Dr Padraig Strappe and Dr Rina Wong (Fu) from Curtin Medical School and the Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute (CHIRI), recently presented their research on isolating and characterising crocodile collagen at the International Crocodile Specialist Group Conference in Darwin.

The team highlighted how their work with crocodile collagen peptides could be used in biomedical, pharmaceutical and cosmeceutical applications which garnered positive feedback from industry professionals, who recognised the innovative use of underutilised carcass material as a novel source of revenue.

With guidance from pharmaceutical technical specialist Jorge Martinez, the team developed a prototype crocodile collagen hand gel and cream, which generated excitement among attendees, including crocodile farmers and representatives from high-end fashion industries.

Dr Wong (Fu), who is also a performing artist, was commissioned to compose a song titled ‘Crocodilian Complication’, exploring human-crocodilian interactions. The song debuted at the conference and has since been released on Spotify and other music platforms with a recent feature on ABC radio which you can listen to below.

Coinciding with the conference, the launch of the Australian Crocodile Industry RD&E (research, development and extension) Plan, co-authored by Dr Strappe and sponsored by AgriFutures Australia, marked another significant milestone for our researchers at Curtin. This collective achievement underscores the impactful work being conducted at Curtin in collaboration with industry partners.

ABC Darwin radio feature: 

(Left) Dr Padraig Strappe and Dr Rina Wong (Fu) with ABC Radio Darwin ‘NT Afternoons’ host Jess Ong holding a prototype of crocodile collagen cream and (right) Dr Rina Wong (Fu) at the conference.