Griffith researchers will play a key role in the newly announced Australian Research Council Training Centre for Fragment-Based Design (ARC CFBD), which will be based at Monash University with collaborators at Griffith University and The University of Sydney.
ARC CFBD Centre Director Professor Martin Scanlon
As a national research centre with 10 industry partners, the ARC CFBD promises to foster close partnerships between university-based researchers and other research end-users,and offer innovative PhD and postdoctoral training for research industries vital to Australia’s future.
Professor Sally-Ann Poulsen from the Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery (GRIDD)
Professor Sally-Ann Poulsen and Dr Maria Halili of Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery (GRIDD) are Chief Investigators at ARC CFBD, with GRIDD to receive approximately $1.3 million over the next five years for key projects.
“Fragments are very small molecules that are ideal starting points for drug discovery and Fragment Based Design is a new and effective method to transform the way fragments are discovered and subsequently developed,” explained Professor Poulsen, an expert in Chemical Biology.
“This has significant commercial implications, with applications for this technology including agrichemicals, veterinary products, and human pharmaceuticals.
“ARC CFBD will give talented student and postdoctoral researchers like GRIDD PhD candidate Sarah Muller the opportunity to be trained in state-of-the art mass spectrometry methods.
“Sarah is working to determine the molecular structure of three challenging proteins that are involved in disease and this training may assist her to identify compounds that bind to these proteins and thus have potential for drug discovery.
“This next generation of scientists will gain a valuable combination of skills leading to careers that grow Australia’s pharmaceutical sector capability.
“I expect that GRIDD will be able to support three PhD students and one postdoctoral candidate as a result of this partnesrship.”
Monash Provost Professor Marc Parlange, Kevin Andrews MP, Centre Director Professor Martin Scanlon, ARC CEO Professor Sue Thomas, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences Director Professor Chris Porter.
The Member for Menzies, the Hon Kevin Andrews MP officially launched the Australian Research Council Industrial Transformation Training Centre for Fragment-Based Design on November 12, 2019, on behalf of the Minister for Education, the Honourable Dan Tehan MP,
The Member for Menzies, the Hon Kevin Andrews MP officially launched the Australian Research Council Industrial Transformation Training Centre for Fragment-Based Design on November 12, 2019, on behalf of the Minister for Education, the Honourable Dan Tehan MP, with Professor Sue Thomas, CEO of the Australian Research Council.
The training centre has received $4.16m in ARC funding together with $5.4 million in cash and in-kind support from industry partners and $2.9 million from partner universities.
