Research Highlights

Just some of the fantastic research outcomes supported by the Australian Government through the Australian Research Council (ARC).

Active on Twitter? Tag @arc_gov_au in your ARC-funded research highlights. Twitter hashtag #ARCResearchHighlight.

2D materials found to thrive in space conditions

14 March 2019

Full article published by The Australian National University (ANU).

A new study published in Nature Communications by PhD candidate Tobias Vogl and ARC Australian Laureate Fellow, Professor Ping Koy Lam, along with colleagues based at the ANU node of the Centre of Excellence for Quantum Computation and Communication Technology, has found a number of 2D materials can not only withstand being sent into space, but potentially thrive in the harsh conditions.

During a satellite's orbit around the earth, it is subject to heating, cooling, and radiation. Previous research has demonstrated the robustness of 2D materials when it comes to temperature fluctuations, but the impact of radiation was unknown. The researchers, who found the properties of some materials actually improved after exposure to radiation, say that their discovery could influence the type of materials used to build everything from satellite electronics to solar cells and batteries—making future space missions more accessible, and cheaper to launch.

Photo credit:

Mr Tobias Vogl. Credit: Lannon Harley.

Using 3D models to reduce side effects of radiotherapy

13 March 2019

Full article issued by the University of South Australia.

The debilitating side effects of radiotherapy could soon be a thing of the past thanks to a breakthrough by ARC-supported researchers at the University of South Australia (UniSA) and Harvard University.

UniSA biomedical engineer Professor Benjamin Thierry, who is based at the ARC Centre of Excellence in Convergent Bio-Nano Science and Technology, is leading an international study using organ-on-a-chip technology to develop 3D models to test the effects of different levels and types of radiation. A microfluidic cell culture chip closely mimics the structure and function of small blood vessels within a disposable device the size of a glass slide, allowing researchers and clinicians to investigate the impact of radiotherapy on the body’s tissues, and could lead to more effective therapies with fewer side effects for cancer patients.

Photo credit:

A woman being prepared for radiotherapy. Credit: Wikimedia Commons (Public Domain).

A thriving fish community is an indicator of the reef’s good health

Threat of sediment runoff to Great Barrier Reef assessed

11 March 2019

Full article issued by James Cook University.

Using a combination of advanced satellite imaging and over 20 years of coral monitoring across the reef, a team of researchers from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies at James Cook University, The University of Adelaide, Dalhousie University, and Lancaster University in the UK, has found that chronic exposure to poor water quality is limiting the recovery rates of corals across wide swaths of the Great Barrier Reef.

The report says that recent flooding and the mass outflows of dirty water onto the Great Barrier Reef are raising concerns about their impact on reef health—across much of coastal Queensland, coastal rivers dump millions of litres of brown, polluted water out onto the Great Barrier Reef, but until now the relative effects of these annual inputs on reef corals and associated organisms have been difficult to understand.

Photo credit:

A thriving fish community is an indicator of the reef’s good health. Credit: Tane Sinclair-Taylor

Professor Henry is conducting the first gene-editing experiments to effectively produce biofuels and bioplastics

Sugar set for ‘energycane’ reinvention

11 March 2019

Full article issued by The University of Queensland (UQ).

With the support of an ARC Linkage Projects grant, Professor Robert Henry, Director of the Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (QAAFI) at UQ, is conducting the first gene-editing experiments to tailor sugarcane production to effectively produce biofuels and bioplastics, an effort that will support the Australian sugar industry through increased international competition and a declining sugar price.

The QAAFI researchers are supported by collaborating organisations the US Joint BioEnergy Institute and Sugar Research Australia, and are testing a range of sugarcane varieties to identify which types produce ethanol most effectively and efficiently. Professor Henry says that the industry must think beyond just producing sugar, to also producing electricity, biofuels for transportation and oils to replace traditional plastics.

Photo credit:

Professor Henry is conducting the first gene-editing experiments to effectively produce biofuels and bioplastics. Credit: UQ.

Research Highlights

Active on Twitter? Tag @arc_gov_au in your ARC-funded research highlights. Twitter hashtag #ARCResearchHighlight.

2D materials found to thrive in space conditions

Using 3D models to reduce side effects of radiotherapy

Threat of sediment runoff to Great Barrier Reef assessed

Sugar set for ‘energycane’ reinvention

Pages

Filter by date of publication:

Contact Information

btn-twitter.png

Research Highlights

You are here

Active on Twitter? Tag @arc_gov_au in your ARC-funded research highlights. Twitter hashtag #ARCResearchHighlight.

2D materials found to thrive in space conditions

Using 3D models to reduce side effects of radiotherapy

Threat of sediment runoff to Great Barrier Reef assessed

Sugar set for ‘energycane’ reinvention

Pages

Filter by date of publication:

btn-twitter.png