24 September: Memorandum of Understanding for licensing of AIMS Bioresources Library to Griffith University

24 September 2014

A Memorandum of Understanding will be signed today to facilitate the licensing of the AIMS Bioresources Library to the Eskitis Institute for Drug Discovery at Griffith University.

The AIMS Bioresources Library (ABL) is a legacy of 25 years of biodiscovery research by the Institute. The collection contains over 18 000 marine invertebrates and plants, 9000 cultures of marine microbial isolates and 35 000 chemical extracts and derivations. It has contributed significantly to a wealth of important outcomes, including the documentation of many new marine species, over 320 peer-reviewed papers, successful partnerships with academic colleagues as well as the pharmaceutical, agrichemical and nutriceutical industries and the establishment of R&D capacity and capability in Queensland.

As AIMS refocusses its research efforts to meet the grand challenges of today, steps are now being taken by AIMS to ensure that the library is re-located where its biodiscovery value can be realised. Griffith University with its world-class facilities at the Eskitis Institute, is one such place where the potential wealth held by these samples will continue to be actively explored. The Eskitis Institute of Drug Discovery and its international network of collaborators and partners, explores the properties of natural compounds to improve public health across the globe. The AIMS samples will be accessioned into the Nature Bank resource alongside Compounds Australia.