Pucci, Alessandra Alberta (1942 - )

Summary

Alessandra Pucci was founder and chief executive of Australia's first biotechnology company Australian Monoclonal Development (AMD). AMD was formed in the 1980s to develop diagnostic tools and products for the treatment of diseases based on monoclonal antibodies. She later became head of Biodiscovery Ltd, a company that invests in Australian Research, and Director of the Dairy Research and Development Corporation and of Bio-Q Pty Ltd. Pucci was awarded Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in 1988, for services to the community, particularly in the field of biotechnology, and to industry.

Details

After completing a doctorate in pharmaceutical chemistry at Pisa University, Italy, Alessandra Pucci decided to study biomedical sciences at the University of Florence. She obtained her second doctorate there. In 1970 she moved to Australia and soon completed a PhD in immunology at the University of Sydney. This sparked her interest in linking science and business, and lead to the creation of Australian Monoclonal Development (AMD) in 1981. The company, Australia's first biotechnology company, was founded on private funds and a research and development grant from the Australian Government. Within a few years AMD became very successful so was listed on the Sydney Stock Exchange in 1986. In the same year Pucci founded Monoclonal Australia Ltd. Both AMD and Monoclonal Australia Ltd. Were taken over by ICI Australia in 1989.

In 1996 Alessandra Pucci turned her interests to research investment and started Biodiscovery Ltd. A company which invested in Australian Research and was a joint venture between the Garvan institute, John Curtin School of Medicine, and CSIRO Division of Entomology. Biodiscovery was eventually taken over by some of its board members and became a wine producer. Pucci next worked as Director of the Dairy Research and Development Corporation and of Bio-Q Pty Ltd. The Dairy Research and Development Corporation was responsible for funding dairy research and development.

Chronology

1970s

Life event - Settled in Australia

13 June 1988

Award - Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) - For service to the community, particularly in the field of biotechnology, and to industry

1990

Award - Fellow, Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (FTSE)

Related entries

Archival resources

National Library of Australia Manuscript Collection

• Biographical cuttings on Alessandra Pucci, biochemist, Cuttings Files BIOG; National Library of Australia Manuscript Collection. Details

National Library of Australia Oral History Collection

• Interview with Dr Alessandra Pucci (sound recording), interviewer: Ragbir Bhathal, 13 March 1997, TRC 2572; National Library of Australia Oral History Collection. Details

Published resources

Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation Exhibitions

• McCarthy, Gavan; Morgan, Helen; Smith, Ailie; van den Bosch, Alan, Where are the Women in Australian Science?, Exhibition of the Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation, First published 2003 with lists updated regulary edn, Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, 2003, https://eoas.info/exhibitions/wisa/wisa.html. Details

Books

• Bhathal, Ragbir, Profiles, Australian women scientists (Canberra: National Library of Australia, 1999), 191 pp. Details

Resources

• 'Pucci, Alessandra Alberta (1942-)', Trove, National Library of Australia, 2009, https://nla.gov.au/nla.party-1473723. Details

See also

• Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering Handbook 2001 (Victoria: Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering, 2001), 271 pp. Details