Leading scientist to head hi-tech institute

A leading scientist is to be the inaugural director of the $50 million Australian Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, Queensland Premier, Peter Beattie, announced.

Mr Beattie said the University of Queensland had appointed Professor Peter Gray to head the Institute, which aims to be at the forefront of innovations in nanotechnology and biotechnology.

"This Institute will focus on areas of biotechnology such as developing material that is less likely to be rejected when used in tissue or organ replacement," he said

In December 2001, Mr Beattie and Innovation Minister Paul Lucas announced $20 million in funding towards the new Institute, which was the first recipient of money from the $100 million Smart State Research Facilities Fund.

"Having someone like Professor Gray head this Institute will ensure it will foster the growth of nanotechnology, which is the ability to build structures atom by atom at the molecular level," Mr Lucas said.

Professor Gray was the Director of the Bioengineering Centre and Professor of Biotechnology at the University of New South Wales (UNSW), as well as a Senior Principal Research Fellow with the Garvan Institute of Medical Research.

At UNSW, Professor Gray built up the research and development capabilities in mammalian cell culture to be the leading group in Australia with an extensive collaborative network of international research groups and corporations.

He was one of the founders and a past president of the Australian Biotechnology Association (Ausbiotech) and is regularly called upon as an expert witness in biotechnology patent cases as well as extensive consultancy projects.

Professor Gray has also had commercial experience in the USA working for Eli Lilly and for Cetus Corporation, as well as holding academic positions at the University College of London and at the University of California, Berkley.

"It's an exciting opportunity given the very rapid developments coming out of the fields of nanotechnology and biotechnology," Professor Gray said.

"The work being done there is a real plus, as is the Institute's ability to already attract some strong science people."

UQ's Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research), Professor David Siddle, said getting someone of the calibre of Professor Gray was quite a coup for the University.

Professor Gray will take up the directorship of the Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology at UQ in August.