professor Peter Gray Chemical Sciences, the Faculty of AIBN DIRECTOR Engineering, Physical Sciences and Architecture, and the Faculty of Health Sciences respectively. In particular I look forward to strengthening relationships with my fellow UQ Research Institute Directors, particularly Professor Brandon Wainwright (Institute for Molecular AIBN ANNUAL REPORT 07 3 DYNAMIC RESEARCH ENVIRONMENT AIBN formalises ties with leading Korean research institute Demonstrating that AIBN’s dynamic research environment is at the front line of the global bioproduct industry, the then Premier of Queensland Honourable Peter Beattie MP witnessed a new partnership with the Korean Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) in May 2007. Regarded as the “MIT of Korea”, KAIST be a signifi cant reduction in the amount has outstanding programs in science and of energy used in chemical production engineering education and research. It is which currently accounts for seven Korea’s foremost centre of strategic R&D percent of global energy use. projects with interests complementary to This will reduce Australia’s reliance on those of the AIBN. the world’s diminishing supply of fossil AIBN and KAIST have teamed up to fuels, assist the