World-class antibody facility opens in Melbourne
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6 August 2008
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Medical research and biotechnology in Australia has received a shot in the arm following the launch of one of the world’s largest and most sophisticated antibody facilities, based at Melbourne’s Monash University.
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The Monash Antibody Technologies Facility (MATF) was officially opened at Monash University's Clayton campus by Federal Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, Senator Kim Carr and the Victorian Minister for Innovation, Gavin Jennings.
MATF is able to generate large numbers of specific types of antibodies, creating monoclonal antibodies which are used by scientists to study immune responses to specific diseases and infection.
“Monash University’s Monoclonal Antibody Technology Facility (MATF) is Australia’s first and only high-throughput monoclonal antibody facility, able to produce ten times the number of antibodies in one tenth of the time previously possible,” Victorian Innovation Minister, Gavin Jennings, said.
Monoclonal antibodies are a powerful tool used as diagnostic agents to detect cancers or infectious diseases; vaccines to boost the body's immune response; and therapeutics, to target cancerous cells and treat diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis.
Deputy Director of MATF Michael Spiegel said the facility would accelerate the speed at which scientists can conduct their research.
"Probably the main bottleneck in biomedical sciences right now is a lack of affinity reagents like antibodies - we wanted to remove that bottleneck and open up new ways for investigators to source their research materials," Director, Alan Sawyer added.
Until now, only two high-throughput suppliers existed in the world, both of them in Europe.
This facility in Melbourne will provide Australian researchers with an efficient local source of custom-made antibodies for research, diagnostics and therapeutic development.
MATF products will be sold throughout Australia and internationally to the science community and related organisations. The first phase in the business venture will see biomanufacturing and bioresearch company Millipore licensing MATF antibodies.
By 2010, MATF hopes to supply 80 per cent of Australia’s antibody needs, significantly increasing the pace of medical research.
Victoria is the biotech leader and a key gateway to the fast growing Asia Pacific biotechnology region, now the third largest behind North America and Europe.
This new facility further boosts Victoria’s bid to become a top five biotechnology centre by 2010.
The centre has been funded by Monash University, the Victorian State Government and the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy.
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