Proteomics facility launches its latest phase

The Australian Proteome Analysis Facility (APAF) today launched the latest phase of its development, unveiling a new logo and plans to become self-sufficient within the next five years.

APAF, based at Sydney's Macquarie University, was founded with a Federal government Major National Research Facility (MNRF) grant in 1995, in the process becoming the world's first dedicated proteome research centre.

After successfully winning a second-round MNRF grant of $AUD16.5 million in 2001, backed up by $2 million from the NSW government and $1 million from the South Australian government, APAF has teamed with the Universities of Sydney and NSW and Adelaide company TGR BioSciences to undertake research into proteomics as well as contract research.

At today's launch, Commonwealth Science Minister Peter McGauran said that the original decision to fund APAF had shown "great foresight into the economic, social and medical demands of the future. The beneficiaries [of APAF] go beyond the biotechnology industry and include the whole Australian community," he said.

McGauran said that too often, Australian ideas and research had been lost overseas, but local collaborations such as those engineered by APAF would give the company the opportunity to compete internationally.

A quarter of APAF's customers are based overseas.

APAF board chairman Dr Geoff Grigg said the facility existed because of the efforts of a group of people, including former Macquarie professor and proteomics pioneer Dr Keith Williams (now CEO of Sydney company Proteome Systems, APAF's chief operating officer Dr Gary Cobon, and the Federal, NSW and South Australian governments.

"APAF is a fine example of the success of the MNRF scheme," Grigg said.

He said the board took its role seriously and planned to help make APAF financially self-sufficient within the next five years. "The board considers proteomics as entering a very exciting growth phase at the moment," he said.

Other developments in the pipeline at APAF include upgraded mass spectrometry facilities and a chair in informatics, Grigg said.