Published: 14 Jan 2019

Why do some people believe the Earth is flat

Although scientific evidence says the Earth is a sphere orbiting the Sun, there are some people around who still think our planet is flat... and social media plays a role

Published: 11 Jan 2019

Motor neurone disease breakthrough: Patient trial shows impressive clinical results

A new drug delays motor neurone disease progression and improves cognitive and clinical symptoms according to trial results announced by a spin-out company from the Florey and University of Melbourne.

Published: 14 Dec 2018

Grant success with Bushfire and National Hazards CRC

The Bushfire and National Hazards CRC and its predecessors have been supporting research in the Faculty of Science since 2013. Recently, the BNHCR gave funding for three projects out of the School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences.

Published: 11 Dec 2018

Seeing and avoiding the ‘blind spot’ in atomic force measurements

Researchers have discovered a ‘blind spot’ in atomic force microscopy – a powerful tool capable of measuring the force between two atoms, imaging the structure of individual cells and the motion of biomolecules.

Published: 04 Dec 2018

Mathematicians recognised by the Australian Mathematical Society

The Australian Mathematical Society (AustMS) has awarded Professor Peter Taylor its highest honour, the George Szekeres Medal, and Dr Nicholas Beaton, Professor Jan De Gier, and Professor Tony Guttmann were awarded the prize for best paper.

Published: 30 Nov 2018

Faculty of Science awarded Australian Research Council funding

Faculty of Science researchers will share in more than $12 million dollars of funding from the latest ARC round of grants.

Published: 21 Nov 2018

Dr Roslyn Hickson awarded the Victorian Young Tall Poppy Science Award

Dr Roslyn Hickson has been recognised with the Victorian Young Tall Poppy Science Award for her research using mathematical modelling to predict the spread of disease.

Published: 13 Nov 2018

Three researchers recognised with Woodward Medals

Published: 12 Nov 2018

Amgen Foundation partners with University of Melbourne on undergraduate research program for Australia, New Zealand and Oceania

Published: 09 Nov 2018

Peer mentors wanted for First Year Mentoring Experience

In 2019 the Faculty of Science is launching a tiered mentoring program for all Bachelor of Science students. A key component of this is The First Year Mentoring Experience, a peer mentoring program designed to support commencing Bachelor of Science students as they transition into tertiary study.

Published: 31 Oct 2018

Free movement can protect humans from environmental threats

Published: 25 Oct 2018

Liam Hall awarded Victoria Fellowship

Dr Hall was one of six early career researchers awarded a 2018 Victoria Fellowship in Physical Sciences by VESKI at an awards ceremony on 24 October.

Published: 25 Oct 2018

Alison Harcourt named 2019 Victorian Senior Australian of the Year

Ms Harcourt was honoured for her seminal work in integer linear programming and other contributions to the mathematical and statistical sciences.

Published: 22 Oct 2018

The invisible colours protecting birds from overheating

Some Australian birds can control their temperature and avoid overheating by reflecting near-infrared wavelengths of sunlight, regardless of their feather colour

Published: 16 Oct 2018

Getting it right: the most complex space telescope ever built

As the Hubble Space Telescope prepares to mark its 30th year, what can we expect from its successor, the James Webb Space Telescope?

Published: 16 Oct 2018

Decoding data to predict landslides

A new software tool predicts landslide boundaries two weeks before they happen

Published: 11 Oct 2018

UK Biobank: largest human genetic study is launched

Associate Professor Stephen Leslie, Dr Damjan Vukcevic and Dr Allan Motyer are part of the team that has published the world’s largest genetic study on humans.

Published: 10 Oct 2018

Alison Harcourt featured on ABC 7.30

Ms Alison Harcourt, an 88 year-old statistician who works at the School of Mathematics and Statistics, was featured on the ABC 7.30 program on Monday night.

Published: 10 Oct 2018

Launch of the new ARC Training Centre for Chemical Industries

Senator for Victoria, James Paterson, launched the new ARC Training Centre for Chemical Industries at the University of Melbourne on Friday 21 September.

Published: 14 Sep 2018

Women leaders in STEMM selected for the Homeward Bound project

Seven University of Melbourne staff members and associates have been selected to participate in the Homeward Bound global leadership initiative for women in STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medicine).

Published: 13 Sep 2018

Associate Professor Wai-Hong Tham wins 2018 David Syme Research Prize

Associate Professor Wai-Hong Tham has been awarded the 2018 David Syme Research Prize - one of Australia’s oldest annual research awards - for her work towards a malaria vaccine.

Published: 13 Sep 2018

Three Minute Thesis Winner

This is the first time I participated in the 3MT contest and I am amazed by how much I have learned in the process. Based on feedback from the judges and other participants, my talk has “evolved” a lot during the three rounds of competition. I feel like I have gained a great amount of clarity about my research, and this is very useful for my career and my PhD.

Published: 03 Sep 2018

Peking University Camp

From 2 – 11 July 2018, the Faculty of Science hosted a group of students and a travelling academic from the College of Environmental Science & Engineering at Peking University for a week-long study tour.

Published: 17 Aug 2018

Three Faculty of Science professors recognised as Redmond Barry Distinguished Professors

Professor Karen Day, Professor David Gardner, and Professor Stuart Wyithe from the Faculty of Science have been awarded the title of Redmond Barry Distinguished Professor by the University of Melbourne.

Published: 16 Aug 2018

The great (climate) depression

New economic modelling shows a US$23 trillion loss in global GDP, with the economies of many countries collapsing, if we allow global temperatures to rise by 4 degrees by 2100

Published: 16 Aug 2018

Making cities work for every urban-dweller

It’s the urban age for people – and for other species too – so it’s time to start planning for all the plants and animals that call our cities home

Published: 16 Aug 2018

Decoding data to predict landslides

Professor Antoinette Tordesillas teams up with former Chief Scientist of Australia and Group Chief Scientist of Rio Tinto Ltd. Professor Robin Batterham to develop a new software tool that can predict landslide boundaries two weeks in advance.

Published: 06 Aug 2018

The sleepy lizard awakens new tools for climate change research

The way Australia’s sleepy lizard reacts to water shortages gives us an insight into the effects of climate change on animals.

Published: 03 Aug 2018

ARC invests in University of Melbourne researchers

Professors Jon Barnett and Madeleine van Oppen were among those awarded Laureate Fellowships by the Australian Research Council, with five Future Fellowships also awarded to Faculty of Science researchers.

Published: 03 Aug 2018

Dr Simon Mutch joins inaugural STEM Ambassador Program

Science and Technology Australia (STA) has announced its 10 inaugural STEM Ambassadors, who will who will work to build deeper understanding by federal parliamentarians of the impact of science, technology, engineering and mathematics in Australia.

Published: 26 Jul 2018

Burramys Genetic Rescue Team, including Dr Andrew Weeks, announced as finalists in the Australian Museum Eureka Prizes

Congratulations to Dr Andrew Weeks and the Burramys Genetic Rescue Team for their nomination as a finalist in in the Research Innovation Category of the Australian Museum Eureka Prizes.

Published: 26 Jul 2018

Feral cat observed hunting at nest boxes: another threat to the critically endangered Leadbeater’s possum?

New evidence has raised concerns about the possibility of feral cats preying upon the critically endangered Leadbeater’s possum, with a cat detected on cameras at two nest boxes used by the possums.

Published: 24 Jul 2018

Tropics expansion nudges cyclone formation into new areas

A new paper by Dr Sharmila Sur and Prof Kevin Walsh has found that tropical cyclones are forming further from the equator as the planet warms, bringing new regions into the zone of the intense storms, including parts of eastern Australia.

Published: 20 Jul 2018

Peking University students visit University of Melbourne

The Faculty of Science recently hosted a group of students and a travelling academic from Peking University on a week-long study camp.

Published: 20 Jul 2018

Faculty of Science students take science on the road

As soon as exams were over for the Semester, 11 enthusiastic Faculty of Science students hit the road for the Science Delivery Winter Roadshow.

Published: 18 Jul 2018

First child assisted with oxygen from FREO2 life-saving low pressure oxygen store in Uganda

The FREO2 low pressure oxygen system is live and has assisted a child in Mbarara, Uganda for the first time.

Published: 18 Jul 2018

Prof van Oppen edits new edition of coral bleaching book

Professor Madeleine van Oppen has helped edit a coral bleaching book, aimed at an academic audience.

Published: 18 Jul 2018

How commuting is transforming our cities

Twice a day, every weekday – millions of us spend time in cars, buses, trains and trams commuting. Although many of us hate it, the experiences of our daily journeys are transforming life in our cities

Published: 12 Jul 2018

John McKenzie ECR Award applications are now open

Applications for the Faculty of Science John McKenzie Early Career Researcher (ECR) Award are now open. The award provides seed funding of $20,000 for early career researchers with an academic appointment in one of the Faculty’s seven Schools and aims to assist awardees to establish their research program, particularly in the Faculty, but also more broadly with partners external to the University of Melbourne.

Published: 06 Jul 2018

From gravitational waves to mobile phones: 50 years of physics

To celebrate 50 years of the July Lectures in Physics, we look back at four physics discoveries that have changed the world.

Published: 05 Jul 2018

Bringing back the northern white rhino from ‘extinction’

There are only two female northern white rhinos left in the world, but the species could soon make a comeback thanks to assisted reproductive technologies and a little help from their southern cousins.

Published: 03 Jul 2018

All the forests in the world from a single layer of cells

Researchers have discovered the workings of wood-making cells inside trees, settling a century-old debate about how plants make bark and wood.

Published: 27 Jun 2018

Quantum leap in computer simulation

Physicists have successfully run the largest quantum computing simulation to date, a key step in becoming quantum-ready.

Published: 15 Jun 2018

Chemical Industries Training Centre hosts industry breakfast

Professor Sue Thomas, CEO of the Australian Research Council, and representatives from major chemical companies, industry groups and partner universities joined University of Melbourne staff for a breakfast hosted by the ARC Training Centre for the Chemical Industries at the Woodward Conference Centre on Thursday.

Published: 14 Jun 2018

Agriculture researchers honoured at Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering (ATSE) Innovation Dinner

Dr Angela van de Wouw (School of BioSciences) and Dr Shu Kee (Raymond) Lam (Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences) received the prestigious ICM Agrifood Award at the ATSE Innovation Dinner, recognising their contribution to the Australian agriculture and food sector.

Published: 08 Jun 2018

What are the long-term health risks of having your tonsils out?

For the first time, researchers have examined the long-term effects of removing tonsils and adenoids in childhood, finding the operations are associated with increased respiratory, infectious and allergic diseases.

Published: 08 Jun 2018

Fighting back against the Australian blowfly

Melbourne researchers have been collecting blowfly samples from across Australia as part of the fight against flystrike.

Published: 07 Jun 2018

Finding the building blocks of wood

Scientists are looking inside plant cells to learn how wood is formed and how that process can help develop materials for the future.

Published: 07 Jun 2018

Crowdsourcing security intelligence

Inspired by how bees make collective decisions, researchers are exploring how crowdsourcing techniques may help intelligence analysts produce the best-reasoned analysis from the available data.

Published: 07 Jun 2018

Master of Forest Ecosystem Science alumna awarded Future Forests Fellowship

Sarah Dickson-Hoyle has recently been awarded the Future Forests Fellowship from the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Canada, where she will complete her PhD studies in place-based fire management under the supervision of Dr Lori Daniels, a disturbance ecologist.

Published: 05 Jun 2018

What happens to wildlife in a city that never sleeps?

Artificial lights have brightened the night in cities across the world and urban wildlife is being forced to adapt – but what happens when, after 3.5 billion years of evolution, light invades what should be darkness?

Published: 29 May 2018

Speeding natural selection in the name of conservation

A breeding experiment to genetically adapt quolls to resist toxic cane toads could lead to a new tool to help endangered creatures from corals to Tasmanian Devils.

Published: 22 May 2018

School of Physics professors inducted into the Australian Academy of Science

Professor Rachel Webster and Professor Lloyd Hollenberg from the School of Physics have been elected as new Fellows of the Australian Academy of Science for their outstanding contributions to science and scientific research.

Published: 16 May 2018

The big picture of the Kilauea eruption

Hawaii’s Kilauea is one of the world’s most active volcanoes - but what does this recent eruption tell us about what’s going on deep underground?

Published: 11 May 2018

Faculty of Science research recognised at the 2018 University of Melbourne Excellence Awards

Two research projects, both from The Waterways Ecosystem Research Group (WERG) in the School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, have been recognised in the 2018 University of Melbourne Excellence Awards.

Published: 10 May 2018

Smashing through science’s glass ceiling

Professor Frances Separovic was the featured guest of the most recent Eavesdrop on Experts podcast. Speaking with presenter Dr Andi Horvath, she reflects on the road she has travelled, from school in Broken Hill to Deputy Director of the Bio21 Institute.

Published: 09 May 2018

MySwan now available as an app for download

MySwan, a long running citizen sciences project from the School of BioSciences, is now available as an app for download on iOS and Android.

Published: 03 May 2018

Associate Dean (International) receives Distinguished Alumnus Award at Virginia Tech

Associate Dean (International), Associate Professor Alex Johnson, recently received the 2017-18 Distinguished Alumni Award from the Department of Horticulture, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, at Virginia Tech.

Published: 02 May 2018

Why parts of Earth have barely changed in 3 billion years

Earth’s transition from a volcanic state to modern plate tectonics created super-stable rocks that are the source of much of our mineral wealth.

Published: 30 Apr 2018

Women in STEM travel to Antarctica with Homeward Bound

University of Melbourne alumna Dr Marie Clark has taken part in a 3-week voyage to Antarctica as part of the Homeward Bound program, an initiative to nurture the leadership and strategic capabilities of women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics).

Published: 30 Apr 2018

Creating Pandora on Earth

China’s Zhangjiajie UNESCO Global Geopark looks like a scene from Avatar, but it wasn’t created by computers; water, time and tectonics combined to create this other-worldly wonder.

Published: 30 Apr 2018

Your grandchildren may retire before we have gender equality in science

The gender gap for women working in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine (STEMM) is likely to persist for generations, unless we take proactive steps.

Published: 10 Apr 2018

Prof James McCaw featured on ABC Radio National

Professor James McCaw was recently featured on ABC Radio National discussing the importance of mathematical modelling of infectious diseases.

Published: 05 Apr 2018

The First Fleet and Australia’s unforgiving weather

Passengers onboard the First Fleet received a harsh introduction to their new home’s climate before they even landed. Their diaries and letters reveal just how hard it was.

Published: 05 Apr 2018

Quantum boost for medical imaging

Physicists have demonstrated how, using light, a diamond layer and quantum mechanics, they could potentially “light up” our molecular insides for more powerful MRIs.

Published: 20 Mar 2018

The genes that turn malaria into a killer

A small group of proteins are associated with the most severe strains of malarial infection and their discovery is a step towards a vaccine against the deadliest forms of the disease.

Published: 16 Mar 2018

A brief history of Hawking’s scientific legacy

Professor Stephen Hawking changed the way we understand the universe and leaves a legacy of theory ranging from black holes to the quantum effect on time.

Published: 16 Mar 2018

It’s not just antenna size, but scales that matter for lonely male moths

Male moth antennae act like sieves, separating female sex pheromones from environmental dust.

Published: 15 Mar 2018

Ashley Fletcher attends COP23 in Germany

Master of Environment student Ashley Fletcher got a taste of the highs and lows in the battle to implement a global agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions when she represented the University of Melbourne at the 2017 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Germany in November.

Published: 14 Mar 2018

Trailblazing for women in science

The first female chemistry professor in Victoria, Frances Separovic forged her career against the odds, and has just been named a ‘trailblazer’ on the Victorian Honour Roll of Women.

Published: 07 Mar 2018

Will water ever be worth more than oil?

Is water a commodity or a right? Cape Town could be the first of many cities around the world to experience the reality of water demand far outstripping supply

Published: 06 Mar 2018

Extinct Tasmanian tiger now back in 3D

Using 3D scanning, researchers are peeking under the preserved skin of Tasmanian tiger specimens to reconstruct its growth and development

Published: 04 Mar 2018

Forecasting flu outbreaks

New software based on statistical probability principles is helping forecast our flu season, and could also identify the level of threat of a bioterrorist attack

Published: 02 Mar 2018

Protecting our coasts naturally

Nature could offer better protection for our coastlines than hard, grey concrete - as we face the effects of climate change like rising sea levels

Published: 28 Feb 2018

The tip of the CRISPR iceberg

CRISPR, biology’s methodological wunderkind, is becoming synonymous with the controversial field of human gene editing. But it’s revolutionising much wider scientific discovery too.

Published: 26 Feb 2018

The threatened species in our urban jungle

Far from being a biodiversity wasteland, urban environments are home to some of Australia’s most threatened species

Published: 23 Feb 2018

Smart-er meter policy

A new report argues that changes are needed for a consumer-focussed smart meter rollout.

Published: 23 Feb 2018

Miss Lambert’s Thylacine skull

Pioneering women zoologists and explorers played an instrumental role in natural history collections around the world

Published: 23 Feb 2018

Grasshoppers: The new poster bug for insect conservation

Land clearing has all but wiped out Key’s matchstick grasshoppers in Victoria, but there is hope for this uniquely Australian insect

Published: 02 Feb 2018

Maths students trade study for trading

Over the recent summer holidays, four maths students from the Faculty of Science undertook a Trading internship at Optiver, a leading technology driven trading firm based in Sydney.

Published: 31 Jan 2018

The problem with being young in India

In this podcast, Jane Dyson, Glyn Davis and Craig Jeffrey discuss the plight of unemployed young people in India.

Published: 23 Jan 2018

New Creswick Heritage Walk takes in University of Melbourne Creswick Campus

University of Melbourne’s Creswick campus is one of two new private land partners included in the Creswick Heritage Walk, which was launched in December.

Published: 16 Jan 2018 under News

Sienna teams up with University of Melbourne to provide future innovators hands-on experience

Sienna Cancer Diagnostics has hosted Master of Biotechnology Industry Projects for the last three years. Read this story from Sienna on how our Biotech students are helping them deliver on their strategic goals.

Published: 11 Jan 2018

Grace Boxshall, 2017 Muriel Ramm Science Bursary awardee

Master of Science (BioSciences) student Grace Boxshall was the 2017 recipient of the Muriel Ramm Science Bursary, which is helping support her living costs during her research project on variable toxicity in species of Agaricus mushroom.

Published: 09 Jan 2018 under News

Master of Biotechnology student published in peer reviewed journal

Master of Biotechnology student Ruchir Raman has written an article that was published in the respected Taylor & Francis journal GM Crops & Food.

Published: 03 Jan 2018 under Pursuit

Sounds like Science Fiction

Some of the technological innovations of 2017 sound more like sci-fi, but according to the brains behind a few of them, the future is still full of surprises