FHMRI Biomarker Collective - Flinders University

Established in 2021, the FHMRI Biomarker Collective (FBC) is driven by world-class researchers working together to turn fundamental discoveries into real-world solutions to healthcare challenges.

The Biomarker Collective themes revolve around the development of non-invasive biomarkers to:

detect disease earlier (enabling earlier and more effective therapeutic interventions)
more accurately predict prognosis and disease trajectory (enabling design of more personalised and cost-effective monitoring plans and interventions)
improve monitoring of disease progression and therapeutic effects (enabling more efficient clinical trials and early identification of the need for treatment changes)
personalise therapeutic decisions (enabling individuals to receive a treatment that is safe and effective for them).

These ambitious aims are achievable through our access to in-house, highly curated and expansive human biospecimen libraries (biobanks) and specialised clinical health data registries.

Our core disciplines

Resources and expertise

Our research

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Core disciplines

Biomarker discovery

Unbiased screening for putative biomarker detection.

Biomarker analytical validation

Targeted assays optimised for reproducibility and high sensitivity.

Biomarker confirmation

Using complementary methods.

Biomarker clinical validation

Incorporation into clinical development programs and clinical trials.

Biomarker discovery – Unbiased screening for putative biomarker detection.
Biomarker analytical validation – Targeted assays optimised for reproducibility and high sensitivity.
Biomarker confirmation – Using complementary methods.
Biomarker clinical validation – Incorporation into clinical development programs and clinical trials.

Key technologies, resources and expertise

Across our programs of research, FBC offers access to a range of key resources, expertise, facilities and technologies.

Facilities

Explore the specialist equipment and expertise available on a user-pay basis across Flinders' Bedford Park and Tonsley campuses and the Flinders Medical Centre.

View facilities and bioplatforms

Resources

Our state-of-the-art facilities include:

Genomics facility and robotics facilities
The Ian Davis Flinders University Biomarker facility
Human biospecimen libraries
Specialised large clinical health data registries
Clinical trial design and implementation

Expertise

Expertise of FBC members includes:

Liquid biopsies
Genomics and epigenomics
Proteomics
Microscopy
Bioinformatics, biostatistics, and machine learning expertise

Technologies

Laboratory capabilities include:

LC-MS (Mass Spectrometry)
High throughput automated ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays)
NGS (next-generation sequencing)
Robotics for automation
Extracellular vesicle isolation
Flow cytometry

Research programs

Some examples of the research program under the FBC include:

Centre for development of non-invasive diagnostics
Data and direct clinical trials and research translation
Omics (Proteomics/Metabolomics)
Precision medicine

Tissue specific extracellular vesicle isolation and characterisation
Genomic biomarkers
Urinary biomarker discovery and translation for Motor Neuron Disease

RESEARCH OUTPUTS

Our members are highly cited, national and international thought leaders in their fields. Recent competitive grants awarded to our members to continue their biomarker research include:

2021 NHMRC Ideas Grant: Do patients with symptoms need a colonoscopy? A novel panel of non-invasive biomarkers to determine need for diagnostic investigation (Associate Professor Erin Symonds).
2021 NHMRC Ideas Grant: Machine learning of randomised trials: A major emerging opportunity to advance precision oncology (Professor Michael Sorich).
2021 NHMRC MRFF Genomics Health Futures Mission Grant. ctDNA to monitor treatment efficacy in gastrointestinal cancers.
2021 NHMRC Investigator Grant (Leadership 1). Circular RNAs as genome destabilisers in human disease (Associate Professor Simon Conn).
2020 Fight MND Impact Grant: The use of biomarkers to address motor neurone disease heterogeneity and improve detection of benefit in clinical trials (Associate Professor Mary-Louise Rogers).
2020 ARC Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities Grant. Protein quantitation centre of South Australia, renewal for systems biology (Associate Professor Tim Chataway).

2019 NHMRC Project Gran. An RCT to use faecal biomarkers to personalise surveillance colonoscopy frequency.
2019 Cancer Australia Priority-driven Collaborative Cancer Research Scheme. ctDNA to determine need to chemotherapy in stage II bowel cancer (Associate Professor Erin Symonds).
2019 NHMRC Project grant. ADMExosomes: A new paradigm for tracking variability in drug exposure (Associate Professor Andrew Rowland, Professor Michael Sorich).
2018 National Institute of Health (USA). CReATE biomarker collaboration (U01NS107027)
2017 World Cancer Research Fund International: Involvement of microRNAs in dietary reduction of cancer risk in Familial Adenomatous Polyposis (Associate Professor Michael Michael).
2017 AGITG Innovation Grant. Prospective Study of ‘Watch and Wait” Strategy in Patients with Rectal Cancer who have Developed a Clinical Complete Response with concurrent Chemo-radiotherapy: RENO trial (Associate Professor Michael Michael).

PARTNERSHIPS

FightMND – funded the Ian Davis Flinders University Biomarker Facility, to foster translational outcomes for motor neurone disease.
Pfizer Inc – sponsors for two investigator initiated clinical studies investigating extracellular vesicle derived biomarkers of drug exposure.