<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Thousands of Australian burns victims could have access to a faster and cheaper treatment method after Queensland researchers made a promising discovery.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Pre-clinical trials are under way at the University of Queensland, using algae to help grow muscle tissue cells burns patients.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Dr Melanie Oey and her team at the University of Queensland's Institute of Molecular Bioscience have found the algae helps the cells grow faster, at a fraction of the cost of current methods.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/breakthrough-at-sydney-hospital-offers-new-hope-of-one-australias-biggest-killers/64a6b722-a591-4a43-a9f1-a1310ad5093a"><strong><span>Breakthrough offers new hope for one Australia's biggest killers</span></strong></a><strong><span></span></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The current process of growing new cells currently takes several weeks.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The new method was inspired by Oey's love of diving and watching coral and algae in nature.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Oey has spent four years on the project, which could mean a shorter stay in hospital and less risk of infection.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/university-of-queensland-institute-of-molecular-bioscience-researchers-discover-faster-and-cheaper-way-to-help-burns-patients-with-algae-dr-melanie-oey/4c2e08cb-6c2e-461f-896d-8b67aed1c1de" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/calls-for-missing-link-menopause-drug-to-be-added-to-the-pbs/81f0eb96-0d61-4837-9edf-3c9a727633d9" rel="" target="" title="Calls for 'missing piece' menopause drug to be added to the PBS"><strong><span>Calls for 'missing piece' menopause drug to be added to the PBS</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Our work shows muscle cells co-cultivated with the algae grow faster, live longer and require fewer expensive additives,'' Oey said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The algae act like tiny life-support systems that can solve multiple problems at once."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>According to the latest Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 5550 Australians were hospitalised due to burns between 2021 and 2022.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The method also has the potential to benefit other applications such as growing cultivated meat more affordably.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Food Standards Australia New Zealand recently approved the sale of lab-grown or cell-cultured meat, created by growing or multiplying individual animal cells, however, cost remains a barrier.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The growing population requires more protein, but it's the most expensive macronutrient, and animal farming is also a climate concern,'' Oey said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"But growing meat in the lab is expensive largely due to the nutrients and oxygen the cells need and the waste they produce.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Our research could make cultivated meat a sustainable, affordable, ethically acceptable alternative protein source."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/how-to-follow-9news-digital/29855bb1-ad3d-4c38-bc25-3cb52af1216f" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP</span></em></strong></a><strong><em><span>: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. 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