International consortium BIENCO has been awarded AU$35 million to further the development of bioengineered eye tissue to treat corneal blindness.

Professor Gerard Sutton, University of Sydney's BIENCO lead, said he believes the grant from the Australian Government’s Medical Research Futures Fund is the country’s largest for eye research. “This positions us as a global bioengineered tissue provider and is humbling recognition of the importance of our work and the advancements the BIENCO team have made.”

We are on track to deliver the world’s first full-thickness bio-engineered cornea, said BIENCO steering committee member Danielle Fisher, general manager of the NSW Organ and Tissue Donation Service. “Our work will enable us to produce the cells for 3D bioengineered corneas from one donated cornea.”