Research

Working at the nanoscopic level to solve problems at the global level 

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AIBN creates solutions for some of society’s most serious problems in the health, energy and bioeconomy space. 

Our people, together with our rich and unique research infrastructure, gives AIBN the edge.
 
AIBN houses seven nationally-funded research infrastructure facilities. As the only place in Australia where co-location of these facilities occur our researchers have exclusive access to a range of cutting edge technology – all under one roof. 
 
This unparalleled infrastructure gives our researchers and industry the ability to create the world-leading breakthroughs our society is looking for.

AIBN's Three Pillars of Research

Ambition to use synthetic biology to perform automated, single-pass design-build-deploy processes to generate new systems from well-characterised parts at a cellular level.
Development of leading program in next generation point of care diagnostics.
Positioning as key leader for future adaptive and smart materials in the area of functional polymers and adaptive polymer materials.

Working in the health, energy and bioeconomy spaces

Given health is a vital building block of life, we are proud of our track-record in rapidly designing innovative solutions to biosecurity threats such as COVID and Hendra viruses, and diagnostics that can detect and treat serious diseases much earlier than currently possible. Our solutions include nanoparticles for targeted drug delivery for cancer and autoimmune diseases, easy-to-use diagnostics to help oncologists with more effective, personalised treatments, and a nanotechnology device to help triage and monitor high-risk cancer and COVID-19 patients.
 
As the world seeks to decarbonise, our unique approach enables us to develop technology platforms that improve energy-generation technologies, at scale, and develop entirely new ones. They include printable solar cells, safer, more energy-efficient and environmentally-friendly batteries, carbon capture, and green aviation fuels.
  
The bioeconomy is a key path towards a sustainable future, shifting the global economy’s reliance on oil to biological materials. AIBN is world renowned in systems biology, mapping the processes of biology at the gene, genome and protein level of organisms. These insights allow us to harness cells to manufacture future chemicals, foods and medicine in a way that will change the game for our planet.

We are developing new materials, medicines and fuels from biological materials, or creating them from waste. For example, we are creating living ‘cell factories’ to capture waste and convert it into materials and chemicals, converting waste, such as plastics, into useful chemicals and products, reprogramming bacteria to ‘eat’ harmful greenhouse gas waste and produce new chemicals towards a sustainable future, and developing methods of extracting nanofibres from spinifex to improve properties of plastics and paper.
 

 

Health

Energy

Bioeconomy

Research Groups