Six years ago, Dr Stephen Trowell was a CSIRO scientist with “a pot plant and an idea.” Today, PPB Technology is a growing high-tech company with six staff and customers in eight countries.  

The business began with CSIRO research led by Dr Trowell on protein-based biosensors—sensors that use a light-emitting protein that naturally binds to a specific target, such as a sugar or enzyme. When the ‘target’ is present, it changes the sensor's shape and shows this change by altering the colour of the light it emits. This enables the detection of the target and measurement of its concentration. 

PPB Technology acquired the technology from CSIRO and turned it into a commercially viable product. The company now manufactures both instruments and biosensors, enabling fast, accurate testing in food processing, initially for dairy companies. 

Rather than focusing on on-farm stage of milk production, PPB Technology targets the processing stage, which connects millions of producers to billions of consumers.  

“That’s where the complex problems often exist,” Dr Trowell says, “and where there’s enough intellectual and financial capital to act on innovative solutions.” 

Through Dr Trowell’s vision, PPB Technology is supporting sustainability by helping food and dairy producers reduce waste, improve resource efficiency and extend product shelf life through its CYBERTONGUE® rapid diagnostics platform. By delivering laboratory-quality results in minutes rather than days, CYBERTONGUE® enables processors to identify contamination and quality issues early, allowing them to make real-time decisions that prevent product spoilage, reduce recalls and minimise food losses across the supply chain. 

The platform can detect enzymes that cause milk spoilage and shelf-life failures, enabling processors to divert milk to more suitable products, address contamination sources and prevent unnecessary disposal of valuable food. PPB Technology estimates that widespread adoption of this approach could help prevent tens of millions of tonnes of milk waste globally each year. 

By reducing food waste and production losses, PPB Technology also contributes to lowering greenhouse gas emissions. Food that is wasted represents wasted water, energy, feed, transport and processing resources. Extending shelf life and improving production efficiency helps reduce the environmental footprint of dairy production while supporting a more sustainable and resilient global food system.  

One of PPB Technology’s most notable achievements has been the successful transition of CYBERTONGUE® into a genuinely global dairy testing platform.  

Developed in Australia, the technology is now being used across North America, Europe, Africa, Oceania, Central Asia and India, demonstrating that an Australian-made deep-tech food diagnostics solution can solve real-world challenges for the global dairy industry and gain strong international customer adoption.  

Beyond its commercial achievements, CYBERTONGUE® creates positive environmental outcomes by helping dairy and other food producers reduce waste, losses and inefficiencies in production processes, ultimately supporting lower greenhouse gas emissions and a more sustainable global food system. 

The company’s connection to the Agrifood Innovation Institute (AFII) and the Australian National University has been pivotal. Based in the Agrifood Hub at AFII, PPB Technology benefits from proximity to CSIRO laboratories, access to specialised facilities, and opportunities for collaboration across the University.  

“The physical space is critical,” says Dr Trowell. “It’s perfectly set up for innovation, and we are surrounded by like-minded businesses.” 

Beyond infrastructure, the partnership has helped PPB Technology’s growth through student placements, guest lecturing opportunities, and broader business collaboration.  

Reflecting on the experience, Dr Trowell says, “We’ve learned a lot by being part of the university ecosystem. It’s like having a mirror held up to how you work.” 

From a single office to a globally active company, PPB Technology’s story demonstrates how strong research and innovation networks can transform a scientific idea into a world-class business.