3 July 2007
Monash University has joined forces with international life sciences supply company Tecan to develop a new state-of-the-art monoclonal antibody production system at the University's Clayton campus.
Capable of producing thousands of novel antibodies every year for researchers around the world, the facility will be the largest of its type in the Southern Hemisphere.
Monoclonal antibodies are important scientific tools for laboratory research and are used as diagnostic agents for detecting cancer or infectious disease, as well as therapeutic agents for treating human disease.
In the research world, the use of monoclonal antibodies has proven crucial to the understanding of a myriad of physiological processes, and has led to new approaches in the treatment of diseases with great unmet clinical need.
The problem for scientists is that there are not enough monoclonal antibodies being produced and the processes for research and potential treatments to diseases are delayed.
Director of the Monash Antibody Technology Facility within the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Alan Sawyer said, "successful research relies on scientists having enough monoclonal antibodies to be able to test their theories and this facility will increase production of this valuable resource, ten-fold".
The new high-tech automated facility will increase production of monoclonal antibodies from hundreds to potentially 5,000 a year.
The new facility will be developed by a team of engineers at Tecan's company headquarters in Switzerland, before being installed at the Monash Antibody Facility at Monash University's School of Biomedical Sciences at the Clayton campus.
The initial instalment of the robotic systems will begin at the end of 2007 and be finalized in March of 2008.
The new system, partially funded by the Victorian Government and Monash University, National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy and the Australian Stem Cell Centre, is the first major step towards an extensive development program planned for 2008, which will further strengthen Monash University's rising profile as a centre of excellence in the international medical research community.
MATF Deputy Director Michael Spiegel said, "the project is an excellent example of an Australian science, industry and government partnership that will greatly assist biomedical sciences.
"With the MATF, the Australian Synchrotron and the Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute also located at Monash, Victoria is demonstrating what can be achieved in the field of science."
For more information, contact Mr Michael Spiegel, Monash Antibody Technology Facility, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences on +61 437 190 162 or Tim Mitchell, Monash Media Unit +61 3 9905 9315 or 0437 457 780
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