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At UWA, biomedical researchers are embracing innovation to ensure world-class discoveries are developed and commercialised, providing real-world health and medical solutions and positioning UWA as a leader in the biotech sector, both in Australia and internationally.  

UWA’s stable of impressive biomedical start-ups include innovative companies such as Lixa, Gene-S, Orthocell, and Marine Biomedical, to name a few; these biotech leaders create unique opportunities for students to engage with industry, through internships, research placements, collaborative projects and employment, bridging the gap between fundamental knowledge discovery and real-world application and commercialisation.  

Learn more about our innovative partnerships and discover how UWA researchers are at the forefront of shaping the biotech landscape.    

Lixa 

Lixa is a biotechnology company formed in 2021, dedicated to creating scalable solutions for antimicrobial resistance (AMR) by targeting biofilm disruption and collaborating on the development of new antibiotics.  

We had the opportunity to hear from UWA graduate, microbiologist and Research and Development Officer at Lixa, Ethan Haese. He tells us about how Lixa first started and UWA’s research contribution to the development of the lead technology, NeoX.   

"Lixa started when UWA researchers uncovered a new way to manage infections. They teamed up with our current Managing Director, Maud Eijkenboom, and Chief Scientist, Andrew Barker. When their son fell ill with a mysterious infection, Maud and Andrew (both experienced drug developers) recognised the potential of the UWA invention. With UWA’s support, the technology was spun out into what is now Lixa." 

Today, UWA remains a key partner in advancing our NeoX platform. Together, we’ve secured grant funding for new drug screening efforts targeting Salmonella food poisoning, we collaborate with UWA chemists on drug optimisation, and our laboratories are based at the Marshall Centre within the School of Biomedical Sciences.” 

Ethan HAESE, UWA PhD Candidate

On the impact of Neo X in the fight against AMR, Ethan says  

“AMR is a significant global public health threat, with an estimated 4.95 million AMR-associated deaths and 1.27 million deaths attributed to AMR bacterial infections in 2019 alone (1).  NeoX is a moonshot to reverse the AMR crisis. Our lead small molecule NeoX acts as a biofilm disrupter and universal resistance breaker, which reverses resistance and makes existing antibiotics work again.”  

Gene S

Gene S is a Western Australian biotechnology firm known for its cutting-edge pharmacogenomics testing technology. It was founded in 2020 by UWA graduate and former research fellow and lecturer, clinical geneticist Dr Suzanna Lindsey-Temple and UWA PhD graduate and molecular biologist Dr Svetlana Baltic.  

Gene S has created a groundbreaking precision medicine (PGx) platform called Rosa, named after Rosalind Franklin, the British scientist who helped uncover the double helix structure of DNA. Rosa was developed to enhance the treatment of mental health conditions in both adults and children through a product called RosaMind, a testing platform which optimises therapies based on the patient’s genetics.  

The Rosa PGx platform will soon be expanded for medications related to pain management, heart conditions, and anaesthesia, with future plans to expand its use to antibiotics, cancer treatments, and veterinary medicine.    

Orthocell

Orthocell is a regenerative medicine company dedicated to developing cutting-edge therapeutic products for musculoskeletal conditions. Established over 15 years ago, the company was founded through a strategic collaboration between Paul Anderson, Orthocell’s Co-Founder and Managing Director, and UWA Professor Ming Hao Zheng to develop biological technologies aimed at creating novel regenerative medicine treatments.  

Together, the co-founders saw the promise of using natural biological materials to help heal the human body, particularly in areas where treatments have long relied on materials such as metal and plastic. Today, Orthocell manufactures two regenerative medicine platforms: collagen medical devices and cell therapies. Their nerve repair product, RemplirTM, was recently approved by the FDA. 

Marine Biomedical

Marine Biomedical is a Western Australian biotech company dedicated to developing and manufacturing their flagship technology Pearl BoneTM, a patented bone substitute sourced from the Kimberley coast to fulfil a need in the orthopaedic, trauma, and reconstructive surgery space.  

Marine Biomedical began from a groundbreaking invention by UWA orthopaedic scientists Professor Minghao Zheng and Dr. Rui (Chris) Ruan who invented the technology, patented as PearlBone™.  

PearBone™ is a natural bone substitute made from pearl shells, highlighting the potential of marine organisms as alternatives to synthetic materials in orthopaedic medicine. This led to a collaboration with the aquaculture industry to create a biomedical venture in the Kimberley.  

Co-founded by Professor Minghao Zheng, marine biologist Patrick Moase, and Robert Banfield of Willie Creek Pearls, Marine Biomedical aims to turn pearl shell from Broome’s waters into an approved medical product for global distribution.