SCIENCETHE UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND

International Agents 2008

UQ Quick Facts

• Research & Teaching staff (UQ) (BACS)• Academics 2,191 152• Research Fellows 767 167• Graduate Students 9,832 624•

• Undergraduate Students• All students 37,500 3,384• International 6,670 536• (Top 3 – Singapore, China, U.S.A)

•• Annual Income – 2008 ~$1 billion (AUD) $151 million (AUD)

• Other• 13 libraries (2 million + volumes)• 18,000 + computers• 1,955 Laboratories and teaching rooms

Sydney

Melbourne

University of Queensland

Brisbane

Moreton Bay Research Station

Heron Island Research Station

Low Isles Research Station

Idalia National Park

Lamington National Park

UQ Facilities & Locations

Low Isles

Heron Island

MBRS

Lamington National Park

Idalia National Park

Research

Research Institutes

• Institute for Molecular Bioscience

• Queensland Brain Institute

• Australian Institute for Bioengineering & Nanotechnology

• Sustainable Minerals Institute

• The Diamantina Institute for Cancer

Institute for Molecular Bioscience

• Largest purpose - built biotechnology complex in Australia

• Opened May, 2001

• 750 scientists from

– UQ's Institute for Molecular Bioscience

– Commonwealth Scientific & Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)

Division of Livestock Industries

– CSIRO Plant Industry & Sustainable Ecosystems

– Queensland Department of Primary Industries

• IMB was funded by an Irish/American philanthropist, UQ, Queensland Government, Australian Government and CSIRO.

Institute for Molecular Bioscience

Queensland Brain Institute

Queensland Brain Institute

• Established in 2003

• An AUD$60 million neuroscience research institute

• Developing new molecular, genetic and imaging technologies to drive discovery in the neurosciences

• Opened December 2007 and will house around 240 scientists

• Aims to gain a thorough understanding of brain function at the cellular and molecular level

• Will use this knowledge to further the R&D of therapeutics to enhance cognition during ageing, and to treat major brain diseases like stroke, dementia (Alzheimer’s Disease), spinal cord injury and anxiety disorders

Australian Institute for Bioengineering & Nanotechnology

Australian Institute for Bioengineering & Nanotechnology

• AUD$70 million research institute Established in 2002

• Integrated biotechnology-based institute merges the skills of the

engineer, chemist, biologist and computational scientist.

• Research strengths in:

Nanotechnology, Cell and Tissue Engineering Systems Biotechnology,

Nanobiomaterials and Devices

• AIBN is made up of 14 core research groups, 250 research

scientists

and PhD students.

ResearchFaculty of Biological & Chemical Sciences

Research Themes

Chemistry

World class chemistry facilities. – refurbishment of $14.5m of Chemistry Building

Peptide and Carbohydrate Chemistry - drug and vaccine delivery

Centre for Organo-Photonics and Electronics – new generation LEDs and solar cells

Biodiscovery and Chemical Ecology – isolation, characterization and synthesis of natural products

ARC Centre of Excellence for Functional Nanomaterials

Molecular Design and Synthesis

Chemistry

Molecular Biology, Biotechnology & NanotechnologyDr Lindsay Sly discussing with students the properties of bacterial cultures

Structural Biology – X-ray crystallography, NMR, structural bioinformatics, drug and inhibitor design

Molecular Genetics – breast and skin cancer, plant developmental genetics, fungal pathogens

Cell Metabolism – neurochemistry, enzymology, bacterial diversity and biotechnology

Biochemistry

Molecular virology – focus on flaviviruses including Dengue, Japanese encephalitis and West Nile

Bacterial Pathogenicity – focus on mucosal pathogens including uropathogenic E. coli, Neisseria meningitidis, Streptococcus pneumoniae

Biotechnology – vaccines, diagnostics, anti-infectives

Microbiology, Infectious Diseases

Biomedical Sciences

UQ’s gross anatomy facilities.

Biomedical Science

Over $10 million in competitive grants annually

Over 50 research academic staff

State-of-the-art equipment and laboratory infrastructure

Research areas in:

Neuroscience Pharmacology

Functional Biology Developmental Biology

Cell Physiology and Biophysics

Life Sciences, Environment & Marine ScienceStudents on location at the Great Barrier Reef investigating our unique biodiversity

Genetics & Evolution

16 researchers who apply new genomic technologies

to non-model organism systems. Total research funding of $14.66M, and 51 PhD students

in the period 2001-2006.Of the 190 peer-reviewed publications in the period 2001-2006, 86

(45%) had an author resident at an international institution.Highlight: An international consortium of researchers

from 5 countries (Thailand, Vietnam, Japan, Australia

and the United States) lead by Prof Scott O’Neill and funded

by a $10M Gates Foundation grant, to develop

Wolbachia as a biological control agent for mosquito borne disease.

Genetics & Evolution

Ecology & Conservation

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24 researchers who conduct both applied and pure ecological studies

Total research funding of $43M in the period 2001-2006. The 464 peer-reviewed publications in the period 2001-2006, had

collaborations with researchers spread across 33 countries. Highlight: The development of a systematic conservation planning

tool – MARXAN – by Prof Possingham that is the most widely used conservation planning tool in the world and is used by all the major conservation NGOs and many governments.

Ecology & Conservation

Molecular Plant Sciences

12 researchers focusing on fundamental and applied aspects of limits to plant productivity, gene discovery and applications in plant improvement

Two national research centres: the ARC Centre of Excellence in Integrative Legume Research (Director, Prof Gresshoff) and the CRC for Tropical Plant Protection (Director, Prof Irwin),

Total research funding of $58M in the period 2001-2006.

Highlight: The cloning of the super-nodulation gene in soybean which regulates nodule numbers by Prof Greshoff

Highlight: The development by Professor Birch of genetic technology resulting in high sucrose yielding sugarcane to underpin a value-added sugarcane industry. Higher sucrose yield is a key to sustainable export profitability, and it makes the development of renewable biofuels from sugarcane more feasible.

Molecular Plant Sciences

UQ’s online entomology program, the leading program in Australia

Entomology

• Aquaculture and Aquatic Animal Health - Dr Andy Barnes• Coastal Resource Management - Associate Professor Ron Johnstone• Coastal Plant Communities  - Dr Cath Lovelock• Coastal Ecosystems and Climate Change - Professor Ove Hoegh-

Guldberg• Marine Biology and Biodiscovery - Dr Ian Tibbets• Marine Botany - Dr Norm Duke• Palaeoecology of Benthic Ecosystems - Associate Professor John

Pandolfi• Photobiology & Symbiosis - Dr Sophie Dove

ResearchCentre for Marine Studies

MARINE STUDIES – Coral Reef Targeted Research and Capacity Building for Management Project (CRTR)

• Multinational research effort - more than 70 scientists and four Centres of Excellence in Australia, Mexico, Philippines and Tanzania

• Project Funds in excess of AUD$20 million in cash and $70m in-kind support – from Global Environment Fund, World Bank, Queensland Government and UQ

• UQ is the Project Executing Agent – 15 year project of research to provide practical information and management tools to coral reef management jct Funds in excess of AUD$20 million in cash and $70m in-kind support – from Global Environment Fund, World Bank, Queensland Government and UQ

• UQ is the Project Executing Agent – 15 year project of research to provide practical information and management tools to coral reef management

Research Funding Highlights

Provide centralised access and training for characterisationinstrumentation for all research disciplines at UQ

• 5 locations• 8 Transmission electron microscopes• 7 Scanning electron microscopes• 3 X-ray diffractometers• 1 X-ray photoelectron spectrometer• 2 High level mass spectrometers for isotope radiogenic studies• 400 clients• Comprehensive training programs• Part of a national network

ResearchCentre for Microscopy & Microanalysis

Commercialisation

The main technology transfer company for The University of Queensland

• 1,400 patents and patent applications

• $30 - 50 million revenues annually

• 80 staff

• Over 50 technology spinoffs and startups

• 200 international aid projects completed in 40 countries

• Australia’s largest technology commercialiser

• Research Commercialisation Workshop and R3 Network of seminars and networking events for PhD students

UniQuest Pty Limited

UniQuest Licensed Companies

Akers International AB

Ampal Inc

Amrad Operations Pty Ltd

Analytica Ltd

Australian Biopesticide Company Pty Ltd

Australian National Airlines Commission

AWA Microelectronics

Bruker Analytische Messtechnik

Buckland House Securities Pty Ltd

Bundaberg Sugar Company Ltd

Bureau of Sugar Experiment Stations

Cognitech Pty Ltd

Colgate Palmolive

CSL Ltd

Currumbin Sand and Gravel Pty Ltd

DataCraft Australia Pty Ltd

Enya Systems Ltd

Ersis Australia

Flux Industries Pty Ltd

Fungi-Gulp Pty Ltd

Fujitsu Australia Ltd

Glaxo Smith Kline Beecham

General Electric Company

Golden Circle

Hewer Electronics Pty Ltd

Ice T Multimedia Pty Ltd

Impedimed Pty Ltd

Inderlec Australia Pty Ltd

Jacaranda Wiley Ltd

Laser Dynamics Ltd

Leucseeds Pty Ltd

Logical Business Machines

Lynx Project

Medica Holdings Ltd

Mine Remediation Services Pty Ltd

Nanochem Ltd

NMR Holdings No. 2 Pty Ltd

OPCOM Pty Ltd

Organotin Chemie

Paravax Inc

Promics Pty Ltd

Qcom Pty Ltd

Research Corporation Technologies Inc

Resolve Engineering Pty Ltd

Siemens AG

Sigma Pharmaceuticals Pty Ltd

Stockyard Industries Pty Ltd

The Director-General Department of Transport

The Wellcome Foundation Ltd

Xenome Ltd

Examples of a successful licence

Licence of HPV vaccine to CSL/Merck for Gardisal

MRI technology used in 60% of worlds MRI machines from 1997 (licensed to GE & Siemens)

Licence of Triple PPP (Positive Parenting Program) copyright, now utilised in more than 15 countries

Biotech Commercialisation

• Staff & student inventors share ‘profit’ with UQ

• Bio-business training for staff + students

• Innovation & Commercialisation Manager in each faculty

• UniQuest www.uniquest.com.au

54 spin-off companies so far

7 spinoff companies in one year

e.g. bananas as energy source; salmonella vaccine for cattle

Australian Best Practice Award for commercialisation

• IMBCom

IP protection + commercialisation embedded in laboratories

11 new biotech companies in first 5 years

Our People

Internationally recognised research excellence

Professor Scott O’Neill

• recently awarded $10million from the Bill &

Melinda Gates Foundation Grand Challenges in

Global Health initiative

• research on the naturally-occurring bacteria

called Wolbachia that passes from one

generation of mosquito to the next

• could halve the adult mosquito lifespan, halting

the spread of dengue fever.

Structure & function of flavivirusDr Roy Hall

• role of non-structural proteins in cellular infection, pathogenesis, viral replication and induction of immune responses

• development of new diagnostic tests + viral vaccine

• ecology and epidemiology of viruses that are spread by insects

• monitoring the distribution and spread of new viruses isolated from mosquitoes

• Awarded most outstanding paper by Science in 2002

• Commercialised a new West Nile virus vaccine technology in 2008

Professor Julie Campbell

• Vascular cell biologist

• Stem cell biology to bioengineer new blood vessels for transplantation

• Cellular & molecular mechanisms of blood vessel disease

• Cell plasticity: alternative cellular sources to create an artery wall

• Grows artificial blood vessels in the patient’s own peritoneal cavity

Artificial Arteries

Director: Centre for Functional Nanomaterials, AIBN• 230 papers in international refereed journals + 5 patents• Clean energy production/utilisation gas to liquid

conversion, hydrogen production & storage, fuel cells,

• high energy density batteries • Environmental technologies photo-catalytic

reduction of pollutants, economic removal & recovery of

• organic vapours, greenhouse gas reduction and utilisation

• Health care• orthopaedic and cardiovascular biomaterials

Australian Award – Teaching Excellence

Professor Peter O’Donoghue

Joint winner of the 2002

Prime Minister’s Australian Award forIndividual University Teacher of the Year.

Peter teaches animal biology, veterinary science students; medical parasitology, marine parasitology, wildlife and veterinary parasitology, and foundations of medicine

2006 Australian of The YearProfessor Ian Frazer

UQ Diamantina Institute for Cancer, Immunology and Metabolic Medicine

• World-class research organisation of over 100 research scientists and students• New state-of-the-art facilities being built - to be opened in 2010 • Eleven research teams in three major research programs:

The Cancer Cell Biology Program The Immunology Program Metabolic medicine

“developed world’s first cervical cancer vaccine”

Our Students

Suria Ramli - MalaysiaPhD Candidate

Molecular Design and Synthesis: properties of interfaces..

“I am impressed by the range of excellent facilities provided for students from laboratories, libraries to student support and sport.

UQ also promotes world class research and a wide range of multi-collaboration.”

Yi & Yin San Leong - MalaysiaBachelor of Biotechnology

“What I like about my program is that it has given me chance to work in a research laboratory to gain experience working as a scientist," Yin San

“The best thing about my program is that it involves both science and business, which suits my needs,” Yi San

“I enjoyed the program and the amazing Australian marine ecology so much, that I later returned to Down Under and UQ to do my Master’s Degree in Marine Biology.”

Ben KayMarine Biologist & Science Instructor, Santa Monica High School, California (USA)

“The amount of experience you gain is tremendous and highly valuable. To get into (Intellectual Property) you should have project management skills, interpersonal skills, commercial acumen with a great eye for detail, creativity, adaptability, networking ability and decision making skills, all of which my Master of Biotechnology helped provide”

Aditya Angadi – India

Master of Biotechnology

Studying Science

• Largest science program in Queensland & top 3 in Australia• World class research and teaching facilities• Internationally recognised research excellence• Extensive academic advice & support throughout degree• Student focussed learning• Teaching informed by Research • Teaching excellence • Extensive industry and government support

Why choose UQ for Science?

ProgramsBachelors Degree

ScienceBiomedical ScienceBiotechnologyMarine StudiesEnvironmental Science

Masters Degree (inc Grad Dip & Cert) BiotechnologyMolecular BiologyEntomologyScience (Conservation Biology)

Graduate ResearchMPhilPhD

MajorsBachelor of Science

Biochemistry & Molecular BiologyBiomedical ScienceChemistryComputer ScienceEcologyGeneticsGeographical ScienceGeological SciencesMarine ScienceMathematicsMicrobiologyPhysicsPlant SciencesPsychologyStatisticsZoology

Dual Majors

BiophysicsBioinformaticsChemical SciencesComputational Science

Extended Majors

Biomedical ScienceComputer ScienceMathematicsPhysicsPsychology

Majors (4 year degrees)

Bachelor of Biomedical Science

Developmental BiologyHuman GeneticsImmunology & Infectious DiseaseMolecular & Cellular BiologyNeurosciencePharmacology & ToxicologyPhysiology

Bachelor of Biotechnology

BioinformaticsChemical BiotechnologyDrug Design & DevelopmentMicrobial BiotechnologyNanotechnologyPlant BiotechnologyProcess Technology

Bachelor of Environmental Science

Earth ResourcesEcologyMolecular & Microbial ScienceNatural Resource Science

Bachelor of Marine Studies

Aquaculture & Marine BiotechnologyCoastal ManagementMarine Biology & EcologyMarine Geology & Coastal Processes

Study & Employment Path

Bachelor of Science

Bachelor of Science

(Honours)

Doctor of Philosophy

(PhD) (Research)

Technician

Research Assistant (Government, research institute, universities, hospitals etc)

Independent Researcher

3 years

1 year

3 - 4 years

Bachelor of Marine Studies

Bachelor of Biotechnology

Bachelor of Environmental Science

Bachelor of Biomedical Science

Master of Business (Entrepreneurship)

1 year

B.Biotech

Masters by Coursework Biotechnology, Entomology, Molecular Biology and Science (Conservation Biology)

Entry with prior bachelor degree, honours degree or completion of Graduate Diploma

Entry with prior bachelor degree, or completion of Graduate Certificate

Entry with or without bachelor degree

Entry with relevant four year bachelor degree (including honours)

Graduate Certificate

#8 Units (1 Semester)

Masters#16 units (2 Semesters or 1 year)

Entry with Master of Biotechnology #24

Graduate Diploma

#16 units (2 Semesters)

(or #8 units + articulated #8 units credit from Graduate Certificate)

Master #24 (3 Semesters)

(or #8 units + articulated #16 units credit from Graduate Diploma)

Master of Biotechnology (Advanced) #32 (4 Semesters)

(optional semester for additional research)

• Extensive Academic Advice

• Buddy Program for new students

• Peer Assisted Study Sessions (PASS)

• Society for Undergraduate Science Students (SUSS)

• Travel Scholarships (Postgraduates)

Support Programs

Scholarships- International Undergraduate

(Malaysia and UQ Foundation Year graduates)

- International Honours

(in Biological & Chemical Sciences)

- International Postgraduate Coursework

(India, Vietnam, Thailand)

- PhD Conference Support

Faculty website www.bacs.uq.edu.au

Study Science Website www.uq.edu.au/science

Science scholarships www.bacs.uq.edu.au/scholarships

PASS Program www.bacs.uq.edu.au/undergraduate

Important Websites

Thank you

Further Information:

Faculty of Biological & Chemical Sciences

Phone: +61 7 3365 1888

Email: science.enquiries@uq.edu.au

Website: www.bacs.uq.edu.au