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Professor Brett Neilan

Federation Fellowship winner 2008.

Project : The toxins of water-borne cyanobacteria: Regulation and exploitation of their biosynthesis.

Current institution : The University of New South Wales .

Host institution : The University of New South Wales .

Primary research field : Biotechnology.

Professor Neilan is an outstanding molecular biologist and a world expert in the study of toxic cyanobacteria, which is increasing in frequency, global distribution and human intoxication.

He plans to fully characterise the genetic and biochemical basis of toxin biosynthesis and its regulation in cyanobacteria to gain a better understanding of the factors that influence the production of its toxins and to better enable the detection of low levels of toxic algal blooms in drinking water. He will look at the mechanism that is responsible for the complex biosynthesis of a range of pharmacologically active compounds to assist in the design and synthesis of novel bioactive products.

Professor Neilan obtained his PhD in microbiology from The University of New South Wales (UNSW). He has been awarded a National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( NASA) Planetary Biology Fellowship; an Alexander von Humboldt Fellowship; ARC Postdoctoral, Australian Research and Professorial Fellowships; and the UNSW Anthony Mason Fellowship.

His achievements have been acknowledged with the Royal Societies of Australia Eureka Prize for Interdisciplinary Scientific Research in 2005, the Royal Society of New South Wales Walter Burfitt Prize in 2005, the Australian Academy of Science Fenner Medal and an Australian Institute for Policy and Science Tall Poppy Science Award, both in 2004.

Professor Neilan was the Australian representative to the International Committee on Toxic Algal Control and head of its monitoring division, and he has consulted broadly to the federal government regarding biotechnology and the environment.