Network of synthetic biology facilities to develop plants ready for future challenges
A recent $20M investment from the Commonwealth has led to the development of Plant SynBio Australia (PSBA), a network of facilities with nodes at Adelaide University, Australian National University, La Trobe University and University of Western Australia. PSBA is set to provide plant synthetic biology infrastructure and expertise which will drive accelerated gains in agricultural productivity, and development of new products through environmentally sustainable bio-manufacturing. An official launch event on 18 June 2025 at the Ovolo Nishi in Canberra brought together a cross-section of stakeholders from government, industry and research providers.
“The world needs transformative solutions to critical agricultural challenges – for climate resilience, environmental sustainability, food security, and the development of green industries. Plant Synbio Australia enables the full synthetic biology approach to tackling these agricultural and biomanufacturing challenges,” said Andrew Gilbert, CEO of Bioplatforms Australia.
PSBA will provide plant synthetic biology services for agricultural species, including oilseed and cereal crops, as well as model species to bio-manufacture materials, medicines and other high-value products. It provides infrastructure and expertise for research providers, government and industry institutions as fee-for-service as well as providing incubation space for the start-up community and opportunities to collaborate. PSBA provides capability across the synthetic biology cycle including the design of molecular componentry, genetic editing and transformation, and the phenotypic evaluation of the bio-designed plants.
The PSBA investment was provided by the Commonwealth Government via the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS) as part of a larger $55M ‘Step Change’ investment to enable synthetic biology across industrial fermentation, plant agriculture and medical research & biosecurity domains. The investment is managed by Bioplatforms Australia, a non-profit organisation that supports Australian life science research by investing in state-of-the-art infrastructure and expertise in genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, synthetic biology and bioinformatics. PSBA will join established biofoundries funded through Bioplatforms Australia – the Australian Genome Foundry at Macquarie University and IDEA Bio at the University of Queensland. Further partnerships have been developed between PSBA and partner NCRIS facilities to deliver a seamless provision of relevant capabilities including microscopy, phenotyping and field trials.
For more information about the PSBA please contact Dr Darren Plett, Synthetic Biology Lead, Bioplatforms Australia (dplett@bioplatforms.com) or go to: https://bioplatforms.com/synthetic-biology/
Contact Node Directors for more information specific to nodes or to discuss a project:
Prof Matthew Gilliham (Adelaide – matthew.gilliham@adelaide.edu.au), Prof Barry Pogson (ANU – barry.pogson@anu.edu.au), Prof Tony Bacic (La Trobe – tony.bacic@latrobe.edu.au), Prof Ryan Lister (UWA – ryan.lister@uwa.edu.au).
