ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology

@danfulvi.bsky.social from our Western Sydney University node was a guest on the panel at the STS Network Inaugural event: Why (Australian) STS Now?

The panel, which included five other scholars, discussed the role of technology, knowledge and culture in shaping contemporary societies. 💡

Synbio win for new biotech commercialisation grants - ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology Four synthetic biology companies have received support from the NSW Government’s $20 million Emerging Technologies Fund. Swan Genomics, Number 8 Bio, All G, HydGene Renewables all received funding fro...

Congratulations to SWAN Genomics, Number 8 bio, HydGene Renewables and All G on securing funding from a $4.75 million BioSciences Fund, designed to help companies bring their technologies to market. 🎉

➡️ Read our story: www.coesb.com.au/synbio-win-f...

How a moth's microbiome could hold the answer to plastic pollution When Associate Professor Amy Cain was just a young girl, her mother introduced her to the idea that her skin was covered with microbes. Some children might have been freaked out by the notion, but you...

From battling typhoid to fighting plastic pollution, Professor Amy Cain’s career has been driven by microbial mysteries.

👉 Read our Annual Report story 'How a moth's microbiome could hold the answer to plastic pollution' now: bit.ly/4rfYFou

@flamycain.bsky.social

From Balcony to Boardroom: The Newera Bio Story Picture a future where your morning routine leaves barely a trace on the planet. The colours in your wardrobe, from deep indigos to bright yellows, come from microbes, not fossil fuels. Your hair prod...

Picture a future where your morning routine leaves barely a trace on the planet. The colours in your wardrobe, from deep indigos to bright yellows, come from microbes, not fossil fuels. This isn’t a far-off dream. It’s a reality that #newerabio is building.

Read the story: bit.ly/4b9jNry

A smiling man in a suit and blue tie speaks at a podium. Text overlay promotes Eureka Prizes Entries Open

🔭 Do you have a strategic vision for science in Australia?

The USYD Eureka Prize for Leadership in Science is awarded to individuals who combine research excellence with transformational leadership. 🚀

Learn more: bit.ly/4ti63ly
#EurekaPrizes

@sydney-uni.bsky.social

Do cutting-edge research at the frontiers of AI-driven Whole Cell Modelling! We invite applications for two fully funded, 3.5-year PhD positions based with MACSYS at The Australian National University (ANU). 2026 PhD applications are now open for two exciting projects.👇
macsys.org/phd-scholars...

What problem do you hope bioengineering or synthetic biology approaches will enable us to tackle in the next decade?
doi.org/10.1016/j.ce...

Great to host a team from Sanitarium Development and Innovation department at the ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology and the Australian Genome Foundry at Macquarie University.

Strong conversations and shared ambition. Looking forward to what we build together.

Making a bioproduct YouTube video by ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology

Making a bioproduct with #Uluu 🪸

In our latest video, we show you how biomaterials are made out of seaweed and synthetic biology - providing a sustainable solution to plastic pollution. ♻️

youtu.be/KVO3mcDTnKI?...

Improving access to rare cannabinoids Cannabis plants produce over 100 minor cannabinoids, many of which are non-psychoactive and show therapeutic potential. However, these minor cannabinoids occur at extremely low concentrations in medic...

Researchers from our Centre have developed a new method to produce beneficial minor cannabinoids, in a collaboration between #QUT (Queensland University of Technology) and industry partner #HaleFarm.

Read the story: www.coesb.com.au/improving-ac...

Between Worlds In 2025, I spent much of my time moving between worlds: from academic conversations about synthetic biology, to policy forums and national security briefings, to on the ground exchanges with governmen...

Read how Dr Thom D. is translating synthetic biology's promise - and risks - for the people who need to govern it ⬇️ #Biotech

Engineering ancient silk from evolution to living materials Spider silk has long captured the imagination of scientists and engineers. Weight for weight, it’s stronger than steel and tougher than Kevlar. Yet despite decades of research, nobody has successfully...

Spider silk has long captured the imagination of scientists and engineers. 🕷️Weight for weight, it’s stronger than steel and tougher than Kevlar. Yet despite decades of research, nobody has successfully replicated its remarkable properties in the lab, let alone improved upon them.

Until now ⬇️

Check out Sunday Extra this week on ABC radio for my interview with Julian Morrow on De-extinction!

Happy International Day of Women and Girls in Science! 👩‍🔬

Today, we celebrate the incredible contributions of women and girls in science and advocate for full and equal participation in STEM.

Some companies claim they can ‘resurrect’ species. Does that make people more comfortable with extinction? If de-extinction tech can bring back species, are people more comfortable with them going extinct? A new study tests this idea.

Some companies claim they can ‘resurrect’ species. Does that make people more comfortable with extinction? 🤔

Researchers from our ethics node at Macquarie University answer this question and more in a new study.

Read about it in the @aunz.theconversation.com ⬇️
bit.ly/4kgUqHm #Ethics

From Trash to Treasure Most people recoil at maggots. But the team behind a Sydney start-up company see them as tiny environmental powerhouses capable of cleaning up the planet’s dirtiest problems.

At #EntoZyme, a biotech spin-out from #MacquarieUniversity, black soldier flies (Hermetic illucens) are being genetically engineered to chew through waste streams that stump even the most advanced recycling systems.

👉 Read the full story now: coesb.com.au/from-trash-t...

#BioTech

What is Precision Fermentation? YouTube video by ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology

@weforum.org recently named Precision Fermentation as one of 10 Emerging Technology Solutions for Planetary Health. Learn why by watching our animated explainer! 👀

youtu.be/A5kgo8oxulo?...

Congratulations to Dr Elena Eremeeva of QUT node on her grant success:

1. AEA Ignite Grant - to develop portable, rapid diagnostic sensors to detect smoke taint markers in wine grapes.

2. 2026 Thomas Davies Research Grant - to develop sensors for the environmental monitoring and clean-up of PFAS.

QAAFI is hiring across research, partnerships and professional roles, offering you the chance to make real-world impact in 2026.

Some include:
🔹 Research Partnerships Officer
🔹 Postdoc Research Fellow (Sorghum Genome Bioinformatics)
🔹 FaBA Administration Officer

View all now 👉 bit.ly/4pWMY5z

He invented mini saunas for frogs – now this biologist has big plans to save hundreds of species A deadly fungus has already wiped out 90 species and threatens 500 more but Anthony Waddle is hoping gene replacement could be their salvation

Centre postdoc Dr Anthony Waddle of Macquarie University combines synthetic biology with conservation to tackle one of wildlife's deadliest threats: the chytrid fungus that has driven 90+ frog species to extinction.

Read the story ⬇️

bit.ly/49lrRoh

For the past two years, Centre researchers have taken to the stage with stand-up comedy at our Annual Conference Gala Dinner 🥂 - a tradition that's quickly become a crowd favourite!

Huge congratulations to Erik Baker, Felicia Lie, and James Antoney for bringing the laughs and the science! 👏

Congratulations to Distinguished Professor Nicki Packer for receiving the 2025 Society for Glycobiology's President's Innovator Award for her pioneering work in glycoscience and proteomics. 🎉

Source: Macquarie Uni News Hub

From programmable microbes to self-assembling DNA structures, the ARC Centre of Excellence's fifth annual conference #CoESB25 painted an ambitious picture of where the field is headed and what it will take to get there.

Read the story: bit.ly/4aPh86M

@taeseokmoon.bsky.social

Did you know we have a Scholarly Visits Scheme? ✈️🔬

Last year we supported nine EMCRs, who visited four domestic labs and five international labs. 🌏🤝

We're looking forward to supporting even more collaborative research in 2026!

We're pressing pause on socials for a short break and will be back on 5 January.

Wishing you a safe, restful and happy holiday season! 🌊✨

We are hiring! Our lab in Sydney is looking for a postdoc with cyano experience to drive our SynBio project on carbon fixation in encapsulin protein cages.🦠 ➡️ 🌻

This project follows our recent work in Nature Communications:
lnkd.in/g-rYrg93

Full details:
lnkd.in/gRJv4RGs

@arccoesb.bsky.social

Congratulations to Centre researcher Dr Daniele Fulvi @danfulvi.bsky.social on being awarded the 2025 Excellence Award as an Early Career Researcher in the School of Arts at @westernsydneyu.bsky.social! 🎉

Building synthetic chromosomes one yeast at a time: insights from Sc2.0 - Nature Biotechnology The Synthetic Yeast Genome Project (Sc2.0) set out to redesign and chemically synthesize an entire eukaryotic genome. This Comment summarizes the design- and construction-related defects revealed duri...

Building synthetic chromosomes one yeast at a time: insights from Sc2.0 - @arccoesb.bsky.social go.nature.com/48Fqxwi

Hitchhiker’s guide to building life from the genome up

After ten years and countless setbacks, scientists who completed the world’s first synthetic yeast genome have published a troubleshooting guide for building life from scratch.

Congrats to Dr Paige Erpf and the team!

📖 Read it: lighthouse.mq.edu.au/article/dece...

Team-building at #CoESB25 🏖️

Team-building is an important part of our Annual Conference, helping us unwind, recharge and connect.

Here’s our Stand-Up Paddleboard and Kayaking group enjoying some time on the water! 🌊😎

Stay tuned for our professional photos from the Conference!