Biotech incubator CUREator will receive $3 million in funding from CSIRO to support Australia’s health security and protect against emerging infectious diseases and pandemics.
CSIRO scientists will also collaborate with innovators and emerging companies through CUREator.
The CSIRO funding allows CUREator to launch a new health security stream that will give promising projects up to $1 million over three years across fields including emerging infectious diseases and pandemics research, and therapies targeting chemical, biological and radiological threats.
CUREator was established in 2021 with $40 million in funding from the federal government’s Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF). It is managed by Brandon BioCatalyst.
Brandon BioCatalyst CEO Dr Chris Nave said the partnership with CSIRO demonstrated strong support for translating innovation to action.
“With CUREator our aim is to increase the capital and expertise available to progress more of our brilliant research discoveries for the laboratory to the clinic, and ultimately into life-saving new therapies. The CSIRO funding will be specifically focussed on technologies that have the potential to protect Australians from future pandemics and health threats,” said Dr Nave.
“CSIRO has a long and successful track record of using science to create solutions for challenges and opportunities facing our country; so this funding directed toward national health security projects is a natural extension of these endeavours.”
Anita van der Meer, executive manager at CSIRO said the agency was supporting the opportunity to develop new health security capabilities and technology.
“CSIRO brings an incredible wealth of capability in pandemic preparedness, biomedical research, vaccine development and biomanufacturing. CUREator will play an important role bridging the gap between where research funding ends and seed funding begins, and CSIRO is pleased to support home-grown health security discoveries,” said Ms van der Meer.
