New biofuel process
22 April, 2010
A new method of converting biomass feedstock into sustainable fuel not only reduces greenhouse gas emissions but doubles the amount of fuel that can be made from an acre of biomass feedstock.
The origin of different sexes
22 April, 2010
Coming straight from the pond - a multicellular green alga may have unlocked the secrets behind the evolution of different sexes.
Biomarker for liver cancer screening
13 April, 2010
Several medical diagnostic companies are in the process of developing automated serum tests for Golgi Protein-73. This protein could be used to screen for liver cancer and the test could be performed in routine hospital laboratories.
Element 117 - the latest of the superheavies
12 April, 2010
The last hole in row seven of the periodic table has been filled with the latest superheavy element to be discovered - element 117.
The scientific brain
07 April, 2010
There is a striking similarity between how the human brain determines what is going on in the outside world and the job of scientists. Both process predictable sensory input in an efficient manner but require more effort when predictions are not fulfilled.
Metal catalysts improve lightweight battery efficiency
07 April, 2010
Metal catalysts based on gold or platinum could facilitate the development of lithium-air batteries with up to three times the energy density of any battery that currently exists.
Gold nanoparticles used to detect melamine in milk
07 April, 2010
The interaction between gold nanoparticles and melamine has been found to cause a dramatic colour change indicating the presence of melamine in milk.
Polymer-based method for creating photovoltaic devices
06 April, 2010
Chemists have identified a polymer-based system that may improve the efficiency of photovoltaic devices.
New discovery is a significant boost to cancer research
06 April, 2010
Synthetic derivatives UDP-Galactose have been found to block the activity of glycosyltransferases and may have a significant role in the treatment of cancer, inflammation and infection.
Bio-marker for MS - the start of personalised medicine
30 March, 2010
Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham have found the first bio-marker for multiple sclerosis (MS) that might predict which patients will respond to a standard therapy and which will not.
Australia substantially increases research collaboration with China
18 March, 2010
A Thomson Reuters study reveals that Australia's share of world research publication is increasing and that collaboration with China is the fastest growing area.
A different look at science and the periodic table
17 March, 2010
According to uncyclopedia, the periodic table was invented in 1974 by Mendeleev, a science teacher in Wellington, New Zealand. (On a related note, Mendeleev also insists he invented the Occasional Table, but this claim occasionally goes into great dispute.)
Thieves need to beware as bacterial ‘signatures’ linger
17 March, 2010
Skin bacteria left behind on keyboards and computer mice can be used to identify who was using the object. Human microbiome researchers are testing if such leftovers can be used forensically or by law enforcement agencies.
Mathematical innovation turns blood draw into information goldmine in Stanford study
10 March, 2010
Scientists at the Stanford University School of Medicine have devised a software algorithm that could enable a common laboratory device to virtually separate a whole-blood sample into its different cell types and detect medically important gene-activity changes specific to any one of those cell types.
Detecting fish disease
10 March, 2010
A new test is available for the nervous necrosis virus - a serious disease affecting more than 35 species of fish worldwide. The new PCR method was first achieved through research and development funded by the Australian Research Council at the University of Sydney.
