Frank Sainsbury

Group Leader

Dr Frank Sainsbury is a CSIRO Synthetic Biology Future Science Fellow and Research Leader at the Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University. His research group is primarily interested in virus capsids, pushing the boundaries of how they assemble and what can be learned from using them as biochemical reaction vessels. Dr Sainsbury trained as a plant virologist at the John Innes Centre in the UK. His work there included the invention of protein expression systems in plants that have supported Phase III clinical trials of influenza vaccine candidates and led to a major UK innovation award in 2012. During an industry-focused postdoc at Laval University in Canada, Dr Sainsbury pioneered the use of synthetic biology to improve plants hosts for vaccine production. Since returning to Australia to take up an ARC DECRA Fellowship in 2014, he has developed an innovative program of research into the assembly, engineering, and uses of virus-like particles.