In 2007, the Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST), awarded APAF a third of round funding under the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS) over a 4-year period. The funding is managed by Bioplatforms Australia Ltd which also funds national Genomics, Metabolomics and Bioinformatics platforms.
Additional funds from the Australian state governments where the individual nodes are located over the same period further support this grant. This much-needed boost has enabled the activities of Proteomics Australia (of which APAF is a member) to be expanded considerably to include nodes at the University of NSW, Monash University, Queensland Institute of Medical Research and at TGR BioSciences, a biotechnology company in Adelaide.
APAF Ltd (ABN 81 101 734 098) is a non-listed, not for profit public company that coordinates proteomics service activities under the Commonwealth Government NCRIS program. APAF Ltd is governed by a board of directors under the leadership of an independent Chairman, Dr John Ballard.
Each node has a specialist technology and the five nodes have a high degree of synergy. Together the nodes provide a wide range of products and services. Discussions are under way to further expand this concept and to substantially increase the potential projects in which the facility can become involved. It is proposed over the forthcoming 4 years to further enhance our skills in the functional proteomics area (i.e. retaining biological activity of proteins), bioinformatics and upgrade our infrastructure and expertise in the mass spectrometry area which is progressing at an extremely rapid rate. Of course, 2-dimensional gel technologies will always form an essential part of any proteomics facility.
Effective from March 7, 2003, APAF is registered as a Registered Research Agency by AusIndustry. This means that companies contracting research with APAF will be able to claim a tax concession provided the activities fall within the relevant "class of activity" for which the RRA is registered and the activities satisfy the definition of "research and development activities" in the legislation.
The classifications of research and development activities for which APAF is registered are 081 Biochemistry, 082 Genetics and Molecular Biology, 083 Microbiology, 092 Crop and Pasture Protection, 094 Animal Production, 095 Veterinary Sciences, 101 Immunology, 102 Medical Biochemistry and Clinical Chemistry, 103 Medical Microbiology and 106 Neurosiences. Organisations claiming a taxation concession should quote APAF's registration number 37823. Note that there are reporting and recording requirements associated with these claims.