Partner Laboratory Network
The EMBL Australia Partner Laboratory Network (PLN) is based on the highly successful EMBL model. It comprises distributed, tightly integrated research centres that focus on complementary aspects of biological research.
The PLN is headquartered at Monash University with potential nodes developed at collaborating universities. The size and management of PLN are being determined in discussions within EMBL Australia Council.
The proposed PLN will be based on the existing European hub-and-spoke/node model. Current research partners in the network include Monash University, the universities of Western Australia, Sydney and Queensland and CSIRO.
The international linkages available through close association with the European Molecular Biology Laboratory will yield enhanced research quality, diversity and resources.
The PLN will enable academic staff in one research group to have access to the complementary facilities and expertise at other institutions. A focus on high quality basic research, across disciplines of national importance, will provide a basis for medium and long-term application of research outcomes.
Of specific relevance to the scientific themes of the PLN are Australia’s strengths in:
- involvement and therapeutic potential of stem cells in tissue regeneration;
- human genetic epidemiology;
- the power of small molecular screens in elucidating disease mechanisms;
- generation of animal models of human physiology (both in the mouse and other vertebrates); and
- plant biological research.
Potential synergy can be achieved by bringing together the unique strengths of EMBL/European laboratories in mouse biology, functional genomics, structural biology and bioinformatics, with valuable Australian resources in biodiversity, neurobiology and chemical biology, and national research initiatives in stem cell research, human genetics, and proteomics.