The CRC-CGF in partnership with LICR hosted the ‘Developments in Proteomics and Drug Discovery Workshop’. This Workshop was of particular interest to researchers studying protein-protein interactions and proteomics. Speakers at the Workshop were Dr Chris Williams from Millennium Pharmaceuticals, USA, who described proteomic applications for BIAcore biosensors, and Dr Robert Karlsson from BIAcore AB, Sweden, who gave a talk entitled ‘BIAcore in the Drug Discovery Process: Applications for Drug-target Characterisation and Assays for Prediction of ADME Properties’. The Workshop was held at WEHI in November and attracted approximately seventy participants. Sponsors for the event were BIAcore AB.
Dr
Chris Williams describing proteomic applications for BIAcore biosensors
at the Proteomics and Drug Discovery Workshop
Fluorescent Activated Cell Sorting (FACS) is a technique used
by many researchers, particularly cell biologists. To assist researchers
to master this technique and adapt it to their own needs, the CRC-CGF
organised a FACS Workshop. The Workshop was led by WEHI’s Head of
the Flow Cytometry Laboratory, Dr Frank Battye, and had a two-part
program: the first session provided an introduction to FACS and the
second part focused on troubleshooting. Twenty-seven researchers
participated in the Workshop, which was held at WEHI. The Workshop
was organised by Leecia Angus (CRC-CGF) and Julie Rothacker (CRC-CGF/LICR).
The CRC-CGF maintains a web site providing information about the Centre and its contact details. Structure and research programs of the Centre, forthcoming events and education programs such as the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program are displayed on the site. The CRC-CGF web master is Dr Nathan Hall from LICR.
Presentation to Osborne Associates
In January Dr Greg Wilson spoke to the Melbourne Financial Services Consultants’ Meeting (also known as The Osborne Associates) about biotechnology and CRCs developing biotechnology applications.
The aim of Financial Services Consultants’ meetings is to facilitate networking, clustering and business development amongst boutique advisory firms that operate in Melbourne, Australia and internationally. Participants in the group include executives involved in strategy and business development, financing, funds management, venture capital, banking, derivatives and structured financial products and human resources.
Ten people attended and Dr Wilson received many questions on a
variety of aspects of biotechnology. This event was organised as
part of the DETYA Lectureship Program (see Cooperative Linkages).
Dr Wilson is employed by this program as a Biotechnology Education
and Training Officer and he delivers education for the five CRCs
involved.
The
4th Protein Expression Workshop, hosted by the CRC-CGF and CSIRO, was held
at CSIRO’s Parkville site from 1st to 2nd August 2002. The workshop
covered many topics such as molecular biology, fermentation, protein
purification, crystallization and structural analysis. These skills are
required for the successful production of complex recombinant
glycoproteins. The workshop was designed to give an overview of the
integrated approach necessary for protein expression. On Day One, the
requirements of crystallography and protein chemistry were first discussed
along with recent developments in recombinant expression systems.
Dr
Myszka has made a number of significant contributions to the field of
biosensor-based research, both in improving methods of experimental design
as well as data analysis. Dr Kara Herlihy from Biacore Inc. in New Jersey,
USA, spoke about recovery from biosensor surfaces using SPR/MS. Speakers
from within Australia included Dr Rod Fiddes from AMBRI Limited in New
South Wales, A. Prof. Ed Nice from CRC-CGF/LICR who also chaired the
morning sessions, Dr Briony Forbes from the Department of Molecular
Biosciences, the University of Adelaide, South Australia, Dr David Small,
from the Department of Pathology, the University of Melbourne and Dr Mibel
Aguilar from the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash
University. The second phase was a CRC-CGF lecture held on the following
day, 23rd October. Dr David Myszka spoke on the emerging technologies in
this field and scientists from several institutes in the Parkville area
and the wider metropolitan region attended the workshop. Biacore provided
morning tea refreshments following the lecture.