Australasian Biotechnology (backfiles) AusBiotech ISSN: 1036-7128 Vol. 10, Num. 2, 2000, pp. 32-33

Australasian Biotechnology, Vol. 10 No. 2, 2000, pp. 32-33

Company profile - FLOWER POWER MAY LEAD TO HEALTH BENEFITS

Code Number: au00024

Bio-Gene Bioprospecting is a West Australian-owned and operated company committed to conservation of the State’s unique natural biodiversity, while creating new high value-added agricultural industries and substantial returns to the State’s economy.

Established in 1996, the Bio-Gene Group has based its conservation values on the belief that its scientific and commercial activities will play an important role in enhancing and protecting WA’s flora and ecosystems in the future.

Headquartered in Western Australia, the company plans to invest about $40 million over the next five years expanding its bioprospecting division. This will include the employment of scientific and administrative staff, the establishment of a modern high throughput screening laboratory and the latest in state-of-the-art mobile field laboratories.

Bio-Gene will identify and research potential uses for chemical compounds extracted from native plants. It will also market these compounds on behalf of the State to the world’s major pharmaceutical, agrochemical and cosmetic companies.

Western Australia is reputed to be one of the last, but biggest, unexplored frontiers for new drug resources in the world. The State’s biodiversity is virtually unrivaled in the world and has the potential to become one of the biggest sources of future drug discoveries.

The State’s massive land area provides a unique platform for the development of naturally occurring compounds to cure future diseases.

Western Australia has the most biodiverse flora in the world. There are over 12,000 known flowering plants, more than half of all those found in Australia.

Twenty square metres of WA’s southern heath land contains more plant species than six square kilometres of Amazon Rain Forest. The Stirling Range National Park contains more plant species than the whole of Great Britain.

With potentially one new drug to be found in every 1000 species of plants, Western Australia’s flora could represent the biggest single source of drug discovery in the world.

Bio-Gene will study the Western Australian flora for commercial potential, taking small samples from different plants.

Extracts are obtained by taking the sample and dissolving it in a solvent, usually a hydrocarbon or an alcohol. The solution is then freeze-dried, leaving a residue. This extract is stored frozen in an airtight container until needed.

Each extract contains on average 100 chemical compounds, but can contain 200 to 300. The extracts undergo screening to determine the bioactivity of the compounds within.

Screening tests are typically carried out by injecting a small quantity of extract into different testing trays, and analysing the biochemical impact. Extracts that show signs of interesting bioactivity undergo further screening and purification. If the bioactivity is confirmed in subsequent testing the individual compounds undergo toxicology testing.

Those compounds that demonstrate useful characteristics after toxicology testing undergo several phases of clinical testing for safety and efficacy before being incorporated into marketable drugs. Initial extraction to the release of a drug can take a time span of seven to twelve years.

Bio-Gene’s drug discovery and extraction processes, only require small samples to be taken of individual species. This means that there will be virtually no impact on the State’s biota.

Initially Bio-Gene will test around 2000 new plant species per year. The company will also make use of the catalogue of around 7,000 extracts collected by the WA Herbarium.

Estimates suggest it is possible for 3 in every 500,000 compounds screened to become significant new drugs.

Bio-Gene will market some extracts as they are and others in purified form. It will undertake preliminary testing on others to determine their bioactivity and toxicity before marketing them.

Compounds used commercially may be reproduced synthetically by chemical companies. However often the cost of synthesis is very high or practically so difficult that the compounds are extracted directly from plants. In these cases Bio-Gene will coordinate plantation farming of the original plant.

Plantation farming of native species will add to our knowledge of Australian species and help to protect them from extinction. It will also contribute to the restoration of Western Australia’s natural biodiversity.

Bio-Gene does not plant to harvest Western Australian native plants from the wild. When required, it will culture young plants in its laboratory for planting out on farms.

There are drugs already on the market that contain compounds from Western Australian plants, such as the alkaloids from duboisia. Throughout Australia significant crops are grown for this purpose. Examples include poppies in Tasmania for morphine, eucalypts for eucalyptus oil and Melaleuca alternifolia for tea-tree oil used as a bacteriostat.

Bio-Gene is licensed by the State Government to discover new compounds for major new drug development in human and veterinary pharmaceuticals, agricultural chemicals and cosmetics.

Western Australia’s ownership and rights of these plants and extracts will be protected by international licence agreements that will ensure it and the people of Western Australia receive an on-going income-stream without interference to, or depletion of, our unique natural resources.

The Bio-Gene Group initially worked with the University of Western Australia through a licensing agreement to research and market oil from the Boronia megastigma plant.

Boronia is another unique West Australian plant whose oil is used by international food manufacturers and fragrance companies to enhance flavours and scents. A key feature of the oil is its remarkable chemical properties, even when used in only microscopic quantities.

Next year, Boronia Oil Holdings Pty Ltd., Bio-Gene’s sister company will harvest the world’s largest boronia crop, which is expected to yield approximately 100 litres of pure boronia oil, worth over $1,000,000.

The management team includes John Hodder who has over 25 years experience starting up leading edge research pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies including Amrad Pharmacia Biotech, Pharmacia Biotech, Tetley Medical and Amersham Australia. John has led these companies from research and development through to mature marketing of their products.

Marketing Director, Kevin Rumble, was a director of nursery business Hollywood Horticulture. He has worked in media and advertising since the late1960s and operated his own advertising and marketing company for nearly 20 years.

Bio-Gene’s management team accesses a Technical Review and Advisory Board of eleven scientific experts from the fields of biochemistry, pharmacy, biology, chemistry, biotechnology, phytochemistry, immunology and pharmacology. This Board has direct input on the collection, extraction and preparation of the materials.

For further information, contact Kevin Rumble on (08) 9321 7477.

Copyright 2000 - Australasian Biotechnology