Plant SynBio Australia (PSBA)

LOCATION: Waite Campus, Woolhouse Library, Urrbrae SA 5064

About PSBA

Plant SynBio Australia (PSBA) is a national network dedicated to accelerating synthetic biology solutions for climate-resilient agriculture, sustainable biomanufacturing, and global food security.

Funded through Bioplatforms Australia under the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS) as part of a larger $55m ‘Step Change’ investment to enable synthetic biology across industrial fermentation, plant agriculture, medical research, and biosecurity domains, and supported by the South Australian Government, PSBA offers specialised expertise and infrastructure to address sector-specific challenges.

PSBA provides access to specialised expertise, advanced infrastructure, and collaborative research capabilities to address key challenges in agriculture and the bioeconomy. Its capabilities span the full synthetic biology pipeline, including:

• Design of molecular components
• Gene editing and plant transformation
• Biomanufacturing
• Phenotypic assessment of bio-designed plants in controlled environments and field

These technologies support the development of next-generation solutions, including:

• Plant-based vaccine production
• Biopharmaceuticals
• Novel crops and food products
• Improved crop yields and productivity
• Enhanced resistance to drought, disease, and environmental stresses

PSBA’s infrastructure and expertise are available to research organisations, government agencies, and industry partners through a fee-for-service model. The network also provides incubation space for start-ups and creates opportunities for collaboration, innovation, and commercialisation across Australia’s growing synthetic biology ecosystem.