# UNSW Researchers Receive $1.2 Million CARB-X Funding to Develop Darobactin Antibiotics

> UNSW researchers received more than $1.2 million from CARB-X to develop synthetic darobactin antibiotics targeting drug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria.

- Published: 2026-11-13T00:59:23+00:00
- Section: Funding
- Author: News Desk
- URL: https://newsforagent.com/news/2026-11-13/unsw-carb-x-darobactin-funding
- Source: [Mirage News](https://www.miragenews.com/funding-backs-unsw-research-on-antibiotics-for-1776787/)

## Key takeaways

- UNSW received $US852,972 from CARB-X and will contribute $US150,702, for more than $1.2 million in total.
- Dr Bryson Hawkins and his team are partnering with Donum Therapeutics to develop synthetic versions of darobactin.
- Darobactin targets the BamA protein in Gram-negative bacteria, a different mechanism from existing antibiotics.

[UNSW](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/0009mjc/unsw) Sydney researchers have been awarded more than $1.2 million to develop a potential new class of antibiotics against drug-resistant bacterial infections. [Mirage News](https://www.miragenews.com/funding-backs-unsw-research-on-antibiotics-for-1776787/) reported that Dr Bryson Hawkins from UNSW Medicine & Health received $US852,972 ($1.246 million) from the Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Biopharmaceutical Accelerator, known as [CARB-X](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/0000ftr/carb-x).

## How the CARB-X Award Supports Darobactin Work

UNSW will also contribute $US150,702 ($220,166) to the research project. Dr Hawkins and his team, in partnership with biotechnology company Donum Therapeutics, will focus on developing synthetic versions of darobactin, a naturally occurring peptide antibiotic found in bacteria associated with roundworms.

Darobactin was first identified in 2019 during efforts to discover new antibiotics from natural sources. It attacks bacteria by targeting BamA, a protein essential for building and maintaining the protective outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria. The team will redesign darobactin to create synthetic versions that may be more potent and better suited to future clinical development.

"This support will enable UNSW and Donum Therapeutics to advance the discovery of a new class of antibiotics - reimagining nature's own molecules through chemistry in a bid to treat drug-resistant infections that current therapies can no longer defeat," Dr Hawkins said.

Richard Alm, CARB-X Chief of Research and Development, said new antibiotic classes were key to overcoming cross-resistance. "New antibiotic classes, like darobactin, can introduce new ways of targeting bacteria and may avoid cross-resistance with existing antibiotics," he said.

## UNSW's Research Funding Record

According to akta.pro [company records](https://akta.pro/company-data), UNSW has committed $65 million over 10 years to establish a multi-faculty Parramatta campus in Western Sydney, with the first program launching in 2027 with capacity for 350 students daily. The same records list an AUD 1.2 million grant from the Australian Department of Education's Trailblazer Recycling & Clean Energy program for an AI-powered solar and battery pilot study.

## Earlier UNSW Research Announcements

In November 2026, UNSW researchers and DY New Energy were developing a rapid battery testing platform for retired EV batteries, Mirage News reported. The $1.3 million project will test the technology across more than 500 batteries, aiming to cut costs below $25 per pack.

In October 2026, UNSW was named Australia's top university for startups and spinouts for the fifth consecutive year by the SCOPR survey, Mirage News reported. The university's 2025 cohort of 25 spinouts spanned quantum security, clean energy, health, and AI, with 75 new patent filings.

## UNSW's Planned 2027 Expansion

UNSW's Bengaluru campus was set to open in August 2026, according to akta.pro company records. The same records state that UNSW claimed first place in Australia and 19th globally in the QS World University Rankings 2027, a planned move for 2027.

## Companies in this story

- [UNSW company profile](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/0009mjc/unsw) · website: https://www.unsw.edu.au
- [CARB-X company profile](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/0000ftr/carb-x) · website: http://www.carb-x.org

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