Welcome to the Western Australian State Agricultural Biotechnology Centre (SABC)

What is the SABC?

The SABC is the collaborative university Centre for R&D in agricultural and veterinary biotechnology in Western Australia. It provides platform technologies and world class equipment and facilities for R&D in agricultural biotechnology to researchers from universities, state government and industry. More than 20 research groups and companies rent space and use the SABC facilities. It is based at Murdoch University in Perth.

Our Vision

"To be an eminent, internationally recognised centre for research and development in agriculture and veterinary biotechnology"

Our Mission

"To provide state-of-the-art facilities and equipment enabling multi disciplinary research in biotechnology which under pins the agricultural and veterinary industry, for the benefit of the community. This will be achieved by being recognised as the centre for agricultural biotechnology in WA providing national and international research links and collaborations fostering establishment of national centres in leading edge technologies"

Characteristics of the SABC

• The SABC is a multi-user centre with a research spend of about $9 million pa
• There is a critical mass of more than 225 researchers
• The SABC combines university, state government and industry researchers in one cost-effective centre
• The SABC operates as a 'Research Hotel' in which different groups rent common laboratory space and access to platform technologies
• The SABC supports incubation and co-location of new ag biotech companies in WA
• The SABC promotes collaborative research, undertakes contract research, and provides many local, national and international linkages
• SABC researchers are members of eight agricultural Cooperative Centres (CRCs)

Research Focus

The research focus is on molecular activities that involve or promote primary production of commercial livestock, crop plants or microbes, or their subsequent processing for added value. The SABC also supports research in biomedical sciences, and environmental biotechnology.

Deliverables and Outcomes

SABC researchers have an outstanding track record of outputs and outcomes. These include the provision of co-located, state-of-the art, well run platform technologies for all WA researchers plant breeding support leading to improved crop varieties (molecular markers, yield, resistance to diseases and pests, better quality, variety ID, diagnostics), improved productivity and health of livestock, and biomedical diagnostics.

Facilities and platform technologies

The SABC provides the most comprehensive set of equipment and facilities for biotechnology R&D in WA, with full facilities for: cell and molecular biology, robotics, high throughput agricultural genetic analyses and diagnostics, structural, comparative and functional genomics, microarray technologies, proteomics and mass spectroscopy and bioinformatics support via the (CBBC).

Training and Mentoring

The SABC plays a major role in advanced training in ag biotech. There are about 100 Honours and PhD students in the research complement. The SABC also runs a series of hands on short courses in molecular biology, gene mapping, diagnostics, proteomics and bioinformatics.

In 2005 new postgraduate certificate and diploma courses on Application of Molecular Technologies was established at Murdoch University, run by internationally qualified SABC researchers. These provide advanced education at the Postgraduate Certificate, Diploma and MSc levels, for local and international participants. click here for details

The SABC runs the following hands-on training workshops:

• Introduction to Molecular Biology
• Molecular Mapping Techniques in Diagnostic Biotechnology
• High Throughput Genetic Analysis
• Introduction to Proteomics
• Advanced Proteomics
• Bioinformatics (with the CBBC)

Contact Andrea Tongue [A.Tongue@murdoch.edu.au] for details of times and costs or go to short courses.

Competitive Advantages

The SABC:

• combines crop, veterinary and biomedical research in biotechnology in one centre
• is multidisciplinary and inclusive
• provides enabling facilities, platform technologies and common laboratories
• is highly cost effective

Researcher Groups Using the SABC

• Division of Health Sciences (Murdoch)/Veterinary Sciences
• Division of Science and Engineering (Murdoch)/Biological Sciences and Biotechnology
• UWA (Natural Resources and Agriculture, Biochemistry)
• Curtin University (Molecular Biotechnology, Horticulture)
• Edith Cowan University (Human Genetics)
• WA Dept of Agriculture (animal, plant, microbial)
• Fisheries
• Perth Zoo
• Plant Biotechnology Research Group
• Australian Centre for Necrotrophic Fungal Pathogens (ACNFP)
• Rumen Biotechnology
• Centre for High Throughput Agricultural Genetic Analysis (CHAGA)
• Veterinary Virology, Parasitology, Microbiology
• Saturn Biotech Pty Ltd
• Grain Biotech Australia Pty Ltd
• Proteomics International
• Lighthouse Laboratories Pty Ltd
• ID+PLUS Pty Ltd
• Royal Perth Hospital
• Fremantle Hospital
• Australian Neuromuscular Research Institute (ANRI)

Partnering Opportunities

The SABC can provide full facilities for contract R&D, start up companies or co-location of existing companies in agricultural, veterinary and biomedical sciences via its incubation program. Contact the Director for further information.

Partnering Needs

Investors interested in commercialising outputs of SABC researchers.