Australia is vulnerable to disruption of the global supply chain, which could affect its ability to continue contributing to the synthetic biology revolution.
- Professor Alex Hewitt
As structures go you don't get much more decrepit than a graffiti riddled disused concrete water storage tank facility which has been abandoned.
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One such structure sat in the Hobart suburb of Lenah Valley for years.
An eyesore, it served no useful purpose whilst attracting anti-social behaviour.
So why would a Launceston based readership be interested in this tale about such a structure from South of the Blackman River?
Indeed, why would or should anyone be interested? The prediction is that not only will the eyes of the North be soon focussed on this old water tank but the eyes of the whole world.
The dilapidated disused good for nothing water tank has had new life breathed into it by Launceston ophthalmologist, Professor Brendan Vote and his wife, Michelle.
Inspecting this eye-sore's transformation into Australia's first dedicated Ophthalmic Gene Therapy Centre last week was as inspirational as inspirational gets.
Specialist builders tastefully re-purposing this empty reservoir into a high-tech laboratory with huge potential was truly a sight (as well as a site) to behold. Part of the re-purposing also includes the removal of the ugly graffiti. That is, except for one small section where an unknown vandal had in fact painted a relatively attractive eye oblivious to his/her prophetic artistry.
Auspiced by the Tasmanian Eye Institute, the facility will play a world-leading role in delivering essential cures for blindness and form a critical part of Australia's sovereign medical production infrastructure in support of our future health care needs.
As someone who took refuge in the humanities at University, the writer has always been in awe of our scientists and researchers who have done so much for our wellbeing through their grit and enquiring minds.
Eyesight is a precious commodity.
Those of us blessed with eyesight seek to do our very best to protect our eyes and for very good reason.
The ability to see is a fundamentally important sensory capacity to help us interact with our world - from avoiding danger to reading instructions and to detect subtle body language with those with whom we interact. So an Ophthalmic Gene Therapy Centre will be life changing for millions of people around the world.
Genetic diseases are relatively common - it impacts one in a dozen people.
And when it comes to blindness, genetic eye diseases are collectively the largest cause of irreversible blindness.
Talk to anyone with blinding diseases and you soon learn the personal, the family, the social and community impacts of the disorder along with the financial burden.
By now you might be thinking this is all well and good - yes, there is a community problem with blindness, the development of a facility is a wonderful contribution to us from Brendan and Michelle Vote but who is going to run it and do all the 'stuff' which will drive the transformation.
In Tasmania, we are blessed with the presence of a world-leading ophthalmic genetics expert, Professor Alex Hewitt who is at the University of Tasmania and the Menzies Centre. Professor Hewitt has been recognised by Australia's own National Health and Medical Research Council as a leading clinician scientist. Professor Hewitt and the expert team he leads will be delivering groundbreaking therapies and research for the benefit of all of us.
As Professor Hewitt has said: "My lab's research aims to apply new gene-based therapies for eye diseases that cause blindness. Australia has no centre or facility for commercial DNA synthesis ... Australia is vulnerable to disruption of the global supply chain, which could affect its ability to continue contributing to the synthetic biology revolution".
(Yes, I had to read Professor Hewitt's statement twice as well)
All we need to know is that Launceston's Professor and Mrs Vote have dedicated personal resources to develop a world-class facility to enable a world-leading clinician scientist to help everyone in the world battling genetic eye diseases.
The eyes of the world will soon be focussed on that old disused water storage facility down south. More importantly for all Tasmanians, it will be putting our state on the world scientific map with the promise of restoring sight to millions.
Parliamentarians may dream about more votes, but it's the selfless dreams (turned into reality) of the Votes (Brendan & Michelle) of which we need more.
Tax-deductible donations to the Tasmanian Eye Institute can be made at www.tasmanianeyee.org.
- Eric Abetz, Tasmanian Liberal senator
