A rare opportunity to step inside some of the University of Melbourne’s state-of-the-art laboratories and most unusual museums on the beautiful and historic Parkville campus in the heart of Melbourne.
Guided by our passionate young scientists, this year's Science at Melbourne Festival attendees toured research spaces not usually open to the public and discovered inspired experiments, innovative technology, and incredible specimens.
Lights, Chemistry, action!
Tuesday 11 August from 5:30pm
From lasers to microplastic, public health to solar panels, chemistry connects physics, maths, biology and medicine. Guests explored the Polyzos Laboratory, Australian Laboratory for Emerging Contaminants and the Ultrafast and Microspectroscopy Laboratories (UML), where researchers are investigating and designing molecules, reactions, and materials to make our world safer, smarter, and more sustainable. Recommended for ages 16+.
Flora, fauna and TIGRR: the past and future of biology
Tuesday 18 August from 5:30pm
One tour, three unique experiences…guests visited the University’s Herbarium – home to 150,000 plant specimens, including some collected by Captain Cook’s crew – which plays a vital role in biodiversity research. They delved into the Tiegs Museum to find animal specimens ranging from an extinct moa to a chimpanzee skeleton signed by Jane Goodall and discovered pioneering efforts in marsupial conservation and de-extinction at the Thylacine Integrated Genetic Restoration Research (TIGRR) Lab.