How ants get their bearings
27 January, 2017Their brains may be smaller than the head of a pin, but ants are excellent navigators that use celestial and terrestrial cues to memorise their paths.
Meet Leonie, the sexually fluid shark
19 January, 2017 by Lauren DavisA zebra shark named Leonie has just made history, becoming the first shark ever recorded to change from sexual to asexual reproduction.
Bee sting vaccine and other allergy remedies on the way
18 January, 2017Utilising a special adjuvant, Australian researchers have developed a vaccine for European honeybee stings that has been deemed highly effective in laboratory tests.
Matching evolutionary adaptation to selection pressures
17 January, 2017 by Jack Brooks, PhD student, University of New South WalesAt first glance, many evolutionary adaptations appear to be unfavourable. However, a closer look at sickle cell disease and other adaptations reveals that in some cases they are advantageous and that this may be the reason the adaptations persist.
Ebola vaccine proves highly effective
11 January, 2017An experimental Ebola vaccine has proven highly protective against the deadly virus in a major trial conducted in Guinea.
The science behind food comas
08 December, 2016Christmas is the time of year where families get together to indulge in excessively large meals, before lying around for hours on end in a fuzzy-headed stupor. But have you ever wondered about the exact cause of the infamous 'food coma'?
If the placoderm was not our ancestor, what was?
07 December, 2016 by Adam FloranceFlinders University researchers have questioned the traditionally held belief that we vertebrates descended from the archaic armoured jawed fish known as placoderms.
How the brain handles noisy environments
06 December, 2016Researchers have revealed the way the brain handles the often noisy environments found on Earth, with the results explaining why animals, including humans, can easily cope with both the still and quiet of early-morning parks to the bustle of cafes and streets.
Platypus venom for insulin regulation
02 December, 2016Australia's iconic monotremes have an unusual ability that could pave the way for new treatments for type 2 diabetes in humans.
Rapid liquid biopsies for melanoma patients
01 December, 2016 by Lauren DavisThe Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute is using blood test technology from Bio-Rad Laboratories to detect and analyse cancer genes in melanoma patients.
Chemical communication helps bacteria boost their immune systems
30 November, 2016Research led by the University of Otago has found that bacteria can boost their immune systems by 'talking' to each other.
Why do we crave salt?
17 November, 2016 by Adam FloranceResearchers in Melbourne have determined the mechanism which explains our addiction to salty foods and this research may even be able to help us curb other addictions.
Suppressing the immune system won't improve your chances of conceiving with IVF
15 November, 2016 by Sarah Robertson, University of AdelaideMany doctors hold an outdated view that immunity is naturally reduced in pregnancy. So they infer it's acceptable to suppress the immune system by medication.
Monitoring genes for antimicrobial resistance
11 November, 2016Australian researchers are offering a new perspective on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) that they hope will lead to the phenomenon being characterised as an ecological disease.
Airport door handles and the spread of drug-resistant bacteria
03 November, 2016Drug-resistant bacteria from international travellers could be transferred to inanimate surfaces in airports and then picked up by others, who may go on to spread these bacteria in their home countries.
