WHEN Dr Swaminathan Iyer is working, it’s hard to see what he’s doing – because most of his research focuses on things that can’t be seen with the human eye.

His various research programs focus on the field of nanobiotechnology, which combines biology and biochemical applications at the nano – or microscopic – level.

Young Scientist of the Year finalist, Dr Swaminathan Iyer / Image: Courtesy UWA

Part of the work involves helping develop better drugs that more precisely find their target cells so there are no side effects, and helping find a better way to detect cervical cancer in women.

Dr Iyer is an ARC Australian Research Fellow and the deputy director of the Centre for Strategic Nano-Fabrication at The University of WA.

He’s also one of the finalists in this year’s Young Scientist of the Year Award, which is part of the WA Science Awards to be held on 2 December.

His research focuses on three main areas:
• Developing new techniques for detecting cervical cancer cells and developing of new targeted therapies;
• Using what’s called magnetic nanosystems to help develop better targeted drugs for central nervous system injuries such as brain and spinal cord injuries; and
• Structural biology, which investigates the shape of proteins to better understand drug delivery mechanisms or how a person’s body responds to disease.

Using atomic force microscopy, Dr Iyer and his colleagues have devised a method to distinguish between normal and malignant cervical cells.

He says the traditional test for cervical cancer is a pap smear where there can be ambiguity in the results that might require further tests.

“What we want is a precise, more reliable test that provides a clear cut result and avoids the ‘maybe’,” he says.

“This method basically is going towards a better way of distinguishing (cervical cancer) than the existing pap smear.

“We have developed a proof of concept, we have shown that it can be used effectively, and there is some talk of commercialisation.”

Dr Iyer’s various research programs have been featured in international media and he and his colleagues have filed five patents.

The 2009 WA Science Awards are administered by the Department of Commerce, with the winners announced on 2 December 2009.

(Disclosure: the Department of Commerce is a sponsor of ScienceNetworkWA.)

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