Forecasting ocean currents reduce environmental impact and cost of global shipping
Each day more than 50,000 cargo ships travel the world’s oceans, carrying about 90% of all goods traded worldwide. Global shipping is an enormous industry and responsible for 3% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. If the shipping industry were a country, it would rank as the sixth-largest emitter of greenhouse gases.CSIRO research vessel (RV) […]
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 […]
Australia at the forefront of tracking our universe in real time
Australia is helping track millions of new asteroids, exploding stars, and other real-time changes in the night sky. The NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory, a revolutionary new imaging system located in Chile’s Atacama Desert, has issued its first ~800,000 scientific alerts documenting every visible change it captures with the world’s biggest digital camera. Rubin will […]
Us vs Them – DSpark mobility data reveals AFL supporter location vs loyalty
Where Do AFL Fans Live in Melbourne Today? Explore the AURIN Data Tale – Us versus Them – Exploring how mobility data can be used to determine the geographical boundaries between supporters of Melbourne-based AFL teams. Victoria is home to 10 of the 18 AFL teams. Most were founded in the 1800s, long before the […]
Same city, different worlds – a tale of two suburbs
If a picture tells a thousand words, a map can tell a million. AURIN is developing a series of interactive story telling maps – AURIN Data Tales – to highlight the data access and analytics capability we offer and provide real-world examples of urban challenges, presented in an engaging way to inspire further research and […]
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 […]
Research Impact: AURIN data and infrastructure shaping a more sustainable urban future
Densifying the great Australian dream Owning a home is the great Australian dream. But as Australia’s population continues to grow, understanding how to plan and deliver housing is more important than ever. Urban planning therefore plays a critical role in government and industry decision-making, shaping where and how people live. Emeritus Professor Peter Newton has […]
How our seabed mapping is boosting knowledge of Australia’s incredible marine estate
A collaborative effort by CSIRO and Geoscience Australia is delivering high-resolution seabed data to illuminate our ocean estate and make incredible discoveries. Australia has the third largest ocean territory on the planet, measuring 13.8 million square kilometres, including the Australian Antarctic Territory. Australia’s diverse oceans, seas and waterways form an integral part of our lifestyle, […]
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, […]
ACCESS models help to unveil the causes of the unprecedented 2023 North Atlantic Ocean heatwave
A paper published recently in Nature using two ACCESS models, has revealed the drivers of a marine heatwave that swept across the North Atlantic Ocean during the summer of 2023, causing severe impacts on climate and ecosystems. “The intensity of the warming in that single summer was equivalent to about two decades worth of warming for the […]
New season of turtle tracking helping to understand the sub-surface waters of Northern Australia
IMOS is providing valuable oceanographic measurements in this poorly sampled region whilst simultaneously delivering information about turtle behaviour and movements by attaching satellite tags to turtles. On a recent field trip satellite tags were attached to 20 olive ridley turtles during the nesting season at Imalu Beach on Melville Island, which is in the Tiwi […]
AuScope in Antarctica: unlocking climate-response secrets hidden beneath the ice
Antarctica holds clues about how our planet is responding to climate change, and what that means for our future. AuScope is helping Australian researchers uncover critical new knowledge, by building and deploying polar-rated instrument sets that can withstand Antarctic extremes, drilling deep beneath the ice to retrieve ancient sediments, and developing software for modelling how […]
ACCESS-NRI joins the international Momentum partnership to advance climate and weather prediction
Australia’s climate simulator, ACCESS-NRI is thrilled to announce its participation in the Momentum Partnership, joining an international collaboration that develops world-leading modelling frameworks for weather and climate science. The Momentum Partnership includes access to the UK Met Office’s Unified Model (UM Model), which is the atmosphere component of the ACCESS framework. ACCESS-NRI’s partner collaborators, CSIRO and the […]
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 […]
MAB: advancing bioimaging through collaboration and innovation
EMBL Australia Group Leader Dr Senthil Arumugam, along with Dr Toby Bell and Dr Kate McArthur, recently launched the Monash BDI Advanced Bioimaging (MAB) platform – a researcher-led, global collaboration hub designed to bring innovative microscopy technologies directly to the researchers who need them. From light-sheet imaging to custom-built microscopes and large-scale data visualisation, MAB integrates experimental […]
A software time dial for the paleoclimate community
The ACCESS-NRI team has added a “time dial” into the Earth System Model (EM1.5) that allows paleoclimate researchers to match the right value of Earth’s orbit around the Sun during different past climates. The ACCESS Earth System Model 1.5 (ACCESS-ESM1.5) is used by the paleoclimate community to understand the climate of the Earth from thousands […]
TRI boosts medical research efficiency with FileSender
The Translational Research Institute’s integration of FileSender enables fast and secure data sharing, streamlining collaboration for vital medical research. The Translational Research Institute (TRI) is at the forefront of medical research, supporting diverse research projects that produce crucial data to further our understanding of complex diseases. The institute plays a key role in studies spanning cancer biology, […]
Streamlining remote sensing data transfers for environmental research
FileSender addresses the challenge of moving large datasets around for researchers participating in the Joint Remote Sensing Research Program. For environmental researchers, the volume of data generated by remote sensing technologies can be massive and challenging to manage. The Joint Remote Sensing Research Program (JRSRP) is a leader in this field, involving experts from academia […]
Baseline monitoring of seagrass and macroalgal habitats for an integrated national response to extreme events
Background The frequency and severity of extreme events such as marine heatwaves, cyclones and flooding along Australia’s West Coast is increasing, however, the impact of such events on marine ecosystems cannot be determined without sufficient baseline data. For example, 36 percent of the total seagrass area in Shark Bay is thought to have died in […]
Quantifying seabed habitats and associated biota in the Murray Australian Marine Park
Background While detailed habitat mapping coverage has been substantially advanced by State governments in many coastal regions, Commonwealth waters of the continental shelf typically lack detailed habitat maps and, at best, have coarse resolution bathymetric layers. Focusing on the Murray Marine Park, this voyage aimed to fill key information gaps in our knowledge of the […]
ALA helps to stop pests in their tracks
The Atlas of Living Australia (ALA) and its large network of biodiversity data providers are helping our national biosecurity system to protect Australia’s flora and fauna from the threat of invasive species. The ALA’s Biosecurity Alert System Australia is one of the most biodiverse continents on the planet, but the health of our environment, and agriculture, is under constant threat […]
State support injects big cash for upgrades and new national research infrastructure
National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS)-supported programs have received nearly $30 million in co-investment from the New South Wales and Queensland Governments through the NCRIS Support Program and Research Infrastructure Co-Investment Fund (RICF), respectively. Co-funding arrangements such as the NCRIS Support Program and RICF are another way that NCRIS ensures that spending on research infrastructure […]
Data Without Borders: the role of Globus in international genome research
Genetics technical specialists at the Biomolecular Resource Facility are using the Globus data movement service through AARNet to share huge datasets with national and international collaborators. The Biomolecular Resource Facility (BRF) is located in Canberra within the John Curtin School of Medical Research at the Australian National University (ANU). As a core laboratory providing research […]
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 […]
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. […]
Making life easier – Prof Joe Shapter’s ORCID story
We recently chatted with Joe Shapter, the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research Infrastructure) at the University of Queensland (UQ), to learn more about how his ORCID ID has helped him when applying for grants. Joe shared with AAF how his ORCID record was first registered when he was at Flinders University and it continued to be populated when […]
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. […]
The risk of ‘Mr Fluffy’ insulation
When Australian National University epidemiologist Associate Professor Rosemary Korda first started holding public forums for Canberra residents affected by ‘Mr Fluffy’ insulation, people were very distressed. “There was quite a bit of anger in the room, and pretty upset people,” she remembers. “There were definitely people who were very concerned about future health effects of the […]
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 […]
