Australian diagnostics company Panbio is able to identify rare and dangerous diseases more efficiently by using antibodies it has licensed from The University of Queensland.
Leading diagnostic biotechnologist, Associate Professor Ross Barnard, from The University’s Faculty of Biological and Chemical Sciences, developed the antibodies.
Dr Barnard said these antibodies would be used as positive controls in Panbio’s diagnostic kits and had the potential to improve the production efficiency in up to six kits.
“Our monoclonal antibodies will be used in the development of diagnostic kits for rare and dangerous infectious diseases for which it is difficult to obtain control reagents,” said Dr Barnard.
Dr Barnard’s research was funded through an ARC Linkage grant in partnership with Panbio, who exercised an option to the licence the antibodies under the grant agreement.
The licence deal was brokered by UniQuest, UQ’s main commercialisation company.
UniQuest Managing Director, David Henderson said this deal represented a fruitful and ongoing collaborative relationship between UQ and Panbio.
“By helping to fund research through such schemes as the ARC Linkage grants, industry has the ability to foster and tailor research outcomes with direct commercial advantage to them,” said Mr Henderson.
Dr Barnard said his relationship with Panbio had been a model of how industry and university collaborations should work.
“Panbio’s contribution to the ARC Linkage grant was critical to getting the project going. We’ve had a real collaboration in the exchange of ideas and communication between the partners and it’s allowed us to develop some top class expertise in antibody engineering,” said Dr Barnard.
UQ is involved in the further development of reagents for the next generation of Panbio’s diagnostic kits and hopes to enter into further licensing deals.
For more information, contact Julia Renaud, Corporate Development Manager, UniQuest, on (07) 3365 4037; mobile 0438 436 179; or at j.renaud@uniquest.com.au
