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Transcript of BioQuisitive Enterprise Portfolio
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Andrew Gray
Director
BioQuisitive Ltd
ABN: 57 608 618 275
ACN:608 618 275
0400925256
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected] -
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Contents
Contents
Contents ..................................................................................................................................... 1
Executive Summary ................................................................................................................... 2
Science engagement: A challenge worth tackling ..................................................................... 3
BioQuisitive: Bringing science to the broader community ........................................................ 4
Vision ..................................................................................................................................... 4
Opportunities.............................................................................................................................. 4
Building from the foundations of a global movement ........................................................... 4
BioQuisitive Today .................................................................................................................... 5
Reduction of cost barriers to science ................................................................................. 5
Current Activities and Achievements .................................................................................... 5
Establishment of a safe, compliant workspace .................................................................. 5
The community and customers .............................................................................................. 6
Community growth ............................................................................................................ 7
Outreach activities ............................................................................................................. 8
Partnering ........................................................................................................................... 8
BioQuisitive as an organisation ................................................................................................. 8
Operation................................................................................................................................ 9
Committee members .............................................................................................................. 9
BioQuisitive of tomorrow .......................................................................................................... 9
The future vision .................................................................................................................... 9
Growth challenges and needs................................................................................................. 9
Physical space .................................................................................................................... 9
The creation and delivery of workshops and projects ....................................................... 9
Growth Milestones ........................................................................................................... 10
Appendices ........................................................................................................................... 11Advisory Board ................................................................................................................ 11
Partnerships ...................................................................................................................... 12
Financial Projections ........................................................................................................ 14
Reflections ........................................................................................................................... 14
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Executive Summary
BioQuisitive Pty Ltd isAustralias first open innovation laboratory and learning spacefor the life sciences. We are a non-profit company supporting a community ofinterested citizens, students, researchers and entrepreneurs in the pursuit of
innovative, hands-on inquiry. This is achieved by providing access to experimentationand learning in a supportive, safe and open environment. By reducing the barriers toentry into the life sciences we are laying the foundations for affordable translation ofideas into products, services, and discovery for Victorians. To date, we havesurpassed many milestones and challenges through the dedication and support of ourcommunity and by leveraging what our environment can offer to our stakeholders.
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Science engagement: A challenge worth tackling
Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) are critically important for the growth and
development of modern societies. Engineering, IT, and the sciences all contribute to our innovation
system through discoveries that lead to new products and services. With advancements in gene
technologies, the life sciences is on the cusp of explosive growth, with developments inpersonalised/precision medicine identified as some of the most disruptive technologies that will shape
the future. Gene technologies are just one set of technological disruptions our societies will
encounter, along with other new technologies, such as 3D printing. Furthermore, local innovative
products and services in these sectors stand to deliver impact on a global scale.
Unfortunately, this excitement is not felt by all. There is a general disconnect between most
Australians and the sciences. A symptom of this can be seen in classroom participation rates in the
sciences by students. A detailed report by the Australian Council of Learned Academies outlined STEM
participation in Australia, and paints a concerning picture about young peoples engagement with
science over the last 40 years (Figure 1).
Figure 1: Year 12 science participation as a percentage of the year 12 cohort in Australian. Source: Ainley, J,
Kos, J & Nicholas, M (2008), Participation in science, mathematics and technology in Australian education ,
Research Monograph no. 63, ACER, Melbourne.
When science students were asked about their thoughts on the importance of science in everyday life
in a 2014 survey conducted by the Chief Scientist of Australia, only 19% of students who chose to
study science agreed that science was important in everyday lifei.
It is well-recognised that Victoria, and in particular, Melbourne, is a bubbling life sciences hub that is
internationally renowned. Significant investment by successive Victorian Governments has
established Melbourne as the premier Australian city for biotechnology, with 40% of the national
government medical research funding being committed to Victoria. Victoria's life science sector is
among the world's largest and most innovative, with a concentration of world-class institutes and
companies and a combined market capitalisation of over AU $35 billionii.
The lack of engagement of future generations of Australians in STEM is an issue that needs to be
addressed, in order to drive sustainable social and economic growth for the nation. BioQuisitive
aims to change this.
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Traditionally, engagement in the sciences has meant participating in post-secondary education in a
formal science course, where the process of science is taught to a particular curriculum. Exploratory
science is then taught in post-graduate degrees, typically focused around a scientific research
question. This work is usually performed within a tertiary education institution, where significant
infrastructure support is provided to support the research activities. For a career scientist (i.e.,
postdoctoral and beyond), there is an ever-increasing pressure to secure competitive grant fundingto support their careers, their support staff, and students. Despite these pressures, Victoria has
remained a flagship location for life science activity, where a thriving community of highly educated
and talented individuals create significant economic activity.
BioQuisitive: Bringing science to the broader communityDespite the strong life science activity in Victoria, science remains accessible to few, as it siloed
within tertiary institutions, and is limited to individuals that possess the qualifications recognised by
such institutions.
VisionBioQuisitives current vision is to democratize the safe access to science for all interested Victorians,in order to set the foundations for unhindered and open innovation, collaboration and education
within the life sciences, and other related fields.
Opportunities
Building from the foundations of a global movementThe democratisation of science is not a new concept. Around the world, similar spaces are
facilitating a variety of innovative projects run by community members. Similar to the computer
revolution, BioQuisitive is part of a social movement known as the "Do It Yourself Biology" (DIYbio)
movement. Examples of this and their activities are outlined below. DIYbio focuses on making life
science accessible to those who would not normally have an avenue to explore their interests through
experimentation. This includes citizens, students, researchers, entrepreneurs and larger
organizations. The value these DIYbio spaces provide is not just in the form of infrastructure and
knowledge, but also the community that forms around these spaces. Cross-pollination of ideas
develops as people explore their interests with fellow community members.
http://www.indiebio.co/
Biotech accelerators like Indie Bio are investing in new ideas every year from these spaces, and ones
like them. Allocations of funds up to US $250,000 are paid to each successful applicant, and are
supported with mentoring, lab space, business development advice and other support in exchange for
10% equity in the idea. The ecosystem in the US is sophisticated, where innovation enjoys strong
support, ideas are fostered, and sophisticated investors are there to support the development of these
ideas into products and services.
http://foundry.bio/
Members from the BioFoundry (Sydney) have been successful in receiving funding through Indie Bio
in order to further develop an idea to produce infant formula from yeast. They received mentorship,
training in business and marketing, and were given $250,000 in funding. BioFoundry is currently
setting up a physical laboratory space as well.
http://www.indiebio.co/http://www.indiebio.co/http://foundry.bio/http://foundry.bio/http://foundry.bio/http://www.indiebio.co/ -
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https://counterculturelabs.org/
A group of formally and informally trained citizen scientists have started a project to create vegan
cheese made from milk expressed by yeast. They are also creating a general version of insulin in order
to make it more affordable.
Surprisingly, there are no spaces that we are aware of in Victoria that facilitates citizen science.
BioQuisitive sees opportunities to
1. Create a safe environment to allow Victorians to learn, experiment, and develop their ideas in
the life sciences
2. Create a physical and social space for like-minded people who are passionate about science
to meet and collaborate
3. Reach out to and educate Victorians to spark their interest in science in a safe, hands-on and
practical manner
4. Reduce the barriers to entry for participation in science (in particular, costs barriers), for
interested individuals from all walks of life5. Develop a passionate community focused on science
6. Develop collaborations with other DIYBio movements globally
BioQuisitive Today
Reduction of cost barriers to scienceBioQuisitive is reducing the cost barriers to science by providing the necessary resources for interested
people to learn via doing and collaboration. This is achieved through an affordable membership,
currently $35 a month.
Current Activities and AchievementsThe activities that BioQuisitive currently undertakes to achieve its goals are very broad, and is a
blend between general community development, scientific education, and stakeholder partnering.
Establishment of a safe, compliant workspaceWith only $5,000 sourced from memberships, fundraisers, merchandise and donations since
BioQuisitives inception, we have been able to refurbish a space to meet the requirements for a
Physical Containment Level 1 (PC1) facility and have acquired over $40,000 of unused equipment from
sponsors.
Donated equipment includes centrifuges, PCR machines, pipettes, glassware, gelelectrophoresis units, microscopes, and water stills. Additional donated equipment is received
every month as these other ecosystem stakeholders hear about BioQuisitive. This equipment
facilitates projects in microbiology, molecular biology, synthetic biology, genetics and
biochemistry, to name a few.
Our facility has been built to ensure that all regulatory requirements have been met as set by
the Office of the Gene Technology Regulator (OGTR). Closely following AS/NZS Standards in
the construction and operation of this space, we have aimed to not only meet but exceed
various safety considerations in the physical layout of our laboratory. Currently it caters to 21
paying members.
These achievements have been made on a tight budget, due to the passion of the community andBioquisitives ability to seek out opportunities. The laboratory space is currently undergoing OGTR
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certification, and demonstrates BioQuisitives commitment to Quality Practice. Due to the potential
this environment has to offer, we have been successful in leveraging BioQuisitive to fill in needed skill
areas like accounting, business strategy, and more. It is our intention to continue leveraging
BioQuisitive and what it has to offer to fill in other areas of expertise. Such as laboratory manager
skills; by offering tertiary education centres like TAFE a real world facility to send their students, we
are both filling a demand for better education and training for Victorians while growing our value atBioQuisitive.
The community and customers
Engagement by these groups comes from direct involvement with the space and its members. This
open access model is a prime example of how to promote innovation, collaboration, and engagement
in any field. At BioQuisitive, people explore their natural sense of curiosity in order to learn, discoverand innovate, and they do it together.
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Community growth
Figure 2 Members from the greater community attending our DIYbio Melbourne Meetup
Though physical and financial support is an important pillar in BioQuisitives development of t he
community, the fostering of the appropriate community mindset is critical for long-term sustainable
growth and success. The collective skills held within the community for other members to learn from
are increasing with every new member signing up. This melting pot of knowledge is set to become aneffective support mechanism helping ideas transition from imagination to fruition.
Fostering the appropriate scientific narrativesDeveloping a set of narratives that allows community members to link science to a personal interest
is critically important in the creation of science projects (and in turn, community activity). BioQuisitive
achieves this through a number of activities driven by community interest, such as renewable energy
(using microbial fuel cells), synthetic biology through simple transformation of bacterial and yeast
cells) and microbiology (by running laboratory demonstrations for DIY home brewers).
For members which have broader entrepreneurial aspirations, we have seen some members develop
small side-businesses by performing simple diagnostic analyses of various compounds, foods, andother organic matter.
Networking and collaborationNetworking is extremely important, as this drives collaboration. BioQuisitive is a community
laboratory, so networking happens very informally, as people discuss their passions at various events,
and by virtue of being in close proximity to other community members in the physical space. This
support and collegiate environment empowers members to embark on their own line of investigation
in various fields, or in collaboration with other community members.
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Outreach activitiesBioQuisitive undertakes a number of outreach activities with key sections of the broader life science
ecosystem, as well as the local community. Such activities include
Forging connections to other local community groups who share common values, spreading
the word that science is both cool and for everyone, a nd we are all capable of innovation.
Such partnerships include the Friends of Merri Creek, Women in Science Australia, and
Brunswick Make-Create.
Engaging ecosystem stakeholders including investors, accelerators, incubators, companies
and government. We are very active on social media, and increasingly in the mainstream
media.
Running hackathons, which have proven to be a great way of not only teaching design
principles, but giving members an opportunity to use their knowledge and experience in a
variety of ways to solve a real world problem and network. Discussions with the Moreland City
Council have identified a desire by council members to host these events locally due to the
large number of scientists working and living in the area North of the Parkville biotech hub.
PartneringPartnering with other ecosystem stakeholders is essential to BioQuisitives growth(see Appendices
for more information). Partnerships with other local and offshore entities enhance the potential for
projects to be commercialized, with organisations such as Indie Bio and BioFoundry. Examples of
partnering success are summarised below:
Previous partnerships with Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the US led to
student members at BioQuisitive working on local projects for MIT in Melbourne.
Our partnership with Women in Science Australia is aimed at providing girls a place outside of
the classroom in which to engage in the sciences while surrounded by positive role models.
Meetings and strong channels of communication forged with Local, State, and Federal
government, have opened the gateway for this first iteration of BioQuisitive to commence in
Brunswick and has given BioQuisitive network contacts at various levels of the science
ecosystem here in Victoria.
BioQuisitive as an organisation
BioQuisitive was founded in 2015 as a non-profit company limited by guarantee registered with
Consumer Affairs Victoria and the Australian Securities & Investments Commission. Its current space
is a humble 9 square meters in Brunswick. We have 21 paying members with numbers increasingmonthly. The ecosystem BioQuisitive has helped create and is a part of is estimated to be roughly 900
local members in the greater Melbourne area.
The achievements so far have been funded through
Financial support from the members of BioQuisitive.
Community fundraising activities.
Donations both financially and in kind.
Membership fees.
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OperationBioQuisitive operates like a gym. Its members pay a monthly membership fee of $35 and gain access
to the necessary skills and infrastructure and training to innovate in the life sciences. All of this is done
under supervision during the scheduled open hours at the lab.
Committee membersBioQuisitive is a community organization whose activities are directed by the members. The board
supports the decisions of the members regarding direction of BioQuisitive and remains transparent
with the membership base with the challenges faced and potential decisions made at BioQuisitive
through meetings and through online and offline communication. BioQuisitive meets fortnightly to
discuss opportunities and brainstorm solutions to challenges with its members. The board is
comprised of the following members:
Director: Andrew Gray
Director: Toni Bode
Secretary: Annabel M
Treasurer: Jarrod Grainger Brown
BioQuisitive of tomorrow
The future visionIn the future, BioQuisitive will have expanded its entrepreneurial support scheme able to offer low
cost alternatives to other places like university laboratories and research organizations. It will hold
workshops for entrepreneurs engaged in the life sciences covering other aspects of entrepreneurship
beyond the laboratory bench, and encompass broad areas of technology. While both expanding the
movement across Victoria and Australia, BioQuisitive will apply for a registered training organization
to deliver essentials in innovation in the life sciences. Subjects will include laboratory techniques,
design, business, and innovation.
Growth challenges and needsIn order to realize the true vision of BioQuisitive it will need to achieve the following milestones.
Physical spaceWhile our first pilot project is nearing completion, our spaces limitations are being felt. Our current
facility is 2.75 meters by 3.75 meters, and with 21 paying members, the space fills quickly. Currently
there is insufficient room for all of the equipment and consumables that are arriving at our current
facility.
We have been forging relationships with other local makerspaces who also have a focus on enhancing
innovation. It is our intention to move BioQuisitive into one of these local makerspaces in order to
expand our floor space, while increasing the value we can deliver to our members.
The creation and delivery of workshops and projectsThrough the provision of workshops to members of BioQuisitive and the community at large,
BioQuisitive will seek to equip its members with the necessary tools to design and implement
innovative projects and experiments. In addition, these will aid members in networking and exploring
new interests and trends in life sciences. Our workshops will address skill shortages in basic science
theory in areas like Molecular Biology, Microbiology, Genetics, and Electronics. By partnering these
fields of science with human centred design, BioQuisitive will impart both the knowledge and
experience as well as the framework for its members to innovate in the life sciences.
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Growth Milestones
.
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Appendices
Advisory Board
Dr Andre Tan
Andre is a medical technology innovator, biomedical engineer and scientist. Between 2005 and
2014, he worked on developing a non-invasive, pain-free electrical stimulation treatment for chronic
constipation at the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute. His inventive input was recognised as
commercially valuable before he graduated from a double degree in Science and Engineering at
Monash University in 2009, and in 2012, the investment opportunity went on to secure significant
seed funding to launch a medical device start-upGI Therapies. Since completing his PhD through
the University of Melbourne in 2014, he has led a prototyping project of a proof-of-concept
diagnostic system, and driven pre-seed commercialisation activities of therapeutic technologies
across various areas of medicine.
Andre is passionate about applying fostering a sophisticated STEM innovation culture, and believes
that open-access, DIY science initiatives leads to improved public perception of science, and better
recognition of the value it creates for society. He brings to BioQuisitive capability in strategy
formation, mentorship experience, and his extensive network within the Australian biotechnology
and medical device communities.
Andre is currently the Lead for Innovation & Strategy at Portal Surgical, a Gold Coast-based medical
device company. Previously, he was a founding member of the Australian Science Innovation Forum,
a Research Mentor at the Swinburne Design Factory (Healthcare team), and held various volunteerroles with AusBiotech.
Dr Elane Zelcer
Elane is an experienced business leader with a successful track record guiding and growing start-up
and early stage biotech companies in Australia. She has deep experience working at the commercial-
academic interface for development and commercialisation of drugs, medtech and wearable
devices.
She works with and assists small and multinational companies, and has relationships with investors,
biotech and medtech companies and research organizations in Australia, US and Israel. This includescreating outcomes-focused collaborations between companies and universities through strategy
development to support the industry partnering, business development and capital raising.
Elane's experience includes executive, board and advisory roles for ASX-listed biotech companies,
companies in the private sector, universities, cooperative Research Centres and on Victorian and
Australian government committees. She is a Case Manager with the Australian Governments
Commercialisation Australia Program which assists companies and researchers with access to
funding and experienced mentors and advisors.
Elane has a PhD in physiology & pharmacology from Monash University, and post-doctoral
experience in Canada and the US. She is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
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PartnershipsWithout our partnerships, it would be difficult to achieve all that we have. BioQuisitive aims to partner
with similar entities that promote the same values in order to achieve a more dynamic and inclusive
culture in science for all Australians.
Partnering with North West FM has led to the rise of a local radio program aimed at spreading
awareness towards the social movement BioQuisitive is a part of to local community members.
Follow the message Tuesday nights 9-10pm at 98.9 FM.
The conception of DIYbio in Australia occurred with the founding of Australias first D IYbio space
in Sydney. Our partnership with BioFoundry has been essential to overcoming many of the
challenges weve had today. The unending support and mentorship BioFoundry has provided
BioQuisitive accounts for much of the success were experiencing today.
Our Partnership with Deloittes centre for the edge has led to opportunities for both BioQuisitive
and BioFoundry. Our first presentation to Deloitte led to financial support for BioQuisitive as well
as an ongoing venue hire option for BioFoundry to present to its community in Sydney.
Our partnership with MIT Media Lab, based out of Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the
US, has led to ongoing projects for members to gain real world experience in practical and
relevant scientific techniques.
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Our partnership with DELWP has led to some amazing contacts within the Victorian state
government. Currently we are working with DELWP and the Arthur Rhylah institute to help them
better engage with an audience on their hard work in sustainability.
To ensure a sustainable future for BioQuisitive, support at a local level from the Government has
been essential. BioQuisitive has met with the Moreland City Council and Mayor of Moreland onnumerous occasions and now has their support. Meetings have opened up the opportunity for
local venue hire of Siteworks for the DIYbio community in Melbourne.
Our close ties with the Federal Governments Office of the Gene Technology Regulator ensures
we uphold our commitment to transparency with both the Government and larger society.
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Financial Projections
ReflectionsPersonally Ive had to overcome a lot of challenges to help push BioQuisitive to where we are
today. Initially, I was only able to rely on my own drive to ensure progress was made. While
members meant well, they were not delivering on their tasks, so I learnt to manage myexpectations.
This mindset came about after I had opted to be secretary as I didnt care too much about my
position so long as I could help. We had some very experienced professionals who were happy
to take the titles of President and Vice president of the organization. Im a very good follower
as my Navy career required this of me. It wasnt until the end of my career I had to begin
leading. Unfortunately following would not be enough. There were conflicting visions that had
not been identified early on among the first 5 Co-Founders.
After months of meetings and no resolution, I decided to step up from being secretary and
voiced my displeasure with the President. I had kept my displeasure a secret from all themembers up until this point. The President was caught by surprised but ultimately agreed, that
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he wasnt the person for the job despite his earlier beliefs. I thanked the Vice President for his
work and participation but ultimately had to ask for his resignation. Finally, I requested that
the organization be entrusted to me since I had been the only person to drive any real progress
or show any commitment to making BioQuisitive a reality. I had gone into damage control
mode, which was largely due to a lack of communication, choosing to bottle things up rather
than discuss what I was feeling with the rest of the Co-founders.
Since then, March 2015, things have changed, and Ive had to change the mindset that Ive
been using to achieve the milestones BioQuisitve had met pre 2016. Members were starting to
join who wanted to be a part of the decision making and building process and early on, I was
untrusting. I thought if they had the drive and initiative they could just step up and take matters
into their own hands, like I had, to help without the need of my direct input.
However, what was really happening was I was failing to see that as a leader, I was being asked
to lead. Leadership can come in many forms, and at first, I was trying to set the example by
doing, and I still do. However, this mindset on its own was not helpful for the new situation I
had found myself in. Members wanted to be a part of the process and failing to extend a handto them meant that I would soon find myself alone, in a lab not for a community but for Andrew
Gray.
Since this realization, I still rely heavily on the time and energy I put into BioQuisitive Daily.
On average, I spend anywhere between 18-30 hours a week on BioQuisitive. But to build the
community and facilitate the formation of strong relationships within BioQuisitives
membership base, I need to spend less time doing things on my own and more doing things
with others.
Today our meetings are open to all members so they may listen in and voice concerns or
suggestions. Opposing views are not silenced but welcomed, and Ive learned that even as a
leader admitting error is a sign of character. Decisions in the end come down to a vote for most
of the direction we take as an organization.
We are still transitioning at BioQuisitive from a construction phase to an operations phase.
Challenges face us every day, and there is an ever increasing to do list for all of us. Thankfully,
I dont have to face these challenges or complete this list on my own.
ihttp://www.chiefscientist.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/OCS_Health_of_Australian_Science_LOWRES1.pdfiihttp://www.invest.vic.gov.au/opportunities/medical-technology-and-pharmaceuticals/victorias-strengths-in-
health