Linkage Grant Success for Synthetic Biologists

Researchers from the Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology have secured $2 million in ARC Linkage grant funds for projects spanning waste conversion, environmental conservation, and food security.

Funded projects include work led by Associate Investigators Dr Yosephine Gumulya (The University of Queensland) and Dr Huadong Peng (University of Queensland) and teams including Chief Investigator Dr James Behrendorff (Queensland University of Technology), and Associate Professor Maciej Maselko (Macquarie University).

Dr Gumulya has been awarded $400,000 to engineer synthetic methanotrophs that convert methane waste into protein. In partnership with Woodside Energy, the project aims to reduce industrial emissions, support a sustainable local protein supply for Australian agriculture, and strengthen Australia’s position in low carbon biomanufacturing.

Dr Peng has received $400,000 to develop a sustainable bioprocess that converts industrial carbon dioxide and hydrogen into high-value aquaculture feed ingredients, including omega-fatty acids and antioxidants. Partnering with Woodside Energy, the project could advance Australia’s capability in sustainable biomanufacturing while delivering industry, environmental and food-security benefits.

Dr Behrendorff is part of a team awarded $359,271 to work with industry partner Syft Technologies to improve the sensitivity and selectivity of instruments that detect trace volatile compounds in the air. Real-time detection is critical for rapid assessment of air quality to protect human health, monitoring changes in atmospheric composition relevant to climate, and identifying volatile emissions from biochemical processes. The project aims to advance understanding of Australia’s unique marine environments and drive innovation in precision fermentation.

Associate Professor Maselko is part of a team awarded $856,639 to develop new approaches to controlling invasive cane toads using gene knockout methods.

The project aims to generate lower-risk control strategies that can be applied more broadly than existing approaches, supporting recovery of native wildlife populations affected by cane toads.

Centre Director Ian Paulsen says: ‘The breadth of these Linkage Projects demonstrates the transformative nature of synthetic biology to deliver practical benefits across industry, environment and human wellbeing for Australia.’

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