X-ray scientist joins Queensland Institute

Australia's small community of X-ray crystallographers has been strengthened with the arrival of protein crystallography specialist Dr Helen Blanchard at the Centre for Biomolecular Science and Drug Discovery.

The drug research institute, associated with Griffith University on the Gold Coast, is working on drugs to counter diseases including cancer, multi-drug resistant tuberculosis, cholera, diabetes and multiple sclerosis.

As a senior research scientist at the centre, Blanchard's role will be to crystallise proteins and determine their 3D structures. One project she is currently involved with is working on the design of anti-inflammatory drugs under a grant from Queensland biotech company Progen.

Australia has a population of about 140 X-ray crystallographers, including about 40 protein specialists.

However the community is growing in size due to X-ray crystallography's importance to the new drug development cycle.

Prior to joining the centre about two months ago, Blanchard worked with biomolecular research centres in the US, Switzerland and Canada. She undertook her PhD at the University of London.

By giving molecular modellers a clearer idea of protein structures, X-ray crystallography improves the quality of the drug design process.

But crystallography services are limited in Australia partly due to the lack of biotechs able to afford the half million dollar price tag on X-ray diffraction equipment and the scarcity of specialised staff.

Led by drug researcher Dr Mark von Itzstein, the centre is in expansionary mode with staff count doubling to about 25 over the past year. At full capacity, the centre is designed to hold about 55 staff and students.