ARC Research Hub for Medicinal Agriculture

The ARC MedAg Hub, established in 2018, is a $24+ million initiative supported by Australian government (Australian Research Council), industry and university funds. It comprises agricultural and biomedical researchers along with industry partner organisations:

Lead Organisation

  • La Trobe University
     

Partner Organisations – Industry

  • Bioplatforms Australia (BPA)
  • Cann Group Limited
  • Hexima Ltd.
  • Palo Alto Research Center Inc (PARC)
  • Photon Systems Instruments (PSI)
  • SensaData Pty. Ltd.
  • Under the Tree Biopharmaceuticals Pty. Ltd.
     

Partner Organisations - Research

  • Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute
  • University of Melbourne


The ARC MedAg Hub’s cross-disciplinary and innovative research and industry collaboration provides a platform for the improved production of plant-derived medicinal products and the development of cost-efficient extraction technologies for peptides and other plant secondary metabolites. This, with the application of combinatorial chemistry will result in active and targeted drugs and the acceleration of their translation into commercial use.


Vision

The ARC MedAg Hub aims to transform the production of high quality, plant derived therapeutics into an integrated, Australia-wide industry that spans primary producers and manufacturers. 

By bringing together highly skilled research capabilities and industry expertise, the resulting knowledge from the ARC MedAg Hub will be applicable across related industries, lead innovation and build the specialised education, training and workforce needed to underpin Australia’s developing medicinal agriculture industry.

 

 


Benefit and Impact

The ARC MedAg Hub’s output will have wide-reaching beneficial impact in Australia and across the globe. It will place Australia at the forefront of agribiotech research, production and manufacturing by developing an export ready, commercially competitive medicinal agriculture industry which will deliver immediate economic benefits to Australia. 

The ARC MedAg Hub will:

• Provide knowledge for the optimum safeguarding of the quality, security, scale of cultivation and production of medicinal agriculture by conducting vital innovative research into plant varieties, commercial cultivation practices, chemical synthesis and extraction techniques. 
• Contribute to a specialised workforce by creating a robust, profitable and sustainable industry which will provide job growth and better health outcomes.
• Provide opportunities for students to benefit and share in this knowledge by providing access to innovative research programs, state of the art equipment and involvement in projects in which they can directly engage with industry within an environment that has immediate real-world experience and impact.

 

Prof. Tony Bacic - Collaboration with Industry