As part of the National Youth Science Forum (NYSF) Year 12 Program, the ANU Centre for Therapeutic Discovery (ACTD), Phenomics Australia node led by A/Prof. Amee George, had the opportunity to showcase their state-of-the-art facilities and expertise.
Hosted at the John Curtin School of Medical Research, ANU Centre for Therapeutic Discovery (ACTD)—one of Phenomics Australia’s Functional Genomics and High-throughput (HTP) screening nodes—along with the National Therapeutic mRNA Platform (NTRP), a newly established facility at ANU streamlining the design, testing, and optimisation of mRNA therapeutic candidates, together showcased high-throughput screening and therapeutic discovery to NYSF students.
Over a two-hour session, students rotated through a series of workstations, gaining firsthand exposure to the state-of-the-art facilities and expertise provided by ACTD and NTRP. These engaging demonstrations offered insights into how screening assays are performed, the complex infrastructure that supports them, and the diverse career pathways available in science.
Workstation 1, led by Dr Susannah Brown, Team Leader of the NTRP, and Ms Nicole Thomsen, showcased the capabilities of the Revvity FlexDrop iQ Non-contact Dispenser and the Revvity Fontus NGS Liquid Handling Workstation. The demonstration highlighted the importance of accuracy, reproducibility, and quality in mRNA therapeutic testing, while also showcasing the specialist expertise required to operate and maintain these advanced technologies.
Workstation 2, presented by ACTD Senior Technologies Officer Dr Koula Diamand, highlighted the ACTD’s 3D bioprinting capabilities. Students participated in an interactive demonstration showing how cells are incorporated into matrices such as hydrogels. This workstation demonstrated how 3D bioprinting is revolutionising therapeutic development and underscored the precision required for advanced cell culturing.
Workstation 3, led by ACTD Technologies Specialist Dr Jinshu He, showcased the ACTD’s high-content imaging capabilities. Through demonstrations of high-content image analysis using the Revvity Opera Phenix instrument and the opportunity to observe cell cultures under a microscope, students gained an appreciation of the complexity of HTP screening services, and the expertise required to deliver them.
Overall, the tour and hands-on demonstrations provided students with valuable insight into the complexity of delivering highly specialised services within an academic research setting. These facilities are staffed by experts and offer a range of access opportunities, from enabling researchers to be embedded in the facility and to be trained on appropriate equipment and fully supported by the team from assay concept design, screening and analysis, through to full fee-for-service screening capacity.
“It was a real joy and privilege to welcome such engaged NYSF students from all over Australia into our lab.
Their curiosity, energy and enthusiasm were a wonderful reminder of the impact our work can have on the next generation of scientists as well as the exciting potential of this field.”
A/Prof George commented
Through the Victorian Centre for Functional Genomics (VCFG) at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, the Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research (Perkins), and through the ANU Centre for Therapeutic Discovery (ACTD, The John Curtin School of Medical Research, ANU), the Monash Functional Genomics Platform (MFGP) at Monash University, and at the Functional Genomics South Australia (FGSA) at the University of Adelaide (in partnership with SAHMRI), Phenomics Australia Functional Genomics and High-throughput screening services enable biomedical researchers Australia-wide with the ability to perform novel discovery-based screens using multiple platforms.
