SBI Australia to tackle health and environment puzzles
One of the focuses of the newly-established SBI Australia is developing counter-measures for coral bleaching.
Research into preserving coral reefs, improved IVF technologies and more effective cancer drugs will receive a boost with the establishment of an Australian node of the Systems Biology Institute (SBI).
Monash University and the Tokyo-based SBI have signed an agreement to establish SBI Australia at the Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute (ARMI). The new node will facilitate the sharing of knowledge, technology and resources between Australia and Japan and help consolidate systems biology as a discipline in Australia.
Systems biology constitutes a multi-disciplinary approach to biological and biomedical research, in particular adopting a holistic perspective. The traditional scientific approach has been to examine biological puzzles, such as diseases, in as simplified a form as possible to counter the complexity of biological systems.
Improved technology has allowed systems biology practitioners to better cope with this complexity and examine biological questions in context.
Monash University Provost and Senior Vice-President, Professor Edwina Cornish signed the agreement on behalf of the University in Tokyo today.
"The goals and vision of SBI and Monash align in our desire to address problems that matter - we both undertake projects to protect the environment and benefit human health. I am delighted that the University and ARMI are part of this forward-thinking collaboration," Professor Cornish said.
SBI Australia will tap into the strengths of researchers within ARMI and the broader University and focus on a range of projects from developing countermeasures for coral bleaching to innovative methods for cancer drug screening and understanding the first stages of embryonic development to help improve IVF procedures.
SBI President, Professor Hiroaki Kitano, who holds a Sir Louis Matheson Distinguished Visiting Professorial appointment with Monash, said systems biology had the potential to find new solutions to a range of challenges.
"Since forming in 2000, SBI has vigorously pursued research related to healthcare and global sustainability. Finding a like-minded Australian partner in Monash University will facilitate discoveries that are urgently required by contemporary society," Professor Kitano said.
ARMI’s Chief Operating Officer, Silvio Tiziani said the agreement with SBI continued ARMI’s success in forging strong links with internationally recognised research organisations.
"We are committed to connecting the best life science researchers in Australia with leading international colleagues to help drive discovery that benefits the whole community," Mr Tiziani said.
"The prestigious European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) recognised this when they established the headquarters for EMBL Australia at ARMI and now our network is substantially enhanced with the establishment of SBI Australia."
For further information or to request interviews, contact Emily Walker, Monash Media and Communications on +61 3 9903 4844 | +61 428 277 308 or emily.walker@monash.edu.