ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology

New pilot study: 22 experts in engineering biology were asked how they weigh the risks of their own research against the risks of climate inaction. Many have already decided: acting is worth the risk Our story 🔗: www.coesb.com.au/should-scien... @danfulvi.bsky.social @arc-gov-au.bsky.social

A protein apple that keeps you buff? 🍏 Long-life eggs? 🥚 We asked year 11 and 12 students from Barker College what they would design to help with food in space with the help of synthetic biology 🚀 The students visited our researchers at Macquarie University last week. @arc-gov-au.bsky.social

📣 HAVE YOUR SAY Synthetic Biology Australasia wants to know how the Industry Rep role can help strengthen connections between the synbio community and industry. Please complete the survey! Link below or scan the QR code, and please re-post forms.cloud.microsoft/pages/respon... @coesb.com.au

⏳ Have you submitted your abstract for the @arc-gov-au.bsky.social Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology Annual Conference? #CoESB26 We've extended the submission due date to 11:59pm Sunday 11 October. Don't miss the chance to showcase your great research. 📥 forms.cloud.microsoft/r/R7S2v1wt0g

We're pleased to welcome @idtdna.bsky.social on board as a Silver Sponsor at our 2026 ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology (CoESB) Annual Conference! #CoESB26 IDT is a leading provider of genomics solutions supporting multi-omics research. Thank you for your support! 🙏

Centre members from our Macquarie University node visited the QUT Pioneer BioPilot in Mackay, a state-of-the-art facility designed to fast-track the development and commercialisation of next-generation bio-based products. 🤩 At the NCRIS Synbio Retreat hosted by @bioplatformsaus.bsky.social

Yeast is a biotech workhorse. Used to make everything from medicines and biofuels to bioplastics and food ingredients. But engineering better yeast strains has always been slow and costly. Enter RAIN: a new tool from our Centre researchers. 📖 The story: bit.ly/47hC6YM @arc-gov-au.bsky.social

🎉 Congratulations to Centre research leader Professor @claudiavickers.bsky.social on being named the 2026 Life Sciences Queensland Ltd (LSQ) @qimrb.bsky.social Woman of Influence. 📖 Read the story: bit.ly/4yKkBMC @arc-gov-au.bsky.social

On Saturday we returned to Astronomy Night at Macquarie Uni to run 3 fun activities: a Space Food Fair, DNA jewellery making experience and a live demonstration of Remediate! - our synthetic biology card game. Many thanks to our brilliant team of outreach volunteers, led by Dr Nicholas Yang!

Dr @taylorszyszka.bsky.social joins Dave Crisante on his new podcast, The Science of Being Funny, to chat about using comedy to build rapport, boost engagement, and connect with audiences as a scientist. She also dives into why science communication matters. 🎧: youtu.be/Bh4C9_8lR_I?...

⏰ Get your abstracts in for #CoESB26! Posters, short talks and flash talks are a great platform to showcase your research findings and innovations to a diverse audience of fellow researchers, industry professionals and academia. 📥 forms.cloud.microsoft/r/R7S2v1wt0g 🗓️ Close Sun 20 Sep

Today we farewelled our good friend and colleague Dr Rahau Shirazi 💜 Rahau has been a valued part of the Professional team and a driving force behind some of the Centre's key initiatives, such as supporting research translation and entrepreneurship. ✨ Thank you Rahau! @arc-gov-au.bsky.social

Last week, our Centre Director Distinguished Professor Ian Paulsen presented the @aussocmic.bsky.social Goldsworthy Memorial Lecture 2026 at the Sydney Masonic Centre. 📷 Thanks Binod Rayamajhee for the snap! @arc-gov-au.bsky.social

Congratulations to Mayra Barrios Leguarca from our QUT (Queensland University of Technology) node on winning Best Poster Presentation at the 2nd Australian Future Sensing Conference 🎉 @arc-gov-au.bsky.social

Scientists love to say their work is "for the public good." But new research from our Centre's Ethics node shows the two most common ways science tries to deliver on that promise both fall short - and pins down exactly why. 📖 Read the story: bit.ly/3SVGtFw @arc-gov-au.bsky.social

Our researchers have been abroad! 🇻🇳🇨🇳 Dr Mica Fiorito (QUT) visited collaborators in Ho Chi Minh, presented at ICISE Quy Nhon with Prof Kirill Alexandrov, then joined int. researchers in Shenzhen for a workshop on protein machine design - incl a tour of a 7-floor biofoundry @arc-gov-au.bsky.social

Yesterday, we welcomed Dr Mike Freelander MP on a tour of the ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology the Australian Genome Foundry at Macquarie University. We were proud to share the success of our Centre in translating research into real world outcomes. @arc-gov-au.bsky.social

We held our annual Grant Writing Retreat in the Hunter Valley, NSW. 🌿 The 2day retreat included presentations from grant writing mentors on how to write a successful grant application. The highlight was 1:1 meetings with each of the mentors for feedback. @arc-gov-au.bsky.social

✨ #CoESB26 Sponsor Spotlight ✨ We're pleased to welcome back @twistbioscience.com and @decodescience.bsky.social as our Platinum Sponsors of the CoESB Annual Conference 2026! Together, they’re bringing you the daily Barista Coffee Cart - the best start to a full day of conferencing!

We returned to Sydney Science Trail at the Australian Museum, showcasing synthetic biology themed books and games we made, and sample products from our Centre startups and affiliates. We demonstrated how synthetic biology can enable a more sustainable future. 🌱🌏 @arc-gov-au.bsky.social

The winners of the inaugural @arc-gov-au.bsky.social CoEs Creative Communication Competition have been announced! 2 of our members won prizes in the Drawing/painting/ sculpture category. Judges 1st Prize - Rashika Sood's 'The Reef Remembers' People's Choice - Jennifer Adami's 'Elli the E. coli'

🧬 Science Week is underway and our brilliant volunteer outreach team led by Dr Brodie Gillieatt of Macquarie University is having some great conversations about synthetic biology with children and adults alike. ✨ Thank you to our team of volunteers! @arc-gov-au.bsky.social

The winners of the inaugural @arc-gov-au.bsky.social Centres of Excellence Creative Communication Competition have been announced! 🥳 The People's Choice in the Comic/Graphic Novel/Zine category is Jasperine Phetchareun for 'From Waste to Wonders'. 🔎 Check it out here: bit.ly/4zr5YPy

✨ We're excited to announce our fifth keynote speaker for #coesb26, Prof @gavinhthomas.bsky.social! Gavin is a Prof. at the Department of Biology at the @york.ac.uk ac.uk, UK. We're looking forward to hearing from Prof Thomas soon! 📅 Registration opens this week! @arc-gov-au.bsky.social

We sponsored a session with Lauren Reinhardt of North Shore Speech Therapy at last week's @arc-gov-au.bsky.social Centres of Excellence Professional Staff Forum 🗣️💬 She reviewed our outreach products, including our card game Remediate!, and gave us a masterclass in storytelling for kids.

Did you know there’s a #SciArt competition happening across some of Australia's research centres right now? 🔭🧫🌱⛅ Scientists are sharing their research in creative ways! 🧑‍🎨 AND you can vote for your favourites! 🤩 Check them out here: scienceart.com.au/voting/ Voting closes August 14 🗳️ #SciComm

Last week our Professional Team presented at the @arc-gov-au.bsky.social Centres of Excellence Summit! Sessions on strategy, research comms, finance, and a showcase of our synthetic biology card game Remediate. Great to share knowledge and finally meet colleagues we usually only email!

Great to be part of today’s #ARTIC Workshop in Sydney, focused on strengthening Australia’s research translation ecosystem. Our Director shared Research Translation Highlights from our Centre. In 5 years, we've spun out 12 startup companies that have collectively raised $230m in venture capital.

Entries have now closed to the @arc-gov-au.bsky.social Centres of Excellence Creative Communication Competition. The People's Choice vote is now open until 14 August. We received 16 entries from our Centre - time to show them some love. 🥰 scienceart.com.au/voting/

📹 Highlights from our recent Biotech Entrepreneurship Workshop held at Macquarie University in partnership with @macsys.bsky.social. What an amazing day! @arc-gov-au.bsky.social

Centre members - the CoESB 2026 Grant Writing Retreat is filling up fast! 📝 3 days at Voco Kirkton Park, Hunter Valley: 1:1 mentoring with 3 expert grant mentors, peer feedback, dedicated writing time. Rego closes Fri 7 Aug 2026 👉 forms.cloud.microsoft/r/YzeEeLR7VY @arc-gov-au.bsky.social

Our Director Ian Paulsen gave the Plenary Lecture at the Yeast Products and Discovery '26 Conference in Brisbane last week. The talk covered his journey from a bacteriologist to yeast lover, including the Yeast 2.0 projects in his lab. 📸: Tim Macuga @arc-gov-au.bsky.social

Applications to Superstars of STEM are now open! 🌟 Previous Superstars include our Centre's own Dr Laura Navone, Dr Paige Erpf and @taylorszyszka.bsky.social. Could you be next? More info: scienceandtechnologyaustralia.org.au/what-we-do/s... @scienceau.bsky.social

In case you missed it - Our Director Ian Paulsen was the cover story for Good Weekend last weekend. 🌟 Thanks to @angusdalton.bsky.social for shining a light on synthetic biology! @arc-gov-au.bsky.social www.smh.com.au/national/fir...

MACSYS members had the opportunity to tour the Australian Genome Foundry (AGF) at Macquarie University, a national, state-of-the-art synthetic biology facility. The tour provided a fascinating look at how AGF supports end-to-end synthetic biology research. Thanks @arccoesb.bsky.social for hosting!

This week we hosted a Biotech Entrepreneurship Workshop in Sydney, with @macsys.bsky.social. Researchers, founders, VCs and industry leaders came together for practical discussions on investment readiness, mentorship and translating science into commercial impact. 🎯 @arc-gov-au.bsky.social

@bskyhub.com Hi there, have estimated impressions disappeared from Post reports?

We're pleased to announce Australian Genome Foundry and IDEA Bio as our Diamond Sponsors of the CoESB Annual Conference 2026 #CoESB6. 💎 Thank you both for your continued support! We can’t wait to see you in the Hunter Valley this December. @arc-gov-au.bsky.social

Exciting news for antifungal research and for translating great science into real-world impact. Congratulations to Centre researchers Professor Amy Cain @flamycain.bsky.social, Dr Hue Dinh and the team! 🎉 Read the story: www.coesb.com.au/exclusive-de... @arc-gov-au.bsky.social

We brought the case for sovereign biomanufacturing to Parliament House in Canberra last week, hosting parliamentarians, advisors, departmental officials and startup founders for BioMade in Australia, a national event on the future of the sector. @arc-gov-au.bsky.social

A great evening at Parliament House celebrating biomanufacturing in Australia with parliamentarians, ministerial staffers, industry partners and Centre researchers. More than 40 countries now have explicit national strategies for synthetic biology and biomanufacturing. Australia does not!

✨ We're excited to announce Associate Prof Emma Frow of Arizona State University as a keynote speaker at #coesb26! Emma's research focuses on the governance of emerging biotechnologies, and she has been studying and working alongside the synthetic biology community in the US and Europe since 2008.

📢 Attention Centre members! 📢 Entries are now open to the @arc-gov-au.bsky.social Centres of Excellence Creative Communication Competition. 🏆 Win up to $400 in gift cards! - Plus, bragging rights for life 🙌 📅 Entries close 31 July 2026 Enter now: scienceart.com.au

Researchers from the Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology have secured $2 million in @arc-gov-au.bsky.social Linkage grant funds for projects spanning waste conversion, environmental conservation, and food security. Read the story: www.coesb.com.au/linkage-gran...