Professor Tony Parker
is using a natural biomaterial to heal wounds, reducing medical waste in the process. Chronic wounds affect 450,000 Australians each year and cost the health system billions to treat – improved wound-healing materials accelerate recovery, reduce infection risks, and minimise long-term complications, Professor Parker is Chief Scientific Officer for Surgical BioFix Ltd, a biotech company producing tissue grafts from dehydrated placental membrane. The placentas, which would otherwise be disposed of as medical waste, are collected with patient consent from maternity hospitals and the membranes are dehydrated to produce the graft, which is applied to wounds under standard-of-care bandaging. Unlike standard bandages, this biomaterial is rich in proteins that support cell growth and tissue repair. The grafts have a five-year shelf life and don’t require cold-chain transportation, so can be sent to rural and remote locations easily and affordably. The tissue grafts are being trialled by hospitals and clinics for applications including diabetic foot ulcers and following skin graft failure.
Find Prof Parker’s QUT Academic Profile here.
Read and download the Advanced Biomaterials Capability Statement
