Katie Allen (Higgins, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

To build a more modern, resilient and competitive economy, the Morrison government is investing $13 billion in advanced manufacturing for the 21st century, including in the critical field of medical technology products. This strategy is important for strengthening our economy, as well as for securing our sovereign supply chains.

One local company which exemplifies modern Australian made manufacturing is Microbio. One of the company directors, Matt McNamara, is a constituent in my electorate of Higgins. Microbio has developed a new type of COVID-19 test that has the potential to determine if someone with detectable COVID virus is infectious. The company has developed a test that is rapid and can be done in just 45 minutes. This first-of-its-kind test assesses messenger RNA for COVID, not just viral RNA. Identifying the presence of messenger RNA has the power to detect if the virus is actively replicating or not. If clinically confirmed, the potential benefits of this messenger RNA test include quicker and better contact tracing and quicker and better identification of COVID patients when they are presymptomatic. This is a potential game changer for learning to live with COVID.

Already there has been significant international interest in Microbio's test, including from the United States. Microbio is currently in the process of establishing onshore manufacturing of Australian made test kits. This is Australian science R&D in action and at it best. (Time expired)