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 […]
Binar CubeSats pioneer radiation detection technology

CubeSats – small satellites roughly 10cm in size – punch above their weight when it comes to space research. Their low weight and affordable components make space research cheaper and more accessible, and they are especially popular for Australian research institutions. The Binar Space Program, based at Western Australia’s Curtin University, specialises in CubeSats running […]
Making visible the impact of Australia’s national microscopy infrastructure

Through trust and identity, the impact of Australia’s distributed microscopy infrastructure will be revealed. Microscopy Australia is a consortium of university-based microscopy facilities that provides more than 3,500 Australian researchers a year, with access to state-of the-art microscopes. Through access to their facilities, crucial research is enabled in areas such as future energy innovations, improved […]
Unlocking the power of Australia’s Tier 1 supercomputer

Through a national framework for trusted identity, accessing one of Australia’s Tier 1 supercomputers will become easier. The Pawsey Supercomputing Research Centre (Pawsey) is one of two Tier-1 high-performance computing facilities in Australia. Its primary function is to accelerate scientific research for the benefit of the nation. Pawsey’s service and expertise in supercomputing, data, cloud […]
Liquid lenses for better satellite monitoring

Heavy Ion Accelerator Facility’s Space Irradiation Beamline (HIAF-SIBL), hosted at the Australian National University, has played a vital role in an exciting first for the Australian space industry: the first time that Australian space radiation testing has been done on an Australian space payload. The occasion? Testing innovative liquid lenses that enable a satellite to […]
Partnering for impact with Australian industry

Supporting industry with data access The Atlas of Living Australia (ALA) is Australia’s national biodiversity data infrastructure. It allows industry, researchers, decision-makers and the community to contribute, access and analyse data on Australia’s plants, animals and fungi. The ALA is partnering with industry to leverage the power of biodiversity data and infrastructure to support business […]
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 […]
Supporting Australia’s food security and agriculture industry

Over 90% of fruit, vegetables, meat, milk, and eggs sold in Australia are domestically produced, and over half of Australia’s agricultural produce is exported. As an important contributor to the Australian economy, the gross value of Australia’s agricultural food production is forecast at $79 billion for 2023-24, and our agricultural exports are forecast at $65 […]
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 […]
Associate Professor Lee Spitler – AAO and Advanced Navigation, Moon to Mars Initiative

Associate Professor Lee Spitler – AAO and Advanced Navigation, Moon to Mars Initiative As part of a Moon to Mars Initiative, Australian Astronomical Optics (AAO) at Macquarie University will build a new optical multi-beam laser collimator that will land on the moon. The project is part of a collaboration between AAO and lead partner, Advanced Navigation, […]
Renewable, versatile spinifex and the future of nanofibres

From nanotechnology to Indigenous empowerment Spinifex, a hardy Australian grass, spread widely across inland Australia, presents a new high-tech opportunity for the future of construction, medical technology, and day-to-day life. In partnership with the Indjalandji-Dhidhanu People of North-West Queensland, through Bulugudu Ltd, researchers at the University of Queensland have been developing a high-tech product from […]
Associate Professor Julia Bryant – The Hector instrument and Nicholas Hacko Watchmaker

Associate Professor Julia Bryant, Astralis-USyd – AAT’s Hector instrument and Nicholas Hacko Watchmaker A major new instrumentation project for the Anglo-Australian Telescope (AAT) has led to a partnership with one of the most specialised watchmakers in Australia. The instrument, Hector, is a multi-Integral Field Unit spectrograph built for the AAT by the Astralis Instrumentation Consortium. The […]
Piloting the Australian Environmental Health (AusEnHealth) Strategic Planning Digital Twin

This ambitious one-year pilot project aims to understand the landscape of Australian environmental health data collection at both state and national levels. Rising temperatures, more extreme weather, and increasing carbon dioxide levels impact on water and food supply, degrade living conditions, increase social inequities, change vector ecology, increase air pollution and allergens, and impact on […]
AuScope underpins Julimar polymetallic minerals discovery

In November 2021, Chalice Mining Limited released a maiden resource statement for the Julimar polymetallic mineral deposit on Wadjuk Country in Western Australia. This is an exciting milestone for Chalice on the path to delivering palladium, nickel, copper and platinum for clean energy technologies. Equally impressive is the decades-long backstory to the Julimar discovery, which […]
From rocks to Cochlear, swords and sunscreen

Our spectrometry wizards at Macquarie University’s MQ GeoAnalytical laboratory (MQGA) are at it again, innovatively applying their new age-dating technique to novel science challenges outside of the geology domain. From detecting trace elements in cochlear implants in Australia to tracing the provenance of Iron Age sword fragments from Dubai, this newly NCRIS enabled geo-analytical technique […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
A wonder material made from waste

In February 2020, Clean Earth Technologies (CET) signed an agreement with Flinders University to produce commercial quantities of an environmental wonder material. Developed by Prof. Justin Chalker and his team at Flinders University, this novel polymer — made exclusively from waste materials — is capable of pulling oil from the oceans and contaminants like mercury […]
New Era in X-Ray Imaging

Next generation X-ray technology, developed and manufactured in Adelaide, is solving global health, defence and security challenges by making X-ray machines significantly lighter and more portable. In-depth imaging is now available on the move thanks to Adelaide-based medical device manufacturer, Micro-X, which has commercialised a new way of producing x-rays. The ASX-listed company is harnessing […]