Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology AIBN

We recently had the pleasure of welcoming a delegation from the University of Science and Technology of China (UTSC) who were keen to learn how we conduct research at AIBN. 🌏 Currently, we have a number of joint PhD appointments with UTSC, which means students get the opportunity to learn from leading experts both here at AIBN and in China. The tour, led by Institute Director Professor Professor Alan E. Rowan, kicked off with a stop to meet Professor Timothy Mercer, who shared insights on the exciting mRNA manufacturing and research underway at our BASE Facility. 🧬 Next, the group visited Professor Yusuke Yamauchi's labs, where the future is truly materialising. Here they met students from Yamauchi’s Group and heard learned about his pioneering work in advanced materials. The final stop was at the The Australian National Fabrication Facility (ANFF), where Associate Professor Idriss Blakey, showcased the incredible technologies and systems used to create nanofabricated materials – enabling everything from nanoscale processors to tiny diagnostic chips that could change the way we approach healthcare. 🦠💡 At AIBN, we’re not just conducting research - we’re transforming ideas into impact. We’re proud to be part of the broader The University of Queensland Queensland ecosystem, driving innovation that addresses some of society’s biggest challenges. 🚀 A big thank you to our guests from UTSC: Professor Kun Qo, Professor Lifeng Yan, Professor Weidong Chen, Professor Heng An Wu, Professor Qunfeng Chen, Professor Lei Jiang, and Jianggi Fan. 

Our students are at the heart of the institute – and #AIBN PhD student Yusra Rabbani is a shining example. ✨  Yusra began her PhD journey at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic at The University of Queensland under Associate Professor Idriss Blakey. As a joint-PhD student under the QUEX Institute, she also spent time at the University of Exeter under Professor Nick Stone. Inspired by her father’s experience with diabetes, Yusra is on a mission to find chronic wound care solutions – a condition that affects more than 450,000 Australians each year.  “I’m creating simple tools to help patients monitor their chronic wounds, using tiny gold particles,” she says. 💛  Her tiny gold sensors can show how well a wound is healing without any needles or swabs, just like a barcode scanner using Raman spectroscopy.   “The dream is to create a simple at-home test anyone can use to check their health progress – meaning fewer hospital visits and less reliance on complicated equipment. Just better, faster care.”  Throughout her PhD, Yusra has also made a huge impact in the classroom, tutoring up to 500 UQ students and inspiring the next generation of scientists.  She also shares her passion for STEM as a Young Science Ambassador with the Wonder of Science program, engaging students across regional Queensland.   Now, she’s taking the next step and continuing her research and mentorship as a postdoctoral researcher in the Blakey Group.  We can’t wait to see what she does next. 👏  #AIBN #60SecondScience #WomenInSTEM #ResearchImpact #FutureLeaders 

🐸 From raising tadpoles in a backyard wading pool to building world-first mRNA technologies, AIBN researcher Dr Laura Leighton has always been curious about how life works. 🌱 That early fascination with the natural world led them to a career in science, and today they’re part of the team at AIBN’s BASE Facility – under the supervision of Associate Professor Seth Cheetham - helping to push the boundaries of mRNA research.  “There’s nothing like the feeling that you might be the first person to know something,” Laura said, after becoming hooked on research during lab placements during her undergraduate years. Now, that drive has Laura focused on solving some of the most complex challenges in mRNA therapeutics, including how to target the right cells and treat diseases that current drugs find hard to reach. “Some of the big challenges we’re working on include how to direct mRNA medicines to the specific cell types we want to target, and how to design anti-cancer mRNAs that are safe for healthy cells. “There are genetic disorders and cancers that don’t have good treatment options and mRNA could be the key to ensuring they do. “These challenges are big, but I believe they are solvable, and I'm really excited to work on them every day.” Laura’s latest achievement? Helping to develop a new lab protocol that makes mRNA production faster, cheaper, and easier for researchers around the world. 🌎  “We’ve made hundreds of mRNAs here at the BASE Facility, and we wrote this protocol to share what we’ve learned with the global research community. “It’s exciting to know it will help other scientists test and refine their own ideas.” 👉 Learn more about Laura Leighton’s story at AIBN: https://lnkd.in/guy-MDRN #mRNA #SyntheticBiology #WomenInSTEM #Biomanufacturing #FutureOfMedicine

AIBN was delighted to recently host Dr Nathan Lewis from The University of Georgia for an inspiring day of knowledge-sharing and big ideas in biomanufacturing. Dr Lewis delivered a brilliant seminar on engineering better biologics, showcasing cutting-edge research in systems biology, synthetic glycoengineering, and AI-driven drug design. A huge thanks to Dr Lewis for his time and insights! #Seminar #AI #Biologics

At the core of the work AIBN does is strong partnership and collaboration with industry. To enable that, we train our researchers to work effectively with industry - meet their needs, understand their goals and talk their language. This week, we hosted a special masterclass with industry experts to help our researchers strengthen these skills. The class explored the different drivers between industry and academia, and strategies for our researchers to better engage with and understand industry, to enable them to better solve problems. Thank-you to our amazing a panel of speakers and industry experts: Associate Professor Lutz Krause, Chief Scientific Officer at Microba Life Sciences; Professor Stephen Rose, SVP Translational Medicine and Clinical Science at AdvanCell; Dr Michelle Williams Strategic Partnerships Lead at Sanofi, Dr Brad Walsh CEO at GlyTherix Ltd; and to Professor Kristofer Thurecht for moderating. The class was also facilitated by Leigh Staines Industry Advisor, RTCM Trailblazer.

One big idea. One slide. Three Minutes. ⌛ That’s the challenge behind The University of Queensland Three Minute Thesis (3MT) – and this year, three #AIBN students delivered extraordinary results! A huge congratulations to Tanika Duivenvoorden – from the Debra Bernhardt group, who not only won the AIBN heat but went on to take out first place at UQ’s All-Institutes 3MT Final! 🏆Tanika now advances straight to the UQ-wide final, representing AIBN and her research into safer, more sustainable batteries. Firasti AN Sumadi, from the Run Zhang group, also delivered an outstanding performance, earning the People’s Choice Award and a place in the upcoming Wildcard Round with her work using sound waves to explode cancer cells – like popcorn! 🍿 And Dongxiu Zou (Zoe), from Professor Alan E. Rowan's group, left a lasting impression with her smart gel science, showing how molecules can guide the body to heal itself from within. From powering a greener future, to reimagining cancer treatment, to supporting the body’s own healing systems – these three researchers didn’t just communicate complex science… they connected with their audience. No matter the stage or the outcome, all three students showcased the extraordinary talent, creativity, and innovation happening at AIBN – and we couldn’t be prouder. 💛 Want to know more? Watch their 3MT pitches and read the full story here: https://lnkd.in/g8HUPEaE Shoutout to everyon involved - especially runner up Paul Bogere from Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (QAAFI) and the competitors from UQ Institute for Molecular Bioscience #PhDLife #ScienceCommunication #WomenInSTEM #FutureLeaders #3MT

Translational impact is the name of the game here at AIBN! 💪 We’re lucky to have a whole community of researchers turning big ideas into real-world solutions, including Industry Research Fellow, Dr Will Anderson.   After completing his PhD under Matt Trau at AIBN, Will spent seven years in industry designing diagnostic devices and developing biological purification technologies. Now back under the AIBN roof, he’s brought with him what he calls one of the most important lessons for any researcher: 👉 Ask the right questions to have the greatest impact.   One of Will’s most exciting recent projects is DIYNAFLUOR – a 3D-printed, open-source fluorometer that scientists can build themselves for around $60. It's now being used around the world in research labs and STEM education programs.   “Finding cheaper and more efficient ways to make genomic research accessible – with tools like DIYNAFLUOR – helps resource limited scientists detect invasive species in environmental samples, or perform pathogen mutation analysis during disease outbreaks , faster and cheaper” Will said. “DIYNAFLUOR is filling a need for researchers to conduct cheaper field experiments and expanding what’s possible in STEM education.   “Translational research is fundamental to improving the way we live, work, and interact with our environment – and I’m proud knowing this device is making a difference.”   At AIBN, we’re proud to support researchers like Will with the tools, facilities, and expertise to transform science into real-world solutions – one breakthrough at a time. 👏   Read more about Will’s global science impact 💉: https://lnkd.in/gqvRywgU #TranslationalImpact #ResearchInnovation #STEMaccess #OpenScience #Technology

Can a gel help your body heal itself? Just ask Dongxiu Zou (Zoe)! 🧪 AIBN PhD student Zoe wowed the crowd at the AIBN Heats as part of UQ’s 2025 Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition, with her presentation on smart-gel science taking out the People’s Choice Award! Under the supervision of Professor Alan E. Rowan, Zoe is exploring how specially designed gels can ‘talk’ to the cells that line our blood vessels, guiding them on where to grow and how to connect – like tiny hand-holders that can help the body heal from within. ❤️🩹 “If we can give cells the right signals,” Zoe says, “we can help the body do what it already knows how to do.” Her work could one day lead to gentler, more targeted treatments for people with chronic wounds, like diabetic foot ulcers – a huge impact from such small molecules. #3MT #PhDlife #UQResearch #RegenerativeMedicine #AIBN #WomenInSTEM 

When Tahlia found out her beloved Aunty Christine Rose had been diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND), she felt hopeless and unsure where to turn. But after touring the AIBN labs, meeting researchers - including AIBN’s Associate Professor Shyuan Ngo and Associate Professor Frederik Steyn from UQ's School of Biomedical Sciences - and attending the official opening of The University of Queensland’s brand-new Centre for MND Research, she found something powerful: hope. 🙏 “There are not enough words to express how grateful I am for Shu, Derik, and everyone in their teams working to change the future for MND,” Tahlia said. “When most conversations and experiences around MND are so sad, today was filled with joy and positivity, celebrating the collaboration of incredible minds and caring hearts.” 💞 MND is a devastating and fast-moving disease. It progressively takes away a person’s ability to eat, speak, move, and eventually breathe, often within just 27 months of diagnosis. With the Centre for MND Research now officially open, people with lived experience can play a greater role in shaping and accelerating research. 🧠🧑🔬 For Tahlia, one of the most meaningful takeaways was simply knowing she’s not alone. “I truly believe the more conversations we have, and the more connections made between researchers and people living with or affected by MND, the better. I’m grateful knowing there’s a community dedicated to this work.” Tahlia’s message is a reminder that science is not just about discovery - it’s about real people, real impact, and building a future where collaborative MND research can thrive. ✨ 👇Read more about the new centre and the AIBN researcher leading the charge: https://lnkd.in/gRwARGZ2 #MND #ResearchWithImpact #UQResearch #Neuroscience #HopeforMND

🍿 “Imagine making popcorn… with sound waves.” That’s the theory behind #AIBN PhD Student Firasti AN Sumadi's thesis - but instead of corn she's applying it to cancer cells. 🧫 Firasti is working in the labs with Dr Run Zhang on sono dynamic therapy, a method which uses ultrasound and a custom-built nanoparticles to target and destroy cancer cells without the pain and side effects of traditional treatments like chemotherapy or surgery. Her clever nanoparticles - known as layered double hydroxides (LDH) - are low-cost, easy to produce, and seriously powerful. They can deliver both imaging and therapeutic agents to highlight tumours on scans, then unleash a precise “chemical explosion” inside cancer cells when activated by sound. 💥 🎯 No pain. 🔥 No heat. 🔪 No knife. Just sound. Smart particles. And serious innovation. Firasti’s motivation? Deeply personal. And her mission? A future where people can say: “I cooked my cancer with sound.” 👏 Watch her full #3MT now!