The university will host a $96m research centre in synthetic biology

Ian Paulsen from Macquarie U will lead the new Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology.  The intent is to create biofuels, plastics and biochemical using genetically engineered microbes. According to Macquarie U, there will be a $1.1 trillion market in five years for synthetic biology products.

The centre has $35 from the federal government, with $61m in cash and kind from six other Australian universities and 25 ANZ, Asia and American partners.