Posted: 26 August 2025
The Florey Institute announced it had received $494,000 from the Federal Government to progress a groundbreaking quantum-based blood test, FeBI, developed with the University of Melbourne to measure iron levels cheaply, reliably and accurately.
The funding, provided through the Australian Government’s Critical Technologies Challenge Program, was allocated to support prototype development and engagement with First Nations communities in Katherine, Northern Territory, beginning this month. The programme aims to foster First Nations involvement in shaping emerging quantum technologies.
Dr Nicole Jenkins, Florey scientist and Chief Executive Officer of FeBI Technologies, said the test could transform iron diagnostics. “When doctors order blood tests, they really want to know how much ‘water’ there is. Current technology allows us only to see the ‘bottles’, not what’s inside them. Some bottles are full, some are empty, which makes ferritin-based testing inaccurate, particularly in people with chronic conditions,” she explained.
Existing ferritin tests were said to result in misdiagnosis, delayed treatment, and billions in healthcare costs each year. Low iron levels disproportionately affect women, while conditions such as chronic kidney disease and diabetes – which impact First Nations people at higher rates – also require accurate iron monitoring. FeBI was described as offering potential benefits for diagnosing iron deficiency, anaemia and haemochromatosis, as well as supporting better care in pregnancy and childhood.
Professor Sean Taylor, University of Melbourne Professor of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health, will lead the Katherine engagement in partnership with Sunrise Health Service Aboriginal Corporation. “Our work in the Northern Territory is vital to understand the features a FeBI device needs in order to be useful and valued – and to make sure it stands up in practical terms in a remote community,” he said.
Sunrise Health Service CEO Rebecca Bond added: “Sunrise Health Service is excited to be part of such important research that may prove to be a game changer in accurate testing of iron levels for First Nations people and others.”
Co-founder Professor David Simpson said the research team had been developing diamond-based quantum sensing technology for over a decade and was now seeing it evolve into “a precision diagnostic tool for direct and accurate iron assessment.”
The Florey said information gathered in Katherine would help design a portable, accessible device capable of operating across diverse environments, improving testing accuracy and reducing barriers to care in remote and underserved communities.
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