Frank Sainsbury

Associate Professor Frank Sainsbury leads a physical virology lab at Griffith University. His research group is primarily interested in virus capsids, pushing the boundaries of how they assemble, and what can be learned from using them as biochemical reaction vessels and delivery vehicles. Dr Sainsbury trained as a plant virologist at the John Innes Centre in the UK and was hooked by the deceptive simplicity of viruses and by their potential for use in biotechnology. His PhD work included the invention of protein expression systems in plants that have supported Phase III clinical trials of influenza vaccines and led to a major UK innovation award. Since taking up an ARC DECRA at the University of Queensland in 2014, he has developed a program of research into the assembly, engineering, and uses of virus-like particles. In 2018 he was awarded a CSIRO Fellowship in Synthetic Biology to explore the directed assembly of virus coat proteins into protein cages with non-natural geometries. He subsequently moved to Griffith University and in 2023, he was awarded an ARC Future Fellowship to evolve virus capsids for applied uses in agriculture and health.