Monash Live-Biobanking (MoLBi) Platform

The Monash Live Biobanking (MoLBi) initiative is a clinician-led translational research platform based at Monash University and Monash Health. Our mission is to build a national infrastructure that enables real-time access to fresh tumour specimens, drives bespoke immunotherapeutic discovery, and accelerates translational research into clinical application - particularly for patients with the hardest-to-treat cancers.

Vision

To transform translational oncology by enabling next-generation, patient-centric research and bespoke therapies for cancers with the greatest unmet needs.

Who we are

The Monash Live-Biobanking Initiative (MoLBi) is a clinician-led translational research platform dedicated to accelerating breakthroughs in cancer diagnosis and treatment. We collect, characterise, and preserve fresh live tumour samples from patients undergoing surgery at Monash Health, creating a vital bridge between real-world clinical care and cutting-edge laboratory research.

MoLBi enables a pipeline for precision medicine — linking biospecimen collection with molecular profiling, pre-clinical testing, and immunotherapy development. Our focus is on the hardest-to-treat cancers, including brain tumours, gynaecological malignancies, and upper gastrointestinal cancers.

We are a collaborative network of clinicians, scientists, and consumer advocates working across Monash University, Monash Health, and partner institutions. Our executive committee brings together expertise in neurosurgery, immunology, proteomics, and genomics, unified by a shared commitment to improving outcomes for cancer patients through research that is fast, focused, and feasible.

Donate to MoLBi In the link, please enter 'MoLBi' under 'Area of giving'.

About us View

Our research View

Mission

To collect, characterise and utilise fresh biospecimens from patients with cancer to advance:

Tumour biology discovery,
Immunopeptidomics and antigen profiling,
Preclinical modelling, and
Precision cell-based therapy development.

Values

Innovation – advancing next-generation approaches to translational research.
Impact – prioritising research with clear and measurable patient benefit.
Collaboration – fostering interdisciplinary and cross-institutional partnerships.
Equity – enabling access to research and trials across all demographics.
Integrity – operating transparently with clinical and scientific rigour.
Consumer Partnership – embedding lived experience into research priorities.

Goals

Objectives
- Build a scalable infrastructure for real-time biospecimen collection across cancer types.
- Expand MoLBi’s integration with clinical trial units, pathology, and -omics platforms.
- Standardise protocols for immunopeptidomics, genomics, and organoid/PDX modelling.
- Develop a centralised data repository for clinical, molecular and functional data.
Key Actions
- Expand live tumour collection to include >5000 specimens across major cancer types by 2029.
- Integrate 15+ additional hospitals/centres into the MoLBi network.
- Support at least 25 investigator-initiated translational studies over the period.
Objectives
- Deliver individualised TCR-T therapy for high-grade glioma and other immunologically cold cancers.
- Establish a discovery pipeline from antigen profiling to preclinical validation.
- Launch first-in-human MoLBi-driven bespoke cell therapy trials.
Key Actions
- Develop 3–5 bespoke immunotherapy pipelines (e.g., GBM, OCCC, pancreatic carcinoma). - Initiate MoLBi’s first TCR-T clinical trial by 2026.
- Formalise regulatory, GMP, and clinical governance pathways for cell therapies.
Objectives
- Enable multi-institutional access to MoLBi resources and data.
- Co-develop translational studies with external research groups.
- Host regular collaborative forums and symposia.
Key Actions
- Sign MoUs or collaborative agreements with 20+ research centres by 2029.
- Launch a competitive seed grant program for MoLBi-led or co-led projects.
- Organise an annual MoLBi Translational Oncology Symposium.
Objectives
- Embed consumer input into research prioritisation, study design, and dissemination.
- Partner with advocacy organisations such as BTAA and WomenCAN to amplify patient voices.
- Develop consumer co-design frameworks for all major translational studies.
Key Actions
- Establish a Consumer Advisory Panel by 2025.
- Include consumer representation in 100% of funded projects by 2027.
- Co-develop lay summaries and community engagement outputs for all major research initiatives.

Measuring impact

Progress will be monitored through annual reviews and tracked via key performance indicators including: - Number of biospecimens collected and utilised,

Number of collaborative and consumer-driven projects initiated,
Research outputs (e.g., publications, grants, trials),
Patient access to MoLBi-enabled precision therapies.

Projects View

A precision platform advancing cell-based immunotherapy for patients with immunologically cold and treatment-resistant cancers. By integrating live tumour biobanking with immunopeptidomics and T-cell engineering, MoLBi-PCI identifies actionable tumour antigens and rapidly develops bespoke TCR-based therapies, bringing personalised immunotherapy closer to the clinic.
A flagship project focused on glioblastoma and other aggressive brain tumours. By collecting fresh tumour tissue during surgery, we establish live biobank models for immunopeptidomics, genomic profiling, and pre-clinical testing. This enables us to identify tumour-specific antigens and develop precision T-cell receptor therapies.
This targets some of the most lethal gastrointestinal malignancies. Through the MoLBi platform, fresh surgical specimens are processed to generate live tumour models for molecular profiling, immune landscape mapping, and drug testing. The aim is to uncover biomarkers, understand tumour evolution, and pave the way for novel therapies in these hard-to-treat cancers.
In collaboration with researchers studying cancer-associated thrombosis, this project investigates the mechanisms by which tumours promote clot formation. Using MoLBi-derived specimens, we aim to better understand the link between cancer biology and thrombosis risk, with the goal of improving clinical management and reducing complications.
A translational immunology project tracking tumour-infiltrating T cells across time and treatment. By isolating and profiling immune cells from fresh tumours and blood, we aim to map T-cell receptor evolution, identify persistent or reactive clones, and inform immunotherapeutic strategies such as adoptive T-cell transfer.
This project harnesses artificial intelligence and advanced genomic analytics to accelerate precision medicine for brain cancer, with a focus on glioblastoma. Leveraging MoLBi’s repository of live brain tumour biospecimens and clinical database, we apply machine learning to high-dimensional genomic and transcriptomic data to uncover novel therapeutic targets and predict individual treatment responses.
This project harnesses the chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) model as a rapid, cost-effective preclinical platform within MoLBi to accelerate translational cancer research. By grafting live tumour fragments from MoLBi’s biobank onto the highly vascularised CAM of developing chick embryos, we can study tumour growth, angiogenesis, and therapeutic response in a physiologically relevant setting.
The CAM model enables real-time imaging, drug testing, and immunotherapy evaluation within days — bridging the gap between in vitro assays and complex in vivo models. Leveraging MoLBi’s pipeline of live biospecimens, the CAM platform provides a powerful tool for validating novel treatments, modelling tumour–microenvironment interactions, and generating preclinical data that inform precision medicine approaches.
ZERO on MoLBi is a Phase Zero clinical research platform accelerating the development of new therapies for patients with brain cancer. By treating patients before planned surgery and analysing tumour tissue collected through MoLBi, the platform directly evaluates whether investigational therapies reach the tumour and achieve their intended biological effect, helping identify promising treatments for further clinical development.
Implantable Peri-Cavity Electric-Field Therapy is a multidisciplinary program developing a next-generation approach to treating glioblastoma after surgery. By integrating implantable bioengineering technologies with neurosurgical care, the platform aims to deliver localised electric-field therapy directly to the tumour resection cavity, targeting residual cancer cells while minimising treatment burden for patients.

Meet the team View

MoLBi news View

Publications View

Contact us

Interested to find out more about MoLBi? Connect with our team today.

Ms Janet Chang
MoLBi Project Manager
T: +61 3 857 22091
janet.chang@monash.edu

Ms Tanya Jhoomun
Audit & Data Manager Neurosurgery
Monash Health
T: +61 3 9594 5647
F: +61 3 9594 5409
tanya.jhoomun@monashhealth.org

Supporters

MoLBi is made possible through the generous support of our partners and funders. We gratefully acknowledge:

Monash Health Oncology Department, for providing Research Support Program (RSP) funding to establish and grow the platform
The Dalton Family, whose philanthropic contribution has enabled us to advance live biobanking for rare and difficult-to-treat cancers
Monash Oncology Research Initiative (MORI), for supporting our translational research into next-generation cancer diagnostics and therapies
The Deegan Family Charitable Foundation, whose philanthropic contribution has enabled us to advance our CAM-on-MoLBi model

Their ongoing commitment empowers us to deliver high-impact, patient-focused cancer research.