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Biology topics
Bushfires spark extensive search for answers
They can start with a momentary flicker, they can burn for months, and their effects can scar landscapes and lives for years.
Sponsored by:
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Australian Research Council Linkage Learned Academies Special Project Grant |
Acid test for the seas
The basic facts on ocean acidification.
Sponsored by:
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Department of Climate Change |
Discovering Australia's evolutionary past
With the help of modern technology, scientists are unearthing more about the continent's biogeographical past.
Sponsored by the Australian Academy of Science Flora Fund.
Sounding out the secrets of the sea
The increasing use of sound by humans to explore the seas has raised questions about its potential impact on marine life.
Sponsored by:
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The Australian Acoustical Society |
A quiet revolution – the science of complex systems
If you haven't heard of complex systems don't worry, you are not the only one. Scientists have been quietly puzzling over the complex interactions that define so many things in our world.
Sponsored by:
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ARC Complex Open Systems Research Network |
Epigenetics – beyond genes
Recent developments in epigenetics suggest that you may inherit more than genes from your parents.
Sponsored by the Sir Mark Oliphant International Frontiers of Science and Technology Conference Series, funded by the Australian Government under the International Science Linkages programme.
Making every drop count
Would you drink a glass of treated effluent? That question is part of a heated debate about water recycling, as people try to find solutions to the lack of water supplies brought about by climate change and a growing population.
Sponsored by:
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Prions – morphing agents of disease
Prions are the proteins that cause deadly brain diseases. But how do they cause disease and what is their normal role in the body?
Sponsored by:
 the Australian Government's National Innovation Awareness Strategy
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Weeds – the real alien invaders
They’re green, they’re mean, and they cost Australia billions of dollars each year. Invasive weeds
threaten the environment, agriculture, and people’s health – and the threat is
growing.
Sponsored by:
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Impact of global warming on biodiversity
Global warming on the scale predicted by scientists could have major consequences for Australia's biodiversity. Are we doing anything about it?
Sponsored by:
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Bird flu – the pandemic clock is ticking
Diseases caused by viruses from animals are an ongoing threat to people's health. With the number of deaths in Asia from bird flu rising, scientists say it is only a matter of time before the next flu pandemic strikes.
The buzz about insect robots
Insects are a marvel of bioengineering. Scientists are studying how insects walk, fly and navigate their way in the world to overcome some of the obstacles in the development of robots.
Sponsored by the Sir Mark Oliphant International Frontiers of Science and Technology Conference Series, funded by the Australian Government under the International Science Linkages programme.
Population and environment – what's the connection?
The world's population is growing, and many scientists and conservationists say that the natural environment is deteriorating as a result, but the relationship between environmental problems and human population growth is complex and not fully understood.
Sponsored by the Australian Academy of Science's Population and Environment Fund.
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The
dope on drug-impaired driving Since the 1990s the prevalence of drug-impaired driving in Australia has increased and this has not gone unnoticed by police and politicians. |
Putting on a good face
– the chemistry of cosmetics
The pursuit of beauty has spawned a massive industry founded on the science
of chemistry – the cosmetics industry.
| Biology
meets industry – genomics, proteomics, phenomics
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Warmer and sicker? Global warming and human health
Continued warming of the planet could have significant implications for human health. Coping with extreme heatwaves will be just one of our concerns.
Sponsored by:
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The Australian Greenhouse Office is the lead Commonwealth agency on greenhouse matters |
Stem cells – gateway
to 21st century medicine
Human embryonic stem cells burst into the headlines in 1998 and have made
regular appearances ever since. Newspapers love controversy. But why is the
issue so controversial?
Sponsored by National Centre for Advanced Cell Engineering Facility
Coral bleaching – will global warming kill the reefs?
Coral reefs are sensitive to environmental change. Recently, the frequency and distribution of coral bleaching have increased, and in 2002 the Great Barrier Reef experienced its worst case of coral bleaching on record.
Sponsored by:
 Australian Institute of Marine Science
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Driver fatigue – an accident waiting to happen Although we often associate driver fatigue with long-haul truck drivers, it can affect all of us. |
Feeding the future –
sustainable agriculture
With the population exceeding 6 billion and growing by about 6 million a month,
the need to protect agricultural land and to increase food production has
become critical. Does sustainable agriculture have the answers?
Sponsored by:
 | CSIRO Division of Plant Industry | and the bequest of J S Anderson, FAA. |
Hydatids – when a dog is not man's best friend
Dogs are the main culprits in the spread of hydatids, a common but largely ignored disease in Australia that can kill people, livestock and wildlife.
Sponsored by:
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The Bayer Group | and the bequest of J S Anderson, FAA. |
Who will win the drugs race?
Catching drug cheats is essential if sports are to be conducted on a level playing field – and if deleterious health effects are to be avoided.
Sponsored by:
 | Australian Government Analytical Laboratories | and the bequest of J S Anderson, FAA. |
Carbon currency – the credits and debits of carbon emissions trading
The Kyoto Protocol is the first step towards stabilising global emissions of carbon dioxide. But what is carbon emissions trading and will it limit the enhanced greenhouse effect?
Sponsored by:
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The Australian Greenhouse Office is the lead Commonwealth agency on greenhouse matters |
Is Australian wildlife fair game?
Is the growing commercial use of Australian wildlife compatible with good conservation?
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Alcohol and cars – a volatile mix Alcohol produces physiological effects on the human body that can turn safe drivers into potential killers. |
Conservation genetics – molecular detectives at work
The new science of conservation genetics is providing important clues in the fight against the extinction of species.
Sponsored by
 CRC for the Conservation and Management of Marsupials
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Sodicity – a dirty word in Australia
Soil sodicity hasn’t hit the headlines yet, but in terms of area and impact it far outweighs salinity as a problem in Australia.
Sponsored by:
 | CRC for Soil and Land Management | | the Australian Government's National Innovation Awareness Strategy |
The mammal copiers – advances in cloning
The cloning of Dolly the sheep has stimulated discussion on the benefits and risks of the development of cloning techniques.
Sponsored by:
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| the Australian Government's National Innovation Awareness Strategy |
Integrated pest management – the good, the bad and the genetically modified
Twenty-five years ago cotton cultivation was abandoned in Western Australia's Ord River valley because of an uncontrollable infestation of two native caterpillars. Now researchers are trialling an integrated pest management strategy that could allow cotton to be grown there again.
Sponsored by:
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Bayer CropScience |
The bitter-sweet taste of toxic substances
Household items such as bleach, disinfectant and detergent are an integral part of everyday life – and they are all potentially toxic. How can we minimise the risks they present?
Sponsored by:
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| the Australian Government's National Innovation Awareness Strategy |
Monitoring the white death – soil salinity
New technology is being used to help monitor the extent of dryland salinity threatening large areas of Australia's agricultural zone.
Sponsored by:
 | Land Monitor Project | | the Australian Government's National Innovation Awareness Strategy |
Cleaner production – a solution to pollution?
A draft national strategy for cleaner production, produced by the Australian and New Zealand Environment and Conservation Council, was recently available for public comment. What is cleaner production, and how can it help reduce pollution loads?
Sponsored by:
 | Environment Protection Authority | | the Australian Government's National Innovation Awareness Strategy |
Pointing the bone at osteoporosis
Think this is a disease that only affects old people? The reality may be closer to the bone than you think.
Sponsored by:
Milk Marketing (NSW)
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When bugs have you on the run
Consumers are demanding food with fewer chemical preservatives and additives – this means that good hygiene and safe storage conditions will have to play an even more important role in preventing food poisoning.
Sponsored by:
 | The Cooperative Research Centre for International Food Manufacture and Packaging Science |
Getting our heads around the brain
Neuroscience has been described as the last great frontier of human biology – in fact NASA's most recent mission, Neurolab, was devoted to investigations involving the nervous system. Australian neuroscientists are among the leaders in brain research.
Sponsored by:
The Howard Florey Institute of Experimental Physiology and Medicine
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Singing the praises of colony stimulating factors
An Australian researcher's discovery of colony stimulating factors led to their widespread use to prevent infection in cancer chemotherapy patients and AIDS patients.
Sponsored by:
The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research
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The Southern Ocean and global climate
Research shows that the Southern Ocean is crucial to the world's climate system.
Sponsored by:
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Cooperative Research Centre for Antarctica and the Southern Ocean |
| the Australian Government's National Innovation Awareness Strategy |
Cochlear implants – wiring for sound
Australian researchers are helping deaf people to hear – the majority of the world's cochlear implant recipients use a device manufactured here.
Sponsored by:
 | Bionic Ear Institute |  | Cooperative Research Centre for Cochlear Implant and Hearing Aid Innovation. |
Kissing the Epstein-Barr virus goodbye?
Glandular fever, a common disease in teenagers, is caused by the Epstein-Barr virus. Australian research on the Epstein-Barr virus has led to a glandular fever vaccine, which is currently being trialled.
Sponsored by:
 Cooperative Research Centre for Vaccine Technology
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Immunisation – protecting our children from disease
The latest figures show that 91 per cent of Australian children are immunised. This is a vast improvement over the 53 per cent recorded in 1995.
Sponsored by:
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The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research
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Enhanced greenhouse effect – a hot international issue
The meeting on greenhouse gas emissions held in Kyoto in December 1997 put the enhanced greenhouse effect in the spotlight.
Sponsored by:
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Toxic algal blooms – a sign of rivers under stress
Toxic algal blooms pose a serious threat to Australia's already embattled waterways and are the subject of much scientific research.
Sponsored by:
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Local air pollution begins at home
Local air pollution is a major health threat. It ranges in scale from cigarette smoke in a house to the photochemical smog that can cover a city.
Sponsored by:
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Malaria – a growing threat
Australia is certified free of malaria by the World Health Organization, but elsewhere it is a killer. Australian researchers are currently working on a vaccine against malaria.
Sponsored by:
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The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research
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More food, cleaner food – gene technology and plants
Gene technology, also known as genetic engineering, involves manipulating or transferring genetic material within or between organisms. It has the potential to improve agricultural yields and reduce the application of pesticides.
Sponsored by:
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CSIRO Division of Plant Industry
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Australia's threatened species
Even though many species in Australia have become extinct since European settlement, there are also success stories such as the recent propagation of the Wollemi pine.
Sponsored by: Anonymous donor
The rise and rise of asthma
Australia has one of the highest rates of asthma in the world. It is a complex disease which is still not fully understood.
Sponsored by:
 Healthpact
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Sun and skin – a dangerous combination
With its sunny climate and predominantly pale-skinned population, Australia has the world’s highest rate of skin cancer. But with early detection, most skin cancers can now be cured.
Sponsored by:
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Healthpact
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Earth's sunscreen – the ozone layer
Ozone acts as a shield, protecting all life on Earth from lethal radiation, so the destruction of the ozone layer is an extremely serious problem.
Sponsored by:
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| the Australian Government's National Innovation Awareness Strategy |
The Human Genome Project – discovering the human blueprint
In what has been called the Everest of modern biology, scientists from around the world have worked together to unravel and record the entire set of human genetic instructions.
Sponsored by:
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| the Australian Government's National Innovation Awareness Strategy |
A plague on the pest – rabbit calicivirus disease and biological control
The accidental release of the rabbit calicivirus from Wardang Island in October 1995 is yet another development in the story of Australia's efforts to control pests.
Sponsored by:
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| the Australian Government's National Innovation Awareness Strategy |
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