New CSIRO lab and board member

CSIRO and Deakin University have officially opened the new Biosecure Immunology Laboratory, located inside CSIRO’s Australian Animal Health Laboratory (AAHL) in Geelong. The research facility will improve Australia’s ability to develop new treatments for highly infectious viruses such as influenza and Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome (MERS).

“This new world-class facility will be critical in helping us develop new, more natural, therapeutics and boost our work in preventing, detecting and treating emerging infectious diseases,” said AAHL Director Dr Kurt Zuelke.

“Researchers in Geelong are already world renowned for their work with zoonotic agents - those that can pass from animals to people - and with this new facility we can now compare the immune responses of different animal species, including humans, to the most pathogenic infectious agents.”

Immunology researcher Matt Bruce loads a sample into the cell sorter to isolate virus fighting cells.

By understanding how pathogens affect different animal hosts - eg, how pigs or poultry protect themselves from influenza - researchers hope to harness a host’s successful immune mechanisms to develop new therapeutic approaches to manage these viruses.

The new laboratory is equipped with state-of-the-art equipment, thanks to a longstanding collaboration between CSIRO and Deakin University, with input from the University of Georgia, USA. It will be made available as a national resource with operational funding support from the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS), enabling research scientists from across the world to work on infected live cells, all contained within a biosecure area.

“We’re already in discussions with international researchers from the United Kingdom and USA who are keen to have access to this facility to further their research into diseases of pigs,” Dr Zuelke said.

CSIRO has also announced the appointment of biotechnologist Dr Peter Riddles as a part-time member of the organisation’s board. Dr Riddles is a board director and consultant, including chairman to Life Sciences Queensland.

He has worked with the private sector, government bodies and research institutes. He founded Vicibio, a firm specialising in providing strategic advice to organisations, companies and governments involved in life sciences and technology, and was previously deputy chief executive officer of IMBcom and executive director of CSIRO’s Bioactive Molecule Discovery Program.

Minister for Industry Ian Macfarlane said Dr Riddles’ experience and expertise in biotechnology in both the higher education and research sectors will be of great value to CSIRO.

“Dr Riddles’ broad experience across the life sciences including working on commercialisation and new venture creation, and on policy development and strategy with governments, will complement the existing skills and expertise of the CSIRO board,” Macfarlane said