Two Holsworth Biomedical Research Centre (HBRC) researchers have been selected to participate in the prestigious CSIRO ON Prime program, marking an important step in translating innovative cancer research into real-world healthcare solutions.
Dr Mwila Kabwe and Professor Joe Tucci are members of The Phage Factor, a multidisciplinary team formed in partnership with colleagues from the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute (ONJCRI). The team is investigating novel approaches to overcome anti-cancer treatment resistance linked to bacteria residing within tumours.
The achievement is particularly significant as it represents the first time an ONJCRI-affiliated team has been accepted into the highly competitive ON Prime program. The program is designed to help researchers explore the commercial and societal potential of their discoveries through direct engagement with industry, clinical, regulatory and end-user stakeholders.
For Dr Kabwe, the greatest value of ON Prime has been the opportunity to assess the real-world feasibility of translating laboratory discoveries into products that can ultimately benefit patients. “What has been most important about participating in CSIRO ON Prime is the opportunity to systematically test the feasibility of translating our research into viable end-user products that can be seamlessly integrated into clinical care,” said Dr Kabwe.
He explained that the program provides a structured pathway for understanding the critical steps between scientific discovery and adoption, including product development, intellectual property protection and commercial strategy. Importantly, the program has enabled The Phage Factor team to engage directly with clinicians, industry representatives and regulatory experts.
“These conversations are proving invaluable, not only in clarifying our commercialisation pathway, but in building long-term relationships and multidisciplinary collaborations,” Dr Kabwe said.
Professor Tucci highlighted the importance of the partnerships that have emerged through the program and the support being provided by both institutions. “Participation in the CSIRO program means that we have a clearer pathway for the future translation of our research,” Professor Tucci said. “The significance for our team is that the respective commercialisation and legal infrastructures at La Trobe and the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute are working alongside us as we progress through the program to formalise the pathway for our research translation.”
The Phage Factor’s participation in ON Prime demonstrates the growing importance of collaboration between researchers, industry and commercialisation specialists in accelerating the translation of biomedical discoveries. HBRC congratulates Dr Kabwe, Professor Tucci and their ONJCRI colleagues on this achievement and looks forward to following their journey as they work to transform promising research into tangible health outcomes.
Read more about how Dr Kabwe’s research is investigating how phages could be used to target harmful bacteria linked to oral disease and other chronic health conditions here.
