Biotech has a culture of excellence
A GOLD Coast biotechnology company is helping with cutting-edge research into the use of probiotics to fight respiratory illnesses.
Probiotics Australia was founded by Brian and Esti Siebert and used for the marketing of its probiotics brand Rochway, which imported pure probiotic strains from overseas.
The company was bought from Mr and Mrs Siebert, also the founders of BJP Laboratories, in 2018 by a Hong Kong-linked investment consortium.
Last year, after a significant investment from the new owner, it opened a state-ofthe-art facility in Ormeau, which is said to be the first facility certified by the Therapeutic Goods Administration for probiotic API (active pharmaceutical ingredient) manufacturing in Australia.
Probiotics are live microorganisms promoted with claims they provide health benefits when consumed, generally by improving or restoring the gut flora. They are found in supplements and some foods such as yoghurt.
General manager Shaun Roux, who worked for BJP
Laboratories for more than a decade, said it was a huge advancement for Australia to have a local manufacturing facility producing pure probiotic strains.
“You can pretty much walk into any pharmacy and all the probiotic brands are using imported materials,” he said.
“The moment you manufacture in Australia you have to be under strict guidelines so that is why we are well above the rest.”
He said the company was having some success convincing companies to use their materials rather than imports.
Mr Roux said it was always a dream Mr and Mrs Siebert held to build the Ormeau facility and make their own strains.
“We tried to do it by ourselves but we soon realised that if you want to compete with the big guys you are going to need a big investment,” he said.
Probiotics Australia has an impressive list of staff with PhD and masters qualifications in biotechnology.
It is also engaging with universities in important research, made more relevant by the ongoing threat of COVID-19.
One involves the company working with the Mucosal Immunology Research Group at Griffith University to investigate whether their probiotic and post-biotic strains improve immune and gut health and reduce the symptoms of diseases such as respiratory illness.
Dr Nicholas West said a previous study found daily probiotic supplementation reduced the risk of respiratory symptoms associated with the common cold.
Mr Roux said the business was now branching out into postbiotics, which offers an increasing application for food and personal care products.
He said postbiotics was the process of immobilising the bacteria while preserving the benefits and making it more heat stable.
“Because the cell is still intact when you deactivate the probiotic it can have exactly the same immune response,” he said. Mr Roux said live bacteria could potentially cause infections but that was impossible with postbiotics.