University of Queensland spin-out company to develop medical gels from spinifex grass using traditional Indigenous knowledge

Traditional indigenous knowledge of spinifex grass from the Queensland outback will be used by a University of Queensland spin-out company to develop innovative medical gels that can be used to treat medical conditions.

Following an agreement between Bulugudu Ltd (owned by the Indjalandji-Dhidhanu people) and UniQuest, Trioda Wilingi Pty Ltd will use cellulose nano-fibres extracted from spinifex to develop injectable medical gels, which can then be used to treat arthritis and osteoarthritis, help deliver drugs more efficiently to the body and in cosmetic procedures.

As part of the agreement, a percentage of all royalties will go into an Indigenous education fund at UQ, to enhance training and education opportunities for Indigenous Australians.  

Spinifex grass is a sacred symbol of resilience and was traditionally used by Indigenous Australians for building materials, weapons and household goods.

Due to the grass’ unique source of flexible cellulose nano-fibres (CNF) of very high yield, toughness and tensile strength, UQ researcher Professor Darren Martin and his team at the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN), working in collaboration with the Dugalunji Aboriginal Corporation, have found that it is ideal for creating high-value medical gels, cement, stronger recycled paper, mortars, grouts and even rubber products.

Trioda Wilingi Pty Ltd is the result of a long-term partnership between UQ’s Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN) and Bulugudu Ltd,  based in Camooweal, about 200km north-west of Mt Isa; as well as investment from Uniseed.

The project was originally conceived by Professor Paul Memmott from the University of Queensland’s Aboriginal Environments Research Centre, and Bulugudu Ltd Director and UQ Adjunct Associate Professor Colin Saltmere AM and started with an Australian Research Council Discovery Grant.

Saltmere, who is an elder among the Indjalandji-Dhidhanu traditional owners of the region around Camooweal and the upper Georgina River, says spinifex grass is sacred to Indigenous people, but also has a lot of purposes.

UQ Adjunct Associate Professor Colin Saltmere AM is also an elder among the Indjalandji-Dhidhanu traditional owners of the region around Camooweal and the upper Georgina River. Source: Supplied

“Our people used spinifex for thousands of years, weaving it for shelters and to carry things, and using its wax and oils to attach spear-heads and so on, and even for treating wounds,” he said.

“Trioda Wilingi, which means special grass, is an example of a marketable product that can be farmed in remote Australia to create new industries and employment opportunities.”

UQ’s Professor Alan Rowan said Trioda Wilingi is a success story about what happens when scientists and Indigenous communities work together to translate ancient Indigenous knowledge into modern products like medical gels.

“Trioda Wilingi is a tangible demonstration of how spinifex, a plant that has been a building block for the Aboriginal societies in the desert, will continue to play a role in advancing local communities through business and employment opportunities,” he said.

“Our congratulations go to the many dedicated stakeholders who have been critical to this project since its inception more than 15 years ago and include ANFF, UniQuest, Uniseed and and the Indjalandji-Dhidhanu people.”

Other UQ researchers involved in the various stages of the project include Professor Darren Martin, Dr Nasim Amiralian and Dr Pratheep Kumar Annamalai who were the original inventors of the underpinning patent family, as well as Professor Alan Rowan.