Thabata Muta spends much of her working day thinking about cannabis. Or, more accurately, cannabidiol or CBD, the ingredient in the plant that is increasingly being used to treat a range of ailments, from pain and inflammation to anxiety and epilepsy.

While CBD's effectiveness as a medicine is promising, there are a couple of issues according to the UniSA PhD student says.

“CBD has the potential to treat many medical conditions, but its effectiveness is limited because it doesn’t dissolve well, isn’t easily absorbed by the body, and is chemically unstable,” Ms Muta says.

“To address these issues, I am developing a new, biodegradable, and non-toxic delivery system. This is the first time this technology is being applied to CBD, and my goal is to create a medicinal cannabis formulation that can be more easily absorbed into the bloodstream.”

But Ms Muta (pictured) is not working alone in her important research - she's one of a number of students taking part in one of two Industry Doctoral Training Centre (IDTC) pilot programs currently running in South Australia.

Based on similar models in the UK, the four-year pilot programs are facilitating collaboration between research and business, developing innovations for translation to market, and supporting greater mobility of graduates between research and industry.

Ms Muta says the program has been “truly transformative”, significantly boosting her confidence and communication skills.

“Through the opportunities it has provided and the amazing, inspirational people I have met, I have been able to envision career paths I never knew existed or thought were possible for me,” she says.

“Moreover, the program has helped me meet like-minded individuals and provided a better understanding of the biotechnology industry, bridging gaps that are often present within academic walls.

“I have also gained valuable insights into commercialisation and translational research, which are crucial for turning scientific discoveries into real-world applications.”

Ms Muta says CBD has the potential to change lives for the better on a number of fronts.

“I hope my research leads to a product that benefits MedTEC, a company I am proud to work with, and provides better treatments for patients seeking CBD for various conditions,” she says.

“This could offer effective treatment for pain, inflammation, depression, anxiety, epilepsy, and many other diseases.”

A total cohort of 26 domestic and international students are completing their PhD research projects in partnership with a business from their chosen industry sector, with a focus on two growing critical technologies fields – industrial application of quantum technologies, and biomanufacturing. All three South Australian universities are participating in the program.

Each IDTC has accepted up to 15 PhD students from different research fields, with students matched with both a research supervisor and an industry mentor to develop the transferrable skills required to deliver ground-breaking research, and to gain an understanding of how research applies to industry.

The South Australian Government has appointed two organisations to deliver IDTC Plus programs – interactive learning sessions designed to build on participants’ understanding of these emerging industries and develop their leadership and research translation skills.

MTPConnect is delivering the PhD Plus program to participants of the biomanufacturing stream, while Shalau Consulting is delivering to participants of the industrial application of quantum technologies stream.

A total of 14 industry partners are part of the two IDTCs, including companies such as Biocina in the biomanufacturing field and SmartSat CRC/QuantX Labs Pty Ltd in quantum technologies.

For more information on the IDTC program click here.