PHYTOXIGENE™ IS A TRADEMARK OF DIAGNOSTIC TECHNOLOGY.
Diagnostic Technology is a privately owned Australian company based in Sydney with over 20 years experience in the development, supply, distribution and support of clinical diagnostic and life science products.
Since 2001 Diagnostic Technology has been a commercial and collaborative partner with Professor Brett Neilan and his team of scientists. For over 15 years the research was carried out at the School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Science, University of New South Wales but more recently at the Neilan Laboratory of Microbial and Molecular Diversity, School of Environmental and Life Sciences at the University of Newcastle where Professor Neilan recently moved. For over 15 years the group have been investigating the biological pathways for secondary metabolite production in cyanobacteria. Toxin production being essentially one of these secondary metabolites. In collaboration with Professor Neilan, Diagnostic Technology have developed molecular testing systems for the detection and measurement of the toxins produced from cyanobacteria in both freshwater and marine environments. From 2012 the company has extended its collaboration to include scientists at the University of Oslo and University of Technology Sydney (Associate Professor Shauna Murray) to identify gene targets specific to Saxitoxin producing Dinoflagellates, the cause of paralytic shellfish poisoning. These collaborations have resulted in the commercialisation of two unique environmental monitoring assays, the CyanoDTec and DinoDTec are the first gene based assays utilising biotoxin pathway genes to detect biotoxin producing algae and cyanobacteria.
Phytoxigene™ is the registered trademark for the range of molecular products that are the result of this research
Diagnostic Technology is the exclusive licensee of a series of patents related to this field.
PCT/AU2008/001805; Detection of hepatotoxic cyanobacteria
PCT/AU2012/000541; Cyanobacteria saxitoxin gene cluster and detection of cyanotoxic organisms
NewSouth Innovations Pty Limited
PCT/AU2012/000541; Detection of saxitoxin-producing dinoflagellates
NewSouth Innovations Pty Limited
Universitetet i Oslo
RESEARCH:
Phytoxigene’s parent company, Diagnostic Technology has a history in secondary metabolite research and cyanobacterial biotechnology spanning two decades. In collaboration with Professor Brett Neilan, Diagnostic Technology has been awarded 8 grants by the Australian Research Council (ARC) that have advanced the understanding of cyanobacterial secondary metabolites, developed molecular detection methods for cyanotoxins, and produced complex secondary metabolites in heterologous systems. Diagnostic Technology continues to support the advancements of secondary metabolite research through collaborations with external research groups.
The start of 2020 has seen the establishment of an inhouse research lab within the Sydney site. Current research conducted aims to develop a reliable production source for cyanotoxins and their intermediates as analytical standards.
List of grants:
C00107343: 2001/03 - Discovery and Genetic Engineering of Complex Biosynthetic pathways from Cyanobacteria for the production of novel peptides and polyketides
LP0668313: 2006/08 - A sustainable cellular factory for the production of antibiotics by photosynthetic bacteria
LP110201096: 2009/11 - Discovery of bioactive natural substances from uncultured bacteria and their production using photosynthetic reactor technology
LP0776759: 2009/11 - Uncovering the genetic basis of saxitoxin production in Australian marine and freshwater systems: novel molecular tools for management
LP0989830: 2011/13 - Regulation of Saxitoxin production in bacteria and algae
LP140100642: 2015/18 - Heterologous expression of cyanobacterial compounds of analytical and therapeutic value
RC48679: 2016 - Develop a pilot photosynthetic production process to express a functional secondary metabolite by cloning and insertion of a biosynthetic pathway into Synechocystis species.
2017 - Innovation connect: Develop a pilot photosynthetic production process
LP200100537: 2020-24 - A novel platform for the biosynthesis of commercially valuable saxitoxins
Research supported by Diagnostic Technology:
Liu, T. et al. Directing the Heterologous Production of Specific Cyanobacterial Toxin Variants. ACS Chem. Biol. 12, 2021–2029 (2017).
Ongley, S. E. et al. High-titer heterologous production in E. coli of lyngbyatoxin, a protein kinase C activator from an uncultured marine cyanobacterium. ACS Chem. Biol. 8, 1888–1893 (2013).
Links:
Development of a novel natural product platform for unmet medical needs: https://www.visinnovasjon.no/en/projects/development-of-a-novel-natural-product-platform-for-unmet-medical-needs/
Presentation at the 6th Australian and New Zealand Cyanobacteria Workshop : Data interpretation form the use of the phytoxigene QPCR assays: