Odours of mass deception: how rats learn to ignore native birds
16 October, 2012Rats’ keen sense of smell can be exploited to dramatically reduce their attacks on native birds, researchers from the University of Sydney have shown. The technique could be adapted to protect vulnerable species worldwide.
Do you remember your first slime?
12 October, 2012 by Lauren DavisEveryone has their own special method of remembering things. Some use rhymes, some use acronyms and others use good old-fashioned repetition. But when it comes to the brainless slime mould Physarum polycephalum (plasmodium), it relies on the chemicals it excretes.
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.
Search for element 113 concluded at last
08 October, 2012The most unambiguous data to date on the elusive 113th atomic element has been obtained by researchers at the RIKEN Nishina Center for Accelerator-Based Science (RNC).
Scientists find new way to up safety factor of stem cell therapy
04 October, 2012Researchers at the Mayo Clinic have found a way to detect and purge stem cells at risk of developing into tumours.
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.
Nanotechnology device aims to prevent malaria deaths through rapid diagnosis
02 October, 2012A pioneering mobile device using cutting-edge nanotechnology to rapidly detect malaria infection and drug resistance could revolutionise how the disease is diagnosed and treated.
I can hear big pharma screaming
24 September, 2012A systematic review of the effects of antihypertensive drug therapy on people with mild hypertension has found no benefits come with the drugs. If this review is accurate, big pharma won’t be happy and the government will be thrilled.
Genetic test predicts risk for autism
18 September, 2012A team of Australian researchers, led by the University of Melbourne, has developed a genetic test that is able to predict the risk of developing Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
Prosthetic device restores and improves decision-making ability in animals
17 September, 2012An electronic prosthetic system has been used on monkeys to restore and improve the animals’ decision-making performances.
UWA discovery helps search for extraterrestrial life on Mars
13 September, 2012A discovery at The University of Western Australia (UWA) that microbes helped shape rare spheres of iron-oxide on Earth may aid the newly landed rover Curiosity in its search for the first verifiable signs of extraterrestrial life in similar rocks on Mars.
What happened to the ‘junk’ in my DNA?
07 September, 201280% of human DNA comprises genetic regulatory elements according to a new human genome map.
Devil disease is immortal, new study finds
31 August, 2012The outlook for Tasmanian devils appears even worse following breakthrough research by the University of Sydney, recently published in the journal PLoS One.
Flu is transmitted before symptoms appear, study suggests
31 August, 2012Research at Imperial College London examining influenza transmission in ferrets suggests that the virus can be passed on before the appearance of symptoms. If the finding applies to humans, it means that people pass on flu to others before they know they’re infected, making it very difficult to contain epidemics.
Taking your genes to vote
31 August, 2012It is becoming increasingly evident that genetics plays a much larger role in political behaviour than was previously thought.
