Protein crystallisation facility

The Bio21 Collaborative Crystallisation Centre (Bio21-C3) is the first of its kind in Australia and will be opened by the Parliamentary Secretary for Innovation and Industry, Matt Viney, MP.

The centre is a multi node research and development consortium designed to develop and enhance protein crystallisation expertise using the latest in automation and robotics.

Protein crystallography allows researchers to understand proteins at the atomic level and unlock their structure. Scientists can then use the information to design drugs for human and animal health, chemicals for plant protection or to solve a multitude of life science problems.

The Centre is jointly operated by CSIRO Molecular and Health Technologies, the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, St Vincent's Institute, the Burnet Institute, and the Victorian College of Pharmacy (Monash University).

Operating out of four Melbourne sites, the Centre offers services such as robotic crystallisation screening and refinement, robotic crystal tray imaging, microfluidic crystallisation, and dynamic and static light scattering, using 10-100 times less material than required for manual methods.

Chair of the Bio21-C3 Oversight Committee, Dr Colin Ward, said that for the first time researchers will have access to a suite of state-of-the-art infrastructure capable of making an impact at what has arguably become the rate-limiting step in protein structure determination.

"Crystals play a critical role in understanding the molecular structure of proteins," Dr Ward said.

"No other method for protein analysis can give such detailed information about protein structure. Whilst in the past protein crystal growth has been difficult and labour intensive, Australia now has a fantastic new research facility which brings automation and computer-aided decision making into the process. Additionally the Centre will be an important feeder for the Australian Synchrotron when it begins operation in 2007."

The Centre's first major coup was to attract Dr Janet Newman back to Australia from the USA to run the facility. Dr Newman is an internationally recognised leader in the development of crystallisation techniques and methodology, with over twenty years of experience in the field.

"Bio21-C3 will provide the resources to develop novel technologies in protein crystallogenesis," Newman said.

"Even a small improvement in our understanding of how crystals form could lead to a significant increase in the rate of biomedical outcomes."

Run as a not-for-profit technology platform, the Centre is accessible by all research groups within Victoria " commercial, academic and government.