Turning waste into wealth
Scientists working in the EBCRC plan to use microscopic bacteria to extract everything of value from waste and garbage and create biodegradable plastic bags, fuel, glues and fish food.

“I’m confident we can convert waste to wealth within the next five years,” said EBCRC executive director, Dr David Garman. “The challenge is to harness the power of the good bacteria involved in breaking down wastes.”

The idea of using processed wastes to generate valuable products is relatively recent and basic environmental biotechnology has only just started to be applied in the field.

The EBCRC wants to apply cutting-edge biotechnology – including analytical tools, proteomics and molecular genetics – to better understand and direct naturally occurring micro-organisms which break down waste materials.

Research priorities for the centre include bioremedies for contaminated soil and water, preventing biofilms, or slimes, from forming on stored water, and producing biopaints – biologically active paint which can inhibit bad microbial growth or promote good microbial growth.

The centre is also working on advanced anaerobic and aerobic biological treatments which can break down wastes at rapid rates. These could be applied everywhere from urban rubbish dumps to abattoirs.

Waste disposal is a major issue for the meat and livestock industry, said Garman. Only 45 per cent of a beef carcass is consumed and the remainder is discarded. The US department of agriculture is in the midst of a major US$20 million per annum research program in this area, and the EBCRC will “link with these projects to avoid duplication as well as complement and add new dimensions to R&D in this area”, said Garman.

Chair of Clean Up Australia, Ian Kiernan, is the first chair of the EBCRC. EBCRC partners include UNSW, Queensland University, Macquarie University, Murdoch University, the South Australian Research and Development Institute, Meat & Livestock Australia, the Australian Meat Producers Corporation, Orica and Collex.
The centre will receive $19.5 million over seven years from the Federal government’s CRC program.

Eyes on the clear vision prize
The Vision CRC, which will be the largest vision correction research centre in the world, will receive $32 million in federal funding over the next seven years.

CEO of the Vision CRC, Professor Brien Holden, said the centre’s first target would be to develop a cure for myopia, which affects 1.6 billion people around the globe. The incidence of myopia is increasing – by 2020, it is estimated that one in three people worldwide will be myopic.

“Fifty years ago, myopia was not a major issue,” said Professor Holden.