University of New South Wales - BABS - Biotechnology & Bioprocess Development

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Biotechnology & Bioprocess Development

Research in Biotechnology and Bioprocess Development is aimed broadly at developing new biotechnological products and manufacturing processes. Using an interdisciplinary approach, materials, tools and techniques from biology, chemistry, physics and engineering are applied to develop and improve bioprocess technology. Our research has resulted in conceptual advances in the understanding of biochemical systems as well as direct practical outcomes for industrial application. Research projects are carried out using a full range of biological agents and catalysts, including enzymes, viruses, bacteria, fungi, animal cells and tissues, and plant cells and organs.

Specific areas of interest include tissue engineering, biopharmaceuticals, expression systems, bioreactor and fermentation engineering, marine bioproducts, stem cells, biofuels, protein purification, biotransformations and nanobiotechnology.

A large number of our research programs are conducted in collaboration with industrial groups and other scientists in Australia and overseas. Close commercial links are also maintained through the Bioengineering Centre, which coordinates research and development activities in recombinant protein and antibody production. By integrating scientific and engineering approaches and techniques, our research exploits new developments in molecular and cell biology, genomics and proteomics, and translates them into valuable products and services.

Research Teams:

Team Leader	Research Areas
Prof Pauline Doran	Tissue engineering of human cartilage Biological production of semiconductor nanoparticles Foreign protein production using plant systems Plant cell bioreactor design and development Engineering aspects of large-scale hairy root culture
Dr Frances Foong	Design and production of chimeric proteins for enrichment and growth of stem cells Development and improvement of enzymes with recombinant DNA techniques Genetic engineering of cells for biological and toxicity assays Detection and characterization of regulatory regions of mammalian genes
Prof Peter Gray	Production of biopharmaceuticals by recombinant DNA techniques Metabolic engineering of mammalian cells capable of autocrine growth Mammalian cell expression systems; use of FACS for the high speed isolation of clones Proteomics of CHO and stem cell cultures Novel protein separation techniques Innovation policy and the development of the biotech industry; evaluation and management of R&D projects
Dr Christopher P. Marquis	Generation of anti-allotype antibodies against red cell and platelet antigens Production of a human cytokine, MIC-1, in Pichia pastoris Bioactive compounds in scleractinian corals Production and purification of recombinant chaperonin 10 (cpn10) in E. coli Cerulide production by Bacillus species
Dr Bettina Rosche	Biocatalysis for sustainable fine chemical production Enzymatic and microbial bioprocess development "Biofilm Factories": harness the specific characteristics of microbial biofilms for the production of chemicals Two-liquid phase bioprocesses for chiral pharmaceuticals Extending the biocatalytical toolbox (novel reactions, biodiversity, recombinant strains, metabolic engineering)
Prof Peter L. Rogers	Biotechnology-based strategies for conversion of renewable agricultural/forestry resources to fuel ethanol and fermentation chemicals Development of recombinant strains of Zymomonas mobilis for fuel ethanol production Development of recombinant thermophile microorganisms for fermentation chemicals and enzymes Enzymatic processes for chiral biopharmaceuticals Production of ephedrine/pseudoephedrine from precursor using pyruvate decarboxylase (PDC) from various sources (fungi, yeast, bacteria) Development of 2-phase (aqueous/organic) processes for high productivity enzymatic biotransformations
Mr Charles Svenson	Metabolic engineering of Zymomonas mobilis for enhanced biofuel production Bio-mining and metabolic engineering of thermophilic bacteria Expression systems and competence factors of cyanobacteria Broad host range bacterial vector system development Enhanced thermostability of recombinant proteins.