The institute makes a major move into the biotechnology arena, opening a biotechnology centre in the La Trobe R&D Park, Bundoora.
Advancing basic research for health care outcomes
The facility provides a number of platform technologies for drug discovery and development, including high-throughput chemical screening, medicinal chemistry, functional genomics of malaria and monoclonal antibody production, in addition to incubator space for spin-off companies commercialising institute research.
Institute director Professor Suzanne Cory says the centre will enhance the institute’s capacity to move its basic research discoveries further along the research and development pipeline. “Fundamentally we are a basic research organisation and will always remain so. But we’re interested in the fruits of development for health care outcomes. You can’t separate basic from applied research; it’s all part of the pipeline.”1
Funding for the new facility comes from a number of philanthropic organisations, including The Atlantic Philanthropies, as well as the Victorian Government.
