Inspired by nature: designed by science
At the ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology (CoESB), we design and build microbes that aim to turn agricultural and municipal waste into a vast array of sustainable products.
About us
We are a world-leading research centre whose goal is to take us beyond what any single, existing microbe on earth can do.
We will engineer novel microbial cell factories to help establish an environmentally sustainable advanced biomanufacturing industry. This would:
- increase rural employment and investment
- provide new income streams for farmers
- improve Australia’s balance of trade.
Our goal is to provide 21st century solutions to global agricultural, food production, manufacturing, healthcare and environmental challenges.
We will also invest heavily in developing Australia’s future frontier technology workforce by providing innovative training for early career scientists (ECRs) and postgraduate students.
The CoESB encompasses more than two hundred researchers and graduate students. We work with a wide range of industry partners from Australia and overseas. Since its establishment in 2020, the centre has spun out more than half a dozen companies, which have collectively raised more than $80m in venture capital.
The centre plays an influential role in synthetic biology in Australia, through forums, partnerships and a flourishing outreach program, which includes a bespoke card game.
We aim to create an environmentally sustainable processing industry, leading to significant rural investment, jobs and new export opportunities.
Our research areas:
- Synthetic microbial communities – how microbial communities can work as a team, with each microbe optimised for a specific task.
- Synthetic organelles – engineering tiny vessels within cells to create high-value compounds and redesigning mitochondria for pharmaceutical production.
- Neobiochemistry – a new word for new-to-nature enzymes, metabolic pathways and DNA scaffolds required for molecular factories.
- Systems bioengineering – creating high performing cell factories that may produce a variety of products.
- Industrial translation – how industries can capitalise on the science and barriers to uptake.
- Social dimensions – the promises, practices and policies surrounding synthetic biology.