New projects to boost cancer treatment and mineral recovery

The University of Adelaide is involved in two new industry-led projects – in new cancer treatments and mineral recovery – announced by the Australian Government at the University’s North Terrace campus today.

A project developing advanced cancer immunotherapies will receive $2,079,000; and another project aiming to develop an in-situ recovery process to extract copper and other metals from ‘sub-economic’ deposits will receive $2,851,303.

The projects have been funded under the Australian Government’s Co-operative Research Centre Projects (CRC-P) grants scheme which supports short-term industry-led collaborations to develop important new technologies, products and services that deliver tangible outcomes.

University of Adelaide Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research Professor Mike Brooks says: “These are great examples of how the University of Adelaide is linking with industry to help drive advances in areas of critical need.

“Our research strengths in molecular and biomedical science, and mining engineering and geophysics will contribute valuable expertise to these important projects for South Australia and the community.”

The CAR-T Cells for Solid Cancers CRC-P will be led by Carina Biotech Pty Ltd, in collaboration with Seattle Children’s Hospital, Geneworks Pty Ltd, University of Adelaide and University of South Australia. The University of Adelaide’s lead researchers on the project are Professors Shaun McColl (School of Biological Sciences) and Professor Simon Barry (Robinson Research Institute and Women’s and Children’s Hospital).

The team will develop CAR-T (chimeric antigen receptor T-cell) therapy as a revolutionary new cancer treatment that engineers the patient’s own immune system to fight cancer. CAR-T therapy has already shown remarkable success with blood cancers and this project will develop a suite of technologies to enable its use for solid cancers.

The Kapunda In-Situ Copper and Gold Field Recovery Trial CRC-P will be led by Environmental Copper Recovery SA Pty Ltd in collaboration with Thor Mining PLC (Molyhil Mining), CSIRO, University of Adelaide, Mining3 and Terramin Exploration Ltd. The University of Adelaide’s researchers are Professor Peter Dowd and Associate Professor Chaoshui Xu (School of Civil, Environmental and Mining Engineering), and Professor Graham Heinson (School of Physical Sciences).

The team will develop an In-Situ Recovery (ISR) process and demonstration site for the extraction of copper and other metals from diverse geological environments – representing a “step change in Australian mining”. The objective is to improve project economics, enable a social licence to operate by working with communities, mine with a lower environmental footprint and help commercialise sub-economic deposits.

The University of Adelaide is also involved in two other CRC-P projects: the Geovision CRC-P led by Boart Longyear and the Future Oysters CRC-P led by Australian Seafood Industries Pty Limited.