Australian Stem Cell Centre
The Australian Stem Cell Centre - the National Biotechnology Centre of Excellence - is a research and development centre which focusses on regenerative medicine through the use of stem cells. It was founded in 2003, and has received over $100 million in funding in recent years.[1] It is Australia's premier stem cell research organisation.[2]
It is based at Monash University's Science Technology Research and Innovation Precinct. It was founded by 9 leading Australian universities and medical research institutes. One of the founders of the Centre is Dr Alan Trounson, a Monash scientist who was part of the team that delivered Australia's first IVF baby in 1980. Trounson has also made several ground-breaking discoveries in stem cell research.[3] In 2000, Trounson led a the team of scientists which first reported nerve stem cells derived from embryonic stem cells, which led to a dramatic increase in interest in the potential of stem cell research.