Biosciences Fund
2025 Biosciences Fund Grant Recipients Announced
The successful grant recipients were announced at an event at the climate tech hub Greenhouse on Thursday 5 March, in the presence of Minister for Innovation, Science and Technology Anoulack Chanthivong.
All G
Precision Fermented Human Beta-Casein Development and Commercialisation
Funding: $1,109,343
Globally, the majority of infants rely on formula for essential nutrition, with the World Health Organization estimating 60 per cent of infants under six months are not exclusively breastfed. In Australia, 36 per cent of infants are not exclusively breastfed at four months, rising to 62 per cent by six months.
Current formulas are predominantly derived from cow's milk and differ from human milk in protein composition and structure. While formula provides essential nutrition to support growth and development, it cannot fully replicate the complexity of human milk. As a result, formula-fed infants are associated with higher rates of gastrointestinal infections in early life, childhood obesity, and an increased risk of type 2 diabetes later in life.
All G is an Australian biotechnology company using precision fermentation to create human milk proteins. All G has world-leading capability in the biomanufacture of human casein ‘micelles’: highly complex structures consisting of thousands of interacting milk proteins. These micelles are critical to the nutritional profile of human breast milk, supporting digestion and mineral bioavailability.
Support from the BioSF will allow All G to advance the technical and commercial readiness of their casein research, delivering proof-of-concept scaleup and regulatory approvals. Ultimately, making micellar human caseins available at a commercial scale has the potential to transform the infant formula sector and support improved nutrition for formula-fed infants worldwide. Developing this innovative product in NSW will allow local manufacturing to compete in the global infant formula market valued at $90 billion.
HydGene Renewables
Building Local Biocatalyst Manufacturing Capabilities to Enable Sovereign Green Chemical Production
Funding: $2,000,000
The chemical industry underpins thousands of products used in everyday life, yet remains heavily reliant on fossil fuel feedstocks, resulting in significant greenhouse gas emissions. Decarbonising the production of essential chemicals such as ammonia and methanol requires new manufacturing technologies that can be produced reliably, at scale, and at low cost.
HydGene Renewables is a NSW-based biotechnology company developing a biocatalyst platform that converts waste biomass into green hydrogen on-site – an alternative to electrolysis. HydGene’s proprietary biocatalyst is the core enabling technology underpinning its modular hydrogen production systems and is designed to operate on mixed sugar streams derived from waste biomass sources.
This project focuses on scaling in-house fermentation and downstream processing infrastructure to manufacture HydGene’s biocatalyst at scale. The infrastructure will enable controlled, repeatable production of the biocatalyst, supporting improvements in yield, productivity, and consistency required for commercial deployment. This capability enables low-cost, on-site green hydrogen generation for chemical manufacturing and reduces reliance on fossil-derived hydrogen. It also supports the decarbonisation of hard-to-abate industrial chemical sectors while building advanced biomanufacturing capability in NSW.
Number 8 Bio
Development of a Scalable Methane-Reducing Feed Solution for Grazing Sheep and Cattle in NSW
Funding: $1,184,714
Methane accounts for around 20 per cent of total global greenhouse gas emissions, with animal agriculture being the single largest anthropogenic source. Emissions from cattle and sheep alone are responsible for approximately 6 per cent of total global greenhouse gas emissions.
Number 8 Bio is developing a scalable methane-reducing feed solution for grazing sheep and cattle in NSW. This innovative technology converts lost methane energy into improved growth and milk production, delivering benefits for farmers and the climate.
Since the vast majority of cattle and sheep in Australia are farmed in a grazing setting, we have formulated our active ingredient into a slow-release pill, called a bolus, that dissolves in the animal’s rumen over several months.
We will use the grant’s funds to refine that technology, increase its efficacy and ensure that it will be applicable for the conditions of sheep and cattle farmers in NSW.
There is growing global demand for decarbonised supply chains and sustainable food systems. Addressing methane emissions in grazing livestock is essential to maintain the competitiveness and sustainability of NSW's livestock industries while contributing to national and global climate goals.
SWAN Genomics
Developing the Next Global Standard in DNA Sequencing
Funding: $450,000
DNA sequencing underpins modern health, agriculture and biosecurity industries, yet access to this critical capability remains constrained by fundamental tradeoffs in cost, scalability and turnaround time, and is entirely dependent on overseas supply chains. In regional NSW, diagnostic sequencing results often take weeks to return, compared to same-day turnaround in metropolitan centres, directly contributing to poorer health outcomes.
SWAN Genomics is commercialising an innovative approach to DNA sequencing to deliver more accessible genomics data to existing and new markets. The company's single-molecule sequencing platform represents the next global standard in DNA sequencing.
The technology overcomes the limitations of existing short- and long-read technologies by using proprietary nanoscale optical antennae to amplify fluorescent signals by 1,000-fold, enabling real-time identification of individual nucleotides. This provides an ultra-low-cost, high-accuracy sequencing system that eliminates the trade-offs of existing technologies.
The funding will support the next stage of commercial development, enabling the transition from laboratory proof-of-concept to a prototype platform with defined manufacturing specifications and external user validation.
Major economies have invested heavily in sequencing technologies, and with demand rising rapidly, concentration of supply being offshore puts reliable access to this critical infrastructure at growing risk. SWAN Genomics directly addresses this challenge, providing NSW with sovereign capability and a world-first technology that will democratise access, bridge urban-regional health divides and strengthen food and biosecurity.
About the Biosciences Fund
The Biosciences Fund (BioSF) is a $4.75 million, competitive biological sciences (biotechnology and life sciences) commercialisation program funded by the NSW Government. It is administered by the Office of the NSW Chief Scientist & Engineer (OCSE) within the NSW Premier’s Department.
The objectives of the BioSF are to:
- improve commercialisation opportunities for NSW-based start-ups and businesses
- provide financial support to progress the development of new and innovative devices and systems across the branches of the biological sciences (biotechnology and life sciences), including biomanufacturing, genetic engineering, synthetic biology and agrifood
- realise benefits from innovation in NSW.
The BioSF targets companies with innovative products/systems within Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) 3 – 7 and aims to help them move along the TRL scale, to commercialise their idea and attract large-scale private investment.
The NSW Government recognises the importance of capturing potential commercial applications of NSW research. By addressing gaps in the product life cycle between early-stage research and mature investment opportunities, the BioSF delivers grants to drive the commercialisation of highly innovative ideas into new devices, systems, processes or services.
The BioSF program complements the Physical Sciences Fund (PSF), a competitive technology development and commercialisation program delivered by OCSE since 2019. In 2025/26 the BioSF is providing $4.75 million funding for grants of between $200,000 to $2 million.
2023 Biosciences Fund Recipients
The successful recipients from the 2023 BioSciences Fund were presented at the 2024 NSW Commercialisation Showcase at the Aerial Function Centre, UTS on Wednesday 17 April 2024.
Contact
If you have questions regarding the BioSF, contact us at grants@chiefscientist.nsw.gov.au
If you would like to receive further information about the BioSF or future programs and activities run by OCSE, please register using this form to be added to the mailing list.