Australia welcomes its first EMBL ARISE Fellow at Monash University
Australia’s capabilities in research infrastructure (RI) have received a major boost, with Monash University set to host EMBL Fellows as part of the Career Accelerator for Research Infrastructure Scientists (ARISE) – a flagship European initiative designed to train the next generation of RI leaders. ARISE Fellow Dr Richard Jacoby from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) will […]
Australian Access Federation (AAF)
The Australian Access Federation (AAF) is Australia’s leading provider of identity and access management services to the education and research sector. We make it easy for people to securely access education and research services nationally and internationally, by providing single sign-on. It allows individuals from different organisations to collaborate and access online resources within a trusted environment.
Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness (ACDP)
ACDP helps protect Australia’s multi-billion dollar livestock and aquaculture industries, and the general public, from emerging infectious disease threats. It is a high-containment facility designed to allow scientific research into the most dangerous infectious agents in the world.
Australian technologies on the path to real-world use
The Australian National Fabrication Facility (ANFF) works with small and medium enterprises (SMEs) as they develop new technologies and devices and move them beyond the lab. For many SMEs, this is the stage where ideas become physical, functional and repeatable. Access to the right tools, facilities and hands-on expertise makes the difference between something that […]
Australian National Fabrication Facility (ANFF)
ANFF owns and provides access to micro and nanofabrication capabilities for Australia’s researchers and industry. We can assist in both the development of new products and improvements to current production methods. Each Node provides expertise in a specific area, including advanced materials, nanoelectronics & photonics and nano-bio applications. The ANFF commitment to providing a world-class, open-access user facility is underpinned by the sharing of best practice in service provision across the network.
Heavy Ion Accelerators (HIA)
Our $150M world-class accelerator facilities for high-energy ion beam research represents decades of strategic investment by the Australian National University, the University of Melbourne, our industry partners and the Australian Government. With R&D capabilities unparalleled in Australia and matched by few globally, we support research activities in sectors of national priority, including quantum computing, space and astronomy, advanced materials, environment and climate, cancer therapies, minerals exploration, and fundamental nuclear science.
The unseen engine
How Australia’s investment in research and infrastructure is forging global quantum leadership Over the past 20 years, Australia has quietly secured a position at the forefront of the quantum revolution. Not only are we building some of the world’s first commercial quantum computers but quantum science is being employed in a new generation of sensors, […]
National Imaging Facility (NIF)
National Imaging Facility (NIF) is Australia’s advanced imaging network. We provide open access to world-class imaging equipment, expertise, tools, data and analysis. We address Australia’s strategic science and research priorities, and this benefits Australian industry and helps keep Australians healthy.
Pawsey Supercomputing Research Centre (Pawsey)
Pawsey Supercomputing Research Centre is home of Setonix, Australia’s fastest and most energy-efficient supercomputer, delivering the nation’s most advanced AI research infrastructure through massive GPU power.
Our integrated platform combines cutting-edge GPU acceleration with AI frameworks, real-time analytics, and advanced remote visualisation services and expertise. This gives researchers nationwide access to the scale, speed and expertise needed to accelerate discovery and innovation across every field, from climate modelling and drug discovery to quantum research and astronomy.
Phenomics Australia (PA)
Phenomics Australia provides a national capability to explore the human genome and the genetic basis of health and disease. Our openly accessible service delivery centres span twenty locations across Australia. Through these, we offer specialised infrastructure, research services and technical expertise dedicated to advancing our fundamental understanding of health and disease and enabling next-generation innovations in healthcare and therapeutic development to benefit all Australians.
Data Connect Australia
The Population Health Research Network (PHRN) has been at the forefront of integrating health and human services data across Australia. With a robust network of data linkage units, PHRN empowers researchers to unlock insights into disease, shaping innovative treatments and enhancing health services nationwide. Underpinned by a commitment to privacy and ethical standards, PHRN exemplifies collaborative research, bolstered by substantial support from government and academic sectors.
Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network (TERN)
Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network is an NCRIS funded program. NCRIS is a national network of world-class research infrastructure projects that support high-quality research that will drive greater innovation in the Australian research sector and the economy more broadly.
AARNet
AARNet is Australia’s national research and education network, a not-for-profit organisation equally owned by 38 Australian universities and CSIRO. AARNet provides essential high-speed internet and advanced network services tailored to meet the specialised needs of researchers in Australia.
Improving spatial analysis for disease risk detection: a COVID-19 case study
During COVID-19, public health agencies relied heavily on data to understand where the virus was spreading and who was most at risk. While robust data have long underpinned decision-making, the pandemic reinforced that statistical factors – such as how data are grouped, how geographical boundaries are defined, and how granular the data are – can […]
Urban greening for health
On average, someone is hospitalised for a heart attack every 9 minutes, according to the National Heart Foundation of Australia. And the toll on taxpayers runs into billions each year. Reduced cardiovascular disease Few studies have explored whether health benefits from urban greening translate into reduced healthcare expenditure. Study co-lead Professor Xiaoqi Feng from the University […]
EMBL Australia PhD Course celebrates 10 years of training Australia’s future research leaders
More than 60 PhD students from across the country came together in Adelaide for the 10th EMBL Australia PhD Course – a unique, two-week residential program designed to equip emerging researchers with the skills and confidence needed for modern scientific careers. Co-hosted with the South Australian Immunogenomics Cancer Institute (SAiGENCI), this year’s course focused on future-ready […]
How NCRIS infrastructure helped UQ’s vaccine platform: a billion-dollar success
A landmark deal has placed Australian vaccine innovation on the world stage, with leading healthcare company Sanofi completing the acquisition of Vicebio. Vicebio was formed in 2019 to advance The University of Queensland (UQ)’s Molecular Clamp platform, a novel vaccine technology designed to stabilise viral proteins in their native shape. This approach helps the immune […]
Research impact: understanding bikeability to shape healthier, more connected cities.
Across Australia, cities are looking for safer, easier ways to support cycling. ‘Bikeability’ describes how well an area supports cycling through its infrastructure, safety, environment and access to everyday destinations. But understanding what actually makes an area ‘bikeable’ is not straightforward. Until now, studies have used different definitions, indicators, and modelling approaches to explore bikeability, […]
Strengthening international research relations and showcasing Australian capability
Driving global collaboration through the Prato 2025 Health Research Infrastructure Symposium The 2025 Australian & European Health Research Infrastructure Symposium, held from 16-18 September at the Monash University Prato Centre in Italy, united leaders from major Australian and European research infrastructures to strengthen international partnerships and tackle shared challenges in health and life sciences. The three-day […]
Lab-grown ‘tiny hearts’: development of an epicardial lineage tracing human pluripotent stem cell line to identify new cardiac therapeutics
Lab-grown ‘tiny hearts’ – developed with the support of the Phenomics Australia iPSC Derivation & Gene Editing Facility Node at Murdoch Children Research Institute (MCRI) and the Pipeline Accelerator scheme – have accelerated the way treatments are identified and tested for heart related disease. Cardiovascular disease is a major cause of death in Australia, responsible for one in four of […]
Advancing early melanoma detection: Phenomics Australia & ACEMID collaboration
Phenomics Australia’s Histopathology & Slide Scanning Node is working with the Australian Centre of Excellence in Melanoma Imaging & Diagnosis (ACEMID) Pathology team to drive new advances in the early detection and diagnosis of melanoma. Every year, more than 18,000 Australians are diagnosed with melanoma. According to ACEMID Project Leader Professor H. Peter Soyer (The University of Queensland), identifying […]
Cost-effective imaging technology to revolutionise spatial transcriptomics
EMBL Australia group leader Dr William Roman & his team have launched a new imaging-based spatial transcriptomics platform that dramatically reduces experimental costs from more than $35,000 to approximately $30 per experiment, making spatial biology more accessible to researchers across Australia. While modern sequencing technology has made it relatively easy to tell which genes are […]
Safer and more accurate scans for pregnant women and children
The NIF-supported Australian National Total Body PET Facility creates benefits for both research translation and patient care. Challenge Exposure to ionising radiation is a significant concern for vulnerable patients – particularly pregnant women and children – who may require PET/CT scans for diagnosing or staging cancer, infection, or inflammatory diseases. Traditional methods of reducing radiation […]
NIF helped provide the evidence that led to the approval of Australia’s first dementia treatment
MRI and PET imaging provided essential evidence that supported the approval of donanemab. Challenge Dementia is a major health challenge in Australia, currently affecting nearly half a million people and ranking as the nation’s second-leading cause of death. This number is expected to double by 2058. Donanemab is a new disease-modifying therapy that uses monoclonal […]
NCRIS supports breakthrough ovarian cancer agent from early-stage design to first in-human studies
Australian capabilities shepherded new agent through entire innovation pipeline. Challenge Professor John Hooper has worked for decades to develop antibody 10D7, a beacon of hope for patients with advanced ovarian, prostate and bladder cancers. Very few novel drugs are developed entirely in Australia, from their early stages through to preclinical models and first-in-human trials. Ovarian […]
NIF Node Director leads WHO resolution to improve global imaging access
Increasing imaging capacity will reduce the rising burden of premature deaths from cancer and other diseases. Challenge Each year, about 17 million people die prematurely from cancer and other non-communicable diseases – and this burden is increasing. Imaging plays a critical role in early cancer detection and more effective treatments. Better access to imaging will […]
World’s largest longitudinal muscle MRI study set to benefit children with cerebral palsy
The completed MUGgLE study has produced vital data on muscle growth patterns and muscle under-development in children with cerebral palsy. Challenge Cerebral palsy, the most common physical disability in children, affects ~34,000 Australians. It impacts movement and posture, often leading to muscle weakness and stiffening. Previous studies have typically only examined muscle groups collectively – […]
Research Impact: Geospatial Factors Applied to Road Accidents
Road accidents are a major source of trauma worldwide. Over 1.3 million people are killed in road accidents annually, and collisions are a leading cause of death and injury across all age groups. Aside from the human cost of road accidents, there is a significant financial toll. The US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention […]
Research Impact: Assessing “Child-Friendliness” as a Pathway to Reducing Private Car use for Children’s Transport
The journey to school is a vital part of a child’s physical, psychological, and social development. It offers children an opportunity to interact and emotionally engage with the world around them, building self-possession and independence. However, in Australia, the heavy reliance on cars to transport kids to and from school inhibits this, as well as […]
Research Impact: Measuring the Age-Friendliness of Australian Suburbs
Australians are ageing at an unprecedented rate. As people get older, frailty and increased use of health resources pose a significant challenge to already strained health services. It is vital to keep ageing populations healthy to not only reduce this dependence on services but also to promote their wellbeing, independence, and participation in society. This […]
Research Impact: Mitigating Childhood Asthma Risks from Traffic-Related Air Pollution
Using data available through AURIN, as well as Westgate and EPA (Environment Protection Authority Victoria) monitor data, researchers from the University of Queensland and the University of Melbourne have raised concerns about the impact of emissions from truck traffic on childhood asthma rates in Melbourne’s Inner West. Clare Walter, Peter D Sly, Brian W Head, […]
First in-human images of new hope treatment for poor-prognosis prostate cancer
In a world first, supported by National Imaging Facility, Australian researchers have imaged and measured the uptake of a promising new prostate cancer therapy drug developed by Australian company AdvanCell, which was recently administered to its first patient in a clinical trial. Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer for men. Around 50% of […]
New brain imaging set to improve and speed epilepsy diagnosis, treatment
Novel imaging methods combined with cognitive, genetic and medical data will use AI to increase the speed and accuracy of diagnoses and treatment for epilepsy patients, according to researchers working collaboratively with NIF. Advanced MRI imaging methods are helping Australian epilepsy researchers move closer to faster, more accurate, individualised diagnoses and treatment options for patients. […]
Future-proofing computational proteomics
EMBL Australia and Bioplatforms Australia joined forces to host a pivotal proteomics workshop titled ‘Future-proofing Computational Proteomics’ on 24 April, featuring leading guest speakers, Dr Rolf Apweiler, Prof Marc Wilkins and Dr Richard Lipscombe. The Australian proteomics community discussed advancements in proteomics research and the pivotal role of computational approaches in shaping the future of […]
Protein discovery for better bowel cancer treatments
Bowel cancer claims more than 100 lives in Australia every week. Thankfully, researchers at the Australian National University (ANU) have discovered that an immune protein can slow the division of bowel cancer cells. This is a promising target for both early detection tests and bowel cancer treatments. DR ABHIMANU PANDEY SAYS AN IMMUNE SYSTEM PROTEIN […]
Strengthening our European connections to EMBL and beyond
On a recent visit to EMBL Heidelberg, Ian Smith, Chair of the EMBL Australia Council, spoke about the synergies between EMBL and EMBL Australia, opportunities for collaboration and ideas for exciting future programs. Ian Smith, Chair of the EMBL Australia Council, chatted to EMBL about the synergies between the organisations, opportunities for collaboration, and ideas […]
Breaking the Cycle
Data linkage is helping researchers understand the lifelong impact of child abuse and neglect, and how they entrench intergenerational disadvantage. Every year, 1 in 20 Australian children will be reported to child protection. One in 50 children will be the subject of an investigation by authorities and 1 in 100 will have that report substantiated. […]
Clinical Trial Data Unlocked for Research with New National Platform
Health Data Australia is unlocking clinical trial data for research at a national scale. For the first time in Australia, researchers can find clinical trial data from multiple research institutions and request access to it via a new platform, Health Data Australia. Launching tomorrow at SAHMRI in Adelaide, Health Data Australia allows clinical trialists and data […]
Vaccine patch delivers protection from dengue in mice
Dengue is the most significant mosquito-borne viral disease in the world. With an estimated 390 million cases annually, it results in approximately US$6.9 billion in economic losses. Now Dr David Muller and the vaccine team at the University of Queensland (UQ) have developed a promising dengue vaccine candidate that provides strong immunity in mice when […]
Biobanks: the Australian Phenome Bank
The Australian Phenome Bank: a national biobank and database aiding the discovery of genetic disease causes and advancing Personalised Medicine. Phenomics Australia’s Biobanking service provides a database and cryobank of mouse sperm and embryos essential for discovering and distributing disease models in Australia. The challenge: Ensuring the ongoing availability of mouse strains preserving the investment made in […]
CRISPR/Cas as diagnostics tools
Phenomics Australia NCRIS expertise is used in providing knowledge to look into the commercial and translational potential of CRISPR technology. Phenomics Australia’s long-term support of the In vivo Genome Engineering and Disease Modelling nodes over the years has allowed researchers at the Melbourne Advanced Genome Editing Center (MAGEC) to have a solid understanding of CRISPR/Cas […]
When food kills
Infrastructure and expertise supported by Phenomics Australia and Therapeutic Innovation Australia (TIA)are used in fighting food poisoning toxins. Prof Si Ming Man (right) and Dr Anukriti Mathur (left). Image Lannon Harley/ANU The challenge: Food poisoning is estimated to affect more than 4 million Australians every year – costing the economy $1.25 billion, and in some […]
A One Health approach to Japanese encephalitis
Scientists at CSIRO’s Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness (ACDP) provided diagnostic testing and outbreak response support when a widespread outbreak of Japanese encephalitis occurred in piggeries in southern Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia. What is Japanese encephalitis? Japanese encephalitis (JE) virus is a potentially fatal disease that infects about 100,000 people worldwide […]
How data linkage can improve the health of older people
Older people, despite bearing the burden of chronic disease and being more likely to take prescription drugs older people are under-represented in clinical trials. Studying older people When pharmaceutical companies do clinical trials, people over the age of 70 are often excluded. It’s partly ageism, says Professor Leon Flicker, a geriatric medicine specialist at The University of Western Australia. […]
WearOptimo create real-time, Microwearable health sensors
WearOptimo have used Microscopy Australia’s facilities to develop a world-first, wearable, real-time health sensor, which is now in clinical trials. WearOptimo aims to provide affordable, wearable technology to revolutionise monitoring of biomarkers, which act as an early warning sign of disease. Initially, their sticker like device will provide real time monitoring of hydration and of heart […]
From planets to pandemics: translating science in challenging times
After years of building NCRIS enabled software to address geodynamics problems, researcher and AuScoper from The University of Melbourne, Rohan Byrne, found an opportunity to turn his Everest code to help model COVID-19 mobility data during Melbourne’s 2020 and 2021 lockdown periods. Here, Rohan shares his story. JC — Rohan, please tell us what you […]
How Australia’s national research infrastructure is responding to COVID-19
Australia’s National Research Infrastructure (NRI) swiftly redeployed to support national and international COVID-19 research. Some examples are listed below. Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness (ACDP), Bioplatforms Australia (BPA), Microscopy Australia and Therapautic Innovation Australia (TIA) were involved in the University of Queensland vaccine program. Australian Plant Phenomics Facility (APPF) is supporting research into plant-based vaccines. Astronomy Australia […]
Australian Urban Health Indicators
Creating new health indicators that improve the understanding of the health of Australian urban and regional populations Australian Urban Health Indicators (AusUrb-HI) is a collaboration between NCRIS facilities – the Australian Urban Research Infrastructure Network (AURIN), the Australian Research Data Commons (ARDC) and the Population Health Research Network (PHRN) – and researchers, that will develop a suite of new indicator data […]
Nano-thin piezoelectrics advance self-powered electronics
A new type of ultra-efficient, nano-thin material could advance self-powered electronics, wearable technologies and even deliver pacemakers powered by heart beats. The flexible and printable piezoelectric material, which can convert mechanical pressure into electrical energy, has been developed by an Australian research team led by RMIT University. It is 100,000 times thinner than a human […]
Uncovering a rare autoinflammatory disease
Phenomics Australia has enabled an international research consortium to identify the genetic cause of a previously undiagnosed autoinflammatory disease (CRIA Syndrome). The challenge: effective CRIA Syndrome treatment is limited. Humans suffering from this rare condition present a series of painful symptoms of unknown cause, including periodic fevers and swollen lymph nodes, recurring from early childhood […]
From ancient grass to modern materials
A unique partnership between Dugalunji Aboriginal Corporation and a University of Queensland research team has lead to the development of valuable and sustainable nanofibres leading to the creation of regional, Indigenous jobs. Challenge Nanofibres can strengthen many materials for a wide range of applications from thinner more flexible electronics and plastics, to next generation building […]
Linked Data and the Reduction in Cervical Cancer in Australia
Data linkage has had a significant role in the reduction in cervical cancer in Australia. Preventing cervical cancer The Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine is a powerful tool for the prevention of cervical cancer. It was developed by industry, based on critical research done at the University of Queensland. Australia was the first country in the world to introduce […]
