Research collaboration to develop greener medical treatments
08 January, 2013Research into a cost-effective biomimetic that has the potential to treat many bone diseases such as osteoporosis will be pioneered through a joint venture between Cardia Bioplastics and the University of Sydney.
Stealing nature’s photosynthetic secrets
12 November, 2012The prospect of creating clean, renewable hydrogen fuel is closer than ever after a breakthrough in our understanding of photosynthesis.
Green chemistry helps promote sustainable manufacturing
31 October, 2012Greener manufacturing in the chemical, pharmaceutical and food industries has received a boost following the establishment of the $24.9 million Victorian Centre for Sustainable Chemical Manufacturing (VCSCM).
Partnership boosts research on new-generation biofuels
09 October, 2012RMIT University has signed a multimillion-dollar partnership with World Wide Carbon Credits Australia to develop an algae-based biofuel at a commercial scale.
Algae bioreactors in pipes
03 October, 2012Engineers at GF Piping Systems have succeeded in finding the balance between light permeability and durability. They have developed a piping system made of transparent PVC, which allows sufficient light to pass through in the right wavelength for microalgae to be grown in the interior of the pipe.
Advances in decades-old dream of mining seawater for uranium
22 August, 2012Scientists have reported progress towards a 40-year-old dream of extracting uranium for nuclear power from seawater, which holds at least four billion tonnes of the precious material.
Build your own solar cells
18 May, 2012 by David L ChandlerPhotovoltaic panels made from plant material could become a cheap, easy alternative to traditional solar cells, according to MIT researcher Andreas Mershin.
Scientific innovation in the ‘green world’
16 March, 2012 by Janette WoodhouseWe’ve all been brought up to believe that scientific innovation is ‘good’ - that it will ultimately result in a better, safer, happier world. But some are now considering that such innovation may not be the vanguard of a sustainable future.
Consortium converts water into chemical fuels
08 March, 2012University of Wollongong scientists are behind the establishment of a global consortium which is using sunlight to convert water into important chemical fuels such as hydrogen gas. The research promises a significant reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by reducing CO2 from fossil fuel use.
Improving catalytic sustainability
14 February, 2012RIKEN researchers are leading the way with novel rare-earth metal catalysts that reduce waste and improve aromatic bond-forming reactions.
Researchers discover particle which could ‘cool the planet’
16 January, 2012Criegee biradicals may have the potential to play a significant role in offsetting global warming by cooling the planet.
DNA timber fingerprinting may assist fight against illegal logging
04 July, 2011Advances in DNA 'fingerprinting' and other genetic techniques are making it harder for illegal loggers to get away with destroying protected rainforests.
Is the universe real or did I imagine it?
22 December, 2010The incompatibility between quantum theory and consciousness may be overcome if we jettison the heliocentric model of the universe and adopt a theory proposed by South Korean scientist Dr Daegene Song. Dr Song suggests that the universe may not be objectively 'real', in the sense that it may not exist if there is no-one to observe it.
Evolutionary tinkering
02 November, 2010 byBy reconstructing an ancient protein and tracing how it subtly changed over vast periods of time to produce scores of modern-day descendants, scientists have shown how evolution tinkers with early forms and leaves the impression that complexity evolved many times.
Salt-tolerant rice offers hope for global food supply
14 September, 2010A team of scientists at the Australian Centre for Plant Functional Genomics has successfully used genetic modification to improve the salt tolerance of rice, offering hope for improved rice production around the world.
