The rapid rise of Australian biotechnology has its roots in a well-established biomedical research base. Six home-grown Nobel Laureates include recent winner Professor Peter Doherty for his work on cell-mediated immune defence

Australia has a greater availability of scientists and engineers than Singapore, the UK or Germany, and is ranked second after Canada as the most cost-effective location for biomedical R&D

A cornucopia of flora and fauna promises an exciting future for bio-prospecting. Australia hosts almost 10% of the world’s plant biodiversity, and around 85% of plants and microbes on the island continent are found nowhere else