Two of the world’s leading regenerative medicine institutes join forces
Australia’s regenerative medicine research efforts are set to strengthen as a result of a new partnership between Monash University and a leading US biomedical research institution.
The Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute (ARMI) at Monash University announced today a partnership agreement with the MDI Biological Laboratory in Bar Harbor, Maine.
The partnership will explore new ways to promote research initiatives between the two organisations, focusing on regeneration and the development of new therapies to improve human health.
It will also facilitate the creation of an international exchange program between faculty and students at the two research institutions, including graduate students from the University of Maine and medical students at Monash University.
Deputy Director of ARMI, Professor Peter Currie, said the partnership was a key move for the institute, opening up new opportunities for staff and students.
“I am delighted to announce ARMI and the MDI will be working together. The two institutes share a common mission and drive to put discoveries to work as new therapies. This partnership offers an unprecedented opportunity to build on our increasing knowledge about natural mechanisms for healing and repair,” Professor Currie said.
The agreement opens the possibility of developing biotech business connections between Maine and Australia in areas of shared interest, with the potential to develop a drug discovery consortium focused on using a variety of organisms to model diseases and identify new pharmaceuticals.
President of the MDI Biological Laboratory, Professor Kevin Strange said ARMI and the MDI Biological Laboratory are the only two research institutions in the world that focus on understanding how certain animals are naturally able to grow new body parts after injury or disease.
“By partnering with ARMI, we will be able to speed the discovery of new ways to promote healing and tissue repair and potentially improve Maine’s economy. This is an exciting opportunity for us all,” Professor Strange said.
ARMI opened in 2009 as a joint venture between Monash University and the Victorian Government. The $153 million centre was established to build on the University’s existing strengths in biomedical research.
The MDI Biological Laboratory is an independent, nonprofit biomedical research institution founded in Maine in 1898.