Institute for Molecular Bioscience

Institute for Molecular Bioscience We harness nature to discover cures for a better world Our vision is to create a world with a cure for every disease.

We harness our knowledge of nature to create sustainable cures for diseases that plague people, animals and plants. Our researchers use Australian venoms, plants and soils to stop superbugs in their tracks, to create better cancer treatments, to ensure patients survive strokes and heart attacks, to solve inflammatory diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's, and to develop environmentally friendly and effective pesticides. We are based at The University of Queensland in Brisbane/Meanjin, Australia.

A remarkable achievement! IMB congratulates Dr Nicole Warrington on receiving the Ruth Stephens Gani Medal from the Aust...
31/03/2026

A remarkable achievement! IMB congratulates Dr Nicole Warrington on receiving the Ruth Stephens Gani Medal from the Australian Academy of Science 🎉

Dr Warrington is a leader in statistical genetics, working to understand how genetics shapes early life growth and influences health across the lifespan. After completing her PhD, she joined UQ to investigate the relationship between birth weight and cardio-metabolic disease risk later in life.

She developed a pioneering statistical approach that separates maternal and fetal genetic influences on birth weight, combining this with causal modelling to better understand lifelong health outcomes. Her research showed that the link between birth weight and adult hypertension is largely driven by genetic factors — reshaping 30 years of understanding about the role of the intrauterine environment.

Awarded in recognition of outstanding contributions to human genetics, spanning clinical, molecular, population and epidemiological genetics, this honour reflects Dr Warrington’s significant impact on the field.

We congratulate Nicole on this well-deserved recognition and look forward to seeing her research continue to advance our understanding of cardio-metabolic disease.

Read more about the winners here 👉https://bit.ly/4cepbKp

👣 He’s going the distance for endometriosis research.Marching this March for those still waiting for answers.This Endom...
27/03/2026

👣 He’s going the distance for endometriosis research.

Marching this March for those still waiting for answers.

This Endometriosis Awareness Month, Professor Ian Henderson is walking the Camino from Portugal to Santiago—11 days dedicated to raising funds and awareness for endometriosis research.

With every step, he’s helping shine a light on the need for better understanding, faster diagnosis, and real solutions.

Every step brings us closer.

Be part of it. Donate today: https://bit.ly/4rQQL55

👣

Marching for Endo this March.This Endometriosis Awareness Month, Professor Ian Henderson is taking on the Camino—walking...
26/03/2026

Marching for Endo this March.

This Endometriosis Awareness Month, Professor Ian Henderson is taking on the Camino—walking 11 days from Portugal to Santiago—to raise funds for endometriosis research. He’s walking alongside his daughter Katie, turning every step into action for change.

Because endometriosis impacts 1 in 9 women worldwide.

Because answers shouldn’t take years.

Because research can change lives.

Support Ian in marching for Endo.

Donate: https://bit.ly/4rQQL55

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who attended IMB's 'Cheese and Chats: Endometriosis, Together in Discovery'.It was ins...
26/03/2026

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who attended IMB's 'Cheese and Chats: Endometriosis, Together in Discovery'.

It was inspiring to see researchers, clinicians, advocates and community members come together to spotlight a condition that affects so many lives.

We extend our sincere thanks to Victoria Carthew, Dr Brett McKinnon, Professor Gita Mishra AO, Associate Professor Akwasi Amoako, Gillian Gordon and Jess Taylor, CEO of Qendo, for sharing their knowledge and lived experiences, and for helping foster such an open and meaningful conversation.

Events like this highlight the importance of collaboration in advancing research, improving care, and ensuring people living with endometriosis feel heard and supported.

Thank you for being part of the conversation.



UQ Alumni
The University of Queensland
QENDO Australia

This Thursday, IMB researcher Dr Fleur Garton will take part in the World Science Festival’s Gab Lab program, presenting...
24/03/2026

This Thursday, IMB researcher Dr Fleur Garton will take part in the World Science Festival’s Gab Lab program, presenting “DNA, Disease, and New Hope for Motor Neuron Disease.”

Fleur’s research explores how advances in genetics are helping scientists better understand motor neuron disease, identifying the genes and biological pathways involved and opening new possibilities for earlier diagnosis and more effective treatments.

📅 Thursday 26 March
🕙 10:20am
📍 Squid Lounge,Level 2, Queensland Museum Kurilpa, South Brisbane

We look forward to seeing the community engage with the science shaping our future.

A tiny fish helping tackle a massive global challenge 🐟Antibiotic resistance is on track to become one of the world’s bi...
19/03/2026

A tiny fish helping tackle a massive global challenge 🐟

Antibiotic resistance is on track to become one of the world’s biggest health threats. Yet, developing safe new antibiotics remains slow, expensive, and often unsuccessful.

That’s where zebrafish come in.

By using zebrafish embryos, researchers can quickly and ethically assess whether new antibiotic compounds may cause kidney damage, a key reason drugs fail. Compounds are injected into the yolk, absorbed by the developing embryo, and monitored in real time. Because zebrafish kidneys function similarly to our own, they offer a powerful early indicator of safety.

The result? Faster identification of both harmful and promising drugs, helping accelerate the path to safer antibiotics.

Small model. Big impact.

📸 Zebrafish yolk ignites insights into kidney damage by Michelle Novais de Paula, 2025.

Why do some newborns develop life-threatening sepsis, while others don’t? Researchers from the University of Queensland’...
12/03/2026

Why do some newborns develop life-threatening sepsis, while others don’t?

Researchers from the University of Queensland’s Institute for Molecular Bioscience — Professor Mark Schembri and his team — have helped uncover a critical clue: babies who become severely ill lack protective antibodies against E. coli that are normally passed from mother to child before birth.

The discovery comes from an international collaborative study led by researchers at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Centre, showing these naturally transferred antibodies can actively protect newborns from infection. The findings open the door to identifying at-risk pregnancies earlier and even preventing neonatal sepsis before it begins.

Published in Nature, this research highlights how maternal immunity can be enhanced to save newborn lives worldwide.

Read more 👉 https://bit.ly/3NlGX4R

How could deadly venom inspire new pain medicines?Professor Irina Vetter, pain researcher at the Institute for Molecular...
11/03/2026

How could deadly venom inspire new pain medicines?

Professor Irina Vetter, pain researcher at the Institute for Molecular Bioscience, shares insights in a new Chemistry World feature exploring how cone snail venom peptides could lead to the next generation of pain treatments.

In the article by Anthony King, Vetter explains how nature’s toxins target pain pathways with remarkable precision, offering powerful clues for developing safer, more effective therapies.

Read the feature to learn more 👉https://bit.ly/3P4gsSb



Chemistry World

✨ You are invited ✨ UQ's IMB is hosting a Cheese and Chats: Endometriosis, Together in Discovery event, as part of Endom...
11/03/2026

✨ You are invited ✨

UQ's IMB is hosting a Cheese and Chats: Endometriosis, Together in Discovery event, as part of Endometriosis Awareness Month.

Join us on 25 March 2026, 5:30–7:30 pm at The Atrium, Brisbane City, for a unique evening with researchers, clinicians, patient advocates, and people with lived experience as we explore the science, stories, and solutions transforming endometriosis care.

Did you know 1 in 7 women and girls in Australia live with endometriosis, a condition that can cause chronic pain, infertility, and life-changing disruption — yet is often misunderstood and diagnosed too late?

Moderated by Victoria Carthew, award-winning journalist and passionate women’s health advocate.

Hear from our amazing panel featuring Dr Brett McKinnon, Prof Gita Mishra AO, Jess Taylor (QENDO Australia), Gillian Gordon, and Associate Prof Akwasi Amoako — leaders in research, clinical care, and patient support.

📅 Tickets & info: https://imb.uq.edu.au/event/session/21228

New tech just landed in the lab⚡ We’re excited to announce the installation of our new SyncroPatch 384 from Nanion Techn...
10/03/2026

New tech just landed in the lab⚡

We’re excited to announce the installation of our new SyncroPatch 384 from Nanion Technologies in the King Group at IMB, UQ.

Awarded through the SyncroPatch 384 Research Grant, this powerful system will dramatically accelerate our work — allowing experiments that would traditionally take years to be completed in months.

With this state-of-the-art technology, the team will screen arthropod venoms to uncover potential drug leads for a range of therapeutic targets, including epilepsy, pain and heart disease.

A huge thank you to the Nanion team — especially Paul George, who travelled across the world to install the system and get everything up and running.

We can’t wait to see the discoveries this technology helps unlock🧬

March is Endometriosis Awareness Month — shining a light on a chronic condition affecting millions worldwide.Yet many pe...
10/03/2026

March is Endometriosis Awareness Month — shining a light on a chronic condition affecting millions worldwide.

Yet many people still wait years for diagnosis, answers, and relief.

At , researchers are working to better understand the biology behind endometriosis and the chronic pain it causes, helping move us closer to earlier diagnosis and more effective treatments.

This Endometriosis Awareness Week, we’re proud to stand with QENDO Australia, whose advocacy, education and support are helping drive real change for the endometriosis community.

Read more about our research 👉 https://bit.ly/4um0UJz
Learn about QENDO 👉 https://bit.ly/4de5CTr

Image: Lymphocyte attraction: understanding disease progression via endometrial organoidsIsaac Kyei-Barffour, 2025.

Today joins the global community supporting International Women's Day 2026 — celebrating the achievements of women whi...
07/03/2026

Today joins the global community supporting International Women's Day 2026 — celebrating the achievements of women while recognising the work still needed to achieve gender equality.

This year’s theme, , highlights the power of collective action; giving support, visibility, and resources to help women thrive.

On Friday the 6th, IMB hosted a panel discussion exploring research into women’s health and how institutions can better support women to succeed in science. The conversation featured A. Professor Sonia Shah, Dr Lena Oestreich, Professor Brett Collins, Anjali Henders, and PhD researcher Caroline Brito Nunes.

Our community also came together for a fundraising bake sale, raising money for to support research and awareness for a condition affecting millions of women worldwide.

Women’s health has long been under‑researched and under‑recognised. Through science, collaboration and advocacy, IMB is committed to helping change that.

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IMB is a multidisciplinary life sciences research institute. Our scientists use world-leading infrastructure to drive discoveries from genome to drug design, disease discovery application and sustainable futures. Our research is framed through centres focused on superbugs, pain, heart disease, inflammation, solar biotechnology and the genomics-disease interplay.