Nature Bank and the Queensland Compound Library
Where Nature Meets Modern Drug Discovery
Explore the Discovery JourneyThe Quest for New Medicines Begins Here
In the world of drug discovery, researchers often face a daunting challenge: finding the right chemical compound to combat a specific disease is like searching for a single key in a mountain of keys. This is where Nature Bank and the Queensland Compound Library (QCL)—now known as Compounds Australia—come into play. These unique international resources, housed within Griffith University's Eskitis Institute for Drug Discovery (now the Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, or GRIDD), have created a powerful synergy that is driving a renaissance in natural drug discovery 1 5 .
"Considerable expertise in screening natural product fractions has been developed at Eskitis over the past two decades"
What sets this institute apart is the unique interaction between these two facilities. This collaboration between chemists and biologists is essential in the search for modern drugs, harnessing the chemistry of natural compounds to tackle some of the world's most devastating diseases 5 .
Nature Bank: Australia's Treasury of Natural Compounds
A comprehensive, professionally curated drug discovery resource based on natural products from Australia, China, and Papua New Guinea 5 .
What is Nature Bank?
Nature Bank is far more than a simple collection of natural samples. Unlike traditional collections, Nature Bank subjects its natural materials to a sophisticated processing pipeline that aligns downstream extracts and fractions with lead- and drug-like physicochemical properties 1 .
Importantly, all biodiscovery activities at Nature Bank have been conducted in accordance with the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), ensuring compliance with international and national legislative requirements 1 . This ethical approach guarantees that the exploration of nature's chemistry respects both environmental sustainability and international protocols.
The Scale and Significance of the Collection
samples of plants and marine invertebrates 5
semi-purified fractions ready for screening 5
pure compounds 5
naturally-occurring fragments 5
Nature Bank stands as one of the largest natural product collections in the Southern Hemisphere 2 , providing scientists around the globe with access to nature's chemical diversity for discovering compounds with potential for development into new drugs, agrichemicals, nutraceuticals, and other industry applications 2 .
The Queensland Compound Library: Australia's Compound Management Powerhouse
Now operating as Compounds Australia, this facility has grown into Australia's only dedicated chemical compound management facility 2 .
Evolution into Compounds Australia
The Queensland Compound Library (QCL) was established in 2008 as Australia's national facility for the storage and distribution of compound collections 2 5 . Now operating as Compounds Australia, this facility has grown into a collection of libraries containing over 1.5 million samples of chemical and organic compounds 2 .
"Researchers often need to test many hundreds of thousands of individual compounds to identify the right compounds that hit – bind to or have activity against – a disease target or causative agent, like a parasite or bacteria"
Industry-Standard Storage
Automated storage for up to 1.5 million microtubes and 15,000 microplates 7
Advanced Robotics
Robotic systems for sample processing with nanoliter and microliter liquid handling capability 7
Sophisticated Tracking
Advanced software to manage inventory and sample throughout storage and processing 7
Supporting Research Globally
The Experiment: High-Throughput Screening of Natural Product Fractions
One of the most significant advances enabled by the combination of Nature Bank and Compounds Australia is the ability to undertake high-throughput screening (HTS) of hundreds of thousands of natural product fractions in only a few days against specific drug targets 5 .
Step-by-Step Screening Process
Sample Preparation
Natural product fractions from Nature Bank are prepared in assay-ready plates—flat plates with multiple tiny reservoirs known as "wells" which hold specific compounds 2 .
Automated Screening
Using sophisticated robotics and liquid handling systems, these samples are tested against specific disease targets. The facility's Beckman Echo 650/550 acoustic liquid handlers allow for accurate nanoliter dispensing in customizable formats 7 .
Hit Identification
The process enables miniaturization and acceleration of hit identification screens, allowing researchers to screen more compounds with higher accuracy and efficiency 7 .
Data Analysis
Promising "hits"—compounds that show activity against the target—are identified for further investigation.
Impact on Disease Research
This approach has revolutionized how researchers approach drug discovery from natural products. Where once such screening was painstakingly slow, the combination of Nature Bank's diverse collections with Compounds Australia's high-throughput capabilities has dramatically accelerated the pace of discovery 5 .
Research Impact and Key Discoveries
The work facilitated by Nature Bank and Compounds Australia spans multiple disease areas, from cancer to infectious diseases and neurological disorders.
Cancer Research
GRIDD research teams are working to discover compounds active against a range of cancers, including breast, prostate, pancreatic, and brain tumours 8 . The Zero Childhood Cancer Program has used Compounds Australia's libraries to help refine and personalise treatments for children with high-risk cancers 2 .
Infectious Diseases
With infectious diseases killing more than one million people annually, GRIDD researchers are seeking new drugs to treat diseases like malaria and tuberculosis 8 . The natural product fractions from Nature Bank provide unique starting points for these investigations.
Neurological Disorders
Research on Parkinson's disease benefits from both the compound libraries and the natural product collections 8 . Approximately 70,000 Australians are affected by this progressive nervous system disease, driving the need for new treatments.
By the Numbers: The Scale of Operations
The Future of Drug Discovery: A Renaissance for Natural Products
The unique environment created by Nature Bank and Compounds Australia has set the stage for what Professor Quinn describes as "a renaissance of natural products to make a big difference to drug discovery" 5 .
Global Collaboration
The resources encourage collaborations between scientists around the world, creating a global network of researchers working together to address devastating diseases 5 .
Unique IP Models
The facilities have developed unique intellectual property models to stimulate applied, basic, and translational research in the chemical and life sciences by industry, non-profit, and academic organizations 1 .
Global Health Focus
The long-term vision driving this work has major implications for world health, particularly for people in developing nations 5 .
"Ultimately, our work will have major implications for world health, in particular for people in developing nations. And it is that what drives us every day in our work"
Transforming Lives Through Nature's Chemistry
Nature Bank and Compounds Australia represent a powerful partnership between nature's chemical diversity and human technological innovation. Together, they provide researchers with an unparalleled resource for discovering new treatments for the world's most devastating diseases.
From the rainforests of Australia to the high-throughput screening robots in the laboratory, these facilities enable a journey of discovery that transforms natural compounds into potential life-saving medicines.
As these resources continue to grow and evolve, they strengthen Queensland's position as a hub for biomedical innovation while contributing to global health outcomes. The combination of ethical natural product sourcing, state-of-the-art compound management, and collaborative research models creates a powerful ecosystem for drug discovery—one that promises to yield new treatments for diseases that affect millions worldwide.