4419 wcsj 2007 storybook (2) - stories of australian science...a satellite clue to extreme bushfire...

5TH WORLD CONFERENCE OF

sciencejournalists

SCIENCE STORIES FROM AUSTRALIA 2007…SCIENCE STORIES FROM AUSTRALIA 2007…SCIENCE STORIES FROM AUSTRALIA 2007…SCIENCE STORIES FROM AUSTRALIA 2007…

2007

Australian science stories

Ocean acidification threatens marine ecosystems 2

The kangaroo genome – marsupials filling the gap 2

Australia’s new reactor opens 2

Carbon dioxide bad news for ocean critters 3

Bacteria: The mining powerhouse of the future 3

Quenching our thirst for water 3

The Cooperative Research Centres (CRC) Programme 5

Researcher to fight insects with spider venom 5

Language – nature or nurture? 5

Some secrets of breast milk revealed? 7

Measuring the nano world 7

Coral records thousands of years of climate change 7

Animals contribute to greenhouse gases 9

VESKI’s innovative fellowships deliver results 9

Dynamic vision – new eyes for old 9

Shattering the crystal lattice 11

Venom from the sea cures human pain 11

Rescuing the South Pacific’s weather data 11

Master switch turns plant sex life on and off 13

Sustaining the shrinking footprint 13

Turning sugarcane into a clean green energy source 13

Dairy stem cells a world first 15

Rail science fast-tracked by Rail CRC 15

The world needs science – science needs women 15

Predicting Australia’s mineral future 17

A satellite clue to extreme bushfire threat 17

Antarctica under threat 17

BHP Billiton leading the way in mine optimisation tools 19

Every would-be rocker’s fantasy comes true 19

Making light work of photonic chip fabrication 19

Dating the hobbit 20

Fighting fire with science 20

Women at scientific forefront awarded new VESKI Innovation Fellowships 20

Unlocking secrets of significant declines in regional rainfall in Australia 21

contents

science stories5TH WORLD CONFERENCE OF

sciencejournalists

1

Welcome to our collection of Australian science stories, prepared for the 5th World Conference of Science Journalists, Melbourne Australia.Over the last two years as we developed our plans for our conference, we briefed journalists in Seoul, London, Budapest, Munich, St Louis,Prague, Washington, Ottawa and San Francisco.Everywhere we’ve discovered that sciencejournalists have a healthy appetite for Australianscience stories and Australian wine.

What is it about Australian science that appeals?I think Leigh Dayton, from The Australiannewspaper, captures the essence.

I was captivated by Australia after my first visit Down Under.

Given a geological history that left it sailing off on its own, the continent was a scientificlaboratory everywhere I looked.

Plants, animals and people all had proceededdown different evolutionary paths than thosefollowed by their northern hemisphere ‘cousins’.

Look up. The skies are different, so is the climate, not to mention many atmospheric issues.Compared to North America – my home base –Australia’s a hop-skip-and-a-jump to the driestand most remote continent on earth, Antarctica.

While unique, the broader aspects of each of thesefields, and numerous others, complement scientificfindings and technological developments elsewhere.

In fact, critical data about many of the hottestscientific questions today – from human origins and migrations to ‘management’ of global warming – may well be answered, courtesy of Australianresearchers and the land itself.

For this collection, we invited Australian researchorganisations to contribute snapshots of some of their current research. The stories illustrate thebreadth and depth of Australian science. And thefunds raised in publishing this collection of storieshave also helped support the participation ofdeveloping country journalists in the conference.

I invite you to read these stories and to follow up withany organisation whose work captures your interest.

Niall ByrneDirector, 5th World Conference of Science Journalists

For more information about this publication email [email protected], phone +61 3 9397 3980

The 5th World Conference of Science Journalists is an initiative of the World Federation of ScienceJournalists and the Australian Science Communicators.

ConceptNiall Byrne

Project coordinatorJanine Young


sciencejournalists


2007

welcome

EditorLauraine McDonald

Designsaltcreative.com.au

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THE COCCLITHOPHORID EMILIANIA HUXLEYI – A MEMBEROF THE MOST ABUNDANT GROUP OF ALGAE – SHOWINGA HEALTHY CELL (RIGHT) AND INCOMPLETE GROWTHCAUSED BY INCREASING OCEAN ACIDITY (LEFT)

Ocean acidificationthreatens marineecosystems

Ocean acidification, caused by increasingamounts of atmospheric carbon dioxide dissolvingin the ocean, poses a serious threat to marineecosystems.Increasing acidity affects the ability of someplanktonic organisms to form shells, and isexpected to change the species composition ofplankton, with flow-on effects to higher levels ofthe food web. Scientists at the Australian Antarctic Division andAntarctic Climate and Ecosystems CooperativeResearch Centre have been studying the effectsof ocean acidification on shell-forming, planktonicorganisms, during research voyages to theSouthern Ocean.In recent shipboard experiments, planktoniccommunities were incubated in 650 litre‘minicosm’ tanks, under carbon dioxideconcentrations ranging from one to four timespresent-day levels. Responses of phytoplankton,protozoa, bacteria and viruses were measuredboth at the cellular and community levels, and arecurrently being analysed. Early results from laboratory experiments indicatethat increasing levels of carbon dioxidesignificantly affect the structural integrity ofshell-forming plankton.

For more information: Australian AntarcticDivision and Antarctic Climate and EcosystemsCooperative Research Centre, Simon Wright, Tel: +61 3 6232 3338, [email protected]

A TAMMAR WALLABY LOOKING INTO THE FUTURE OF GENETICS

The kangaroo genome –marsupials filling the gap

Analysing the genomes of Australia’s iconicmarsupials will provide insight into how they turnoff and on the development of the early embryo;give birth to very underdeveloped young, and whymarsupial milk changes radically over the monthsof lactation. This knowledge could lead scientists to newtreatments for premature births, better milkproduction in cows, as well as novel antibiotics.Marsupials fill an evolutionary gap between thedistantly related birds/reptiles and the moreclosely related placental mammals (such ashumans and cows). The Tammar wallaby (a member of the kangaroofamily) has been the subject of many classicgenetic, physiological, developmental andecological studies by marsupial researchers inAustralia. Now the Australian Genome Research Facility(AGRF) has partnered with the National Institutesof Health (USA) to sequence the genome ofTammar wallaby. Comparing the wallaby genome with otherorganisms enables scientists to identify regionsof similarity and difference, which can provideclues about the structure and functions of genesinvaluable to health and agricultural research.

For more information: Australian GenomeResearch Facility (AGRF), Elizabeth Kuczek, Tel: +61 7 3365 4392 [email protected]

THE OPAL REACTOR AND ITS NEUTRON BEAMINSTRUMENT FACILITY RANKED IN THE WORLD’S TOP-THREE

Australia’s new reactoropens

The OPAL reactor and new neutron beam facility,managed by the Australian Nuclear Science andTechnology Organisation (ANSTO) in Sydney’ssouth, officially opens on Wednesday 18 April2007.Costing $400 million to build, the reactor wasdescribed by ANSTO’s Executive Director, Dr. IanSmith as “the jewel in the crown” of Australiannuclear research.“The OPAL reactor and its neutron beaminstrument facility will rank it as one of the topthree research reactors in the world,” he said.“The OPAL facility is already attracting majorinterest from local and international scientistsand will promote great scientific growth,” said Dr. Smith.The new instruments at OPAL will help scientiststo analyse materials at the atomic level and helpgain more understanding, for example, ofessential biological processes in the body, how toimprove manufacturing methods or how to betterstore food in order to prolong shelf life. The OPAL reactor will also allow ANSTO tocontinue to provide half a million nuclearmedicines a year to Australians and irradiatesilicon for the semiconductor industry.

For more information: Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO),Dr. Ian Smith, Tel: +61 2 9717 9575,www.ansto.gov.au

science stories

SCANNING ELECTRON MICROGRAPH OF THE SOUTHERNOCEAN PLANKTON GLOBIGERINA BULLOIDES – PHOTOCOURTESY: WILLIAM R. HOWARD AND ANDREW MOY,ANTARCTIC CLIMATE & ECOSYSTEMS COOPERATIVERESEARCH CENTRE

Carbon dioxide bad news forocean critters

Rising carbon dioxide in the atmosphere iscausing ocean acidification, leading to adverseimpacts on shell-forming organisms such as seaurchins, cold water corals and plankton.Around half of carbon dioxide generated byhuman activities such as burning fossil fuels isnow stored in the world’s oceans, particularly thecolder Southern Ocean surrounding Antarctica.This increases the acidity of the ocean, whichlimits the ability of marine organisms to formshells and other external structures.Scientists at the Antarctic Climate andEcosystems CRC in Hobart are studying a shell-forming variety of plankton about the size of asand grain to find out the effects of carbondioxide fluctuations in the geological past. They have found shells are lighter at times ofhigh atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration,suggesting that shell-forming organisms in theSouthern Ocean have already begun toexperience the impacts of ocean acidification.

For more information: Australian GreenhouseOffice, Andrea Mettenmeyer, Tel: +61 2 6274 1859,[email protected]

HEAP LEACHING AT ESCONDIDA

Bacteria: The miningpowerhouse of the future

BHP Billiton, the world’s largest diversifiedresources company, is focused on developingbioleaching technology to recover metals fromdifficult-to-treat concentrates or low-grade ores. A relatively inexpensive method – bio-assistedleaching – relies on using adapted microbialcultures that catalyse mineral leaching. Thesediverse bacterial cultures treat low-grade ores,which is important in the face of high-grade oredepletion. It also has an environmental upside:eliminating crushing, grinding and flotation in theproduction process reduces energy consumption.Primary copper sulphide ores are notoriouslydifficult to leach in acid media due to the highcontent of chalcopyrite, a mineral that isrefractory to acid leaching at ambienttemperatures and pressures less than 100kPa.Bio-assisted leaching at temperatures above500C and up to 700C, overcomes the refractorynature of chalcopyrite, allowing relatively fastleach rates and increased copper recovery.In addition to bio-assisted leaching, BHP Billitonhas developed successful tank bioreactorleaching technologies to treat nickel and copperconcentrates under the respective registeredprocess trademarks of BioNIC™ and BioCOP™.

For more information: BHP Billiton, Carolyn Steere, Tel: +61 3 9609 3670,[email protected]

CSIRO’S FLECK TECHNOLOGY WILL ENABLE WIRELESSENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING THUS REDUCING THECOST OF WATER RESOURCES MONITORING ANDINCREASING WATER EFFICIENCY

Quenching our thirst for water

CSIRO is spearheading a $9 million-a-year projectto help ease Australia’s current watermanagement crisis.A new national Water Resources ObservationNetwork (WRON), set up by CSIRO through theWater for a Healthy Country Flagship, is aiming toimprove water management, and make a 20 percent cost saving in the process.The heart of the problem facing Australia is alack of accurate and timely water information.An important part of the WRON vision is totransform Australia’s disparate sources of waterdata into a nationally accessible and consistentwater information system.By making data more available and improvingmodelling, forecasting and reporting tools, WRONtechnologies will open the door to significantlybetter management, reporting and forecasting ofwater resources.WRON technologies will allow water managersto better anticipate changes in water availabilityand demand, define adequate allocations, shapedemand and inform new infrastructure planning.

For more information: CSIRO, Leane Regan, Tel: +61 2 6246 4565, www.wron.net.au

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THE CRC PROGRAMME LINKS RESEARCHERS WITHINDUSTRY TO TURN IDEAS INTO COMMERCIAL REALITY

The Cooperative ResearchCentres (CRC) Programme

The CRC Programme has contributed fundingtowards the most comprehensive pilot project inthe world to commercially test the storage andmonitoring of concentrated carbon dioxide deepunderground in geological formations, undertakenby the CRC for Greenhouse Gas Technologies.This project aims to cut carbon dioxide emissionsto the atmosphere and develop major newbusiness opportunities for Australian industry andis one of many CRC innovations.The CRC Programme links researchers withindustry to help turn Australia’s scientificbreakthroughs into successful new products andservices, many of which are entering internationalmarkets. There are six broad CRC researchsectors: Agriculture and Rural-basedManufacturing, Environment, Information andCommunication Technology, ManufacturingTechnology, Medical Science and Technology,Mining and Energy.Key features of the Programme are the closeinteraction between researchers and the users ofresearch, and the supply of industry-readygraduates from the CRC education programmes.Since the Programme began in 1990, all partieshave committed more than $11 billion (cash andin-kind) to CRCs.

For more information: CRC Programme, Belinda Rutledge, Tel: +61 2 6240 5259,[email protected]

PROFESSOR GLENN KING FROM THE INSTITUTE FORMOLECULAR BIOSCIENCE WITH AN AUSTRALIANTARANTULA – PHOTO COURTESY: CHRIS STACEY, THE UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND

Researcher to fight insectswith spider venom

An Australian researcher is working onenvironmentally friendly insect control methodsbased on spider venom compounds.Professor Glenn King recently joined TheUniversity of Queensland’s Institute for MolecularBioscience, where he will further develop hispioneering approach to insecticide discovery.“Since spiders have been developing insecticidalcompounds for almost 400 million years, Idecided to interrogate their venoms to findnatural toxins that might kill insects withoutharming vertebrates,” Professor King said.He has since described three families ofinsecticidal compounds, and moved to Australiawith the help of a A$576,000 Australian ResearchCouncil grant titled, ‘Safeguarding Australiaagainst invasive arthropod pests.’“An increasingly serious public health issue is theemergence of infectious diseases spread byinsects such as ticks and mosquitoes,” ProfessorKing said.“Hopefully this project will result inenvironmentally-sustainable methods forcontrolling those insects that destroy crops orspread human and animal disease.”

For more information: The University ofQueensland’s Institute for Molecular Bioscience,Bronwyn Allan, Tel: +61 7 3346 2134,www.imb.uq.edu.au

IMAGES OF THE BRAIN TAKEN WITH MEG. THE IMAGE ON THE LEFT SHOWS MAGNETIC WAVES RECORDED AS A RESPONSE TO AUDITORY INPUT. THE IMAGE ONTHE RIGHT SHOWS THE SOURCE OF MAGNETIC ACTIVITY IN THE BRAIN 100 MS AFTER AUDITORY INPUT.

Language – nature or nurture?

Why can children learn any language – is itnature or nurture? Using the world’s firstmagnetoencephalography (MEG) system designedto study cognitive processing in children,Macquarie University Federation Fellow ProfessorStephen Crain will investigate whether or notchildren have innate language ability.Crain’s previous research suggests that themeaning of logical expressions could reside inhuman biology. Crain has used MEG with adultsto study how the human brain processes certainlanguage properties, such as the misuse of theword “any” in the sentence “everybody ate anypizza”. He has found that the adult brain respondsbefore the sentence is even finished. The nextchallenge is to use the child MEG system to seeif young children respond in the same way. Crain is deputy director of the Macquarie Centrefor Cognitive Science, a research centre fundedby the Australian Research Council with anemphasis on research in psycholinguistics, visualcognition and cognitive neuropsychiatry.

For more information: Macquarie University, Prof. Stephen Crain, Tel: + 61 2 9850 9434,[email protected]

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BREAST IS BEST, NATURAL OR OTHERWISE

Some secrets of breast milkrevealed?

Most mothers are aware that breast milk helpsboost their baby’s immune levels, but up to now ithas been thought that it is mainly because of themother’s antibodies found in human milk. New preliminary research suggests that complexprotein/sugar structures within human breast milkmay bind to harmful bacteria in a baby’s gut,allowing it to then be flushed out. If this is thecase, it may soon be possible to synthesise thesestructures and add them to cow’s milk or formulaso that mothers who are unable to breastfeed –due to malnourishment, for example – can ensuretheir babies are still well protected againstdisease.Professor Nicki Packer of the BiomolecularFrontiers research group at Macquarie Universitybelieves this defence may have evolved inhumans but not cows because of our differentphysiology – after all, cows have four stomachsand only eat grass!

For more information: Biomolecular Frontiersresearch group at Macquarie University, Prof. Nicki Packer, Tel: + 61 2 9850 8176,[email protected]

NANOMETROLOGY: THE SIZE OF GEARS COMPAREDAGAINST DUST MITES

Measuring the nano world

Nanotechnology is the revolution that promiseswrinkle-resistant clothing, invisible sunscreensand drug delivery direct to the cellular level. Materials behave differently at the nano-level.They may have physical and chemical propertiesthat can render them beneficial or harmful. For that reason, before we can work safely andreliably with these materials, we have to be ableto measure accurately at this level – at a muchsmaller scale than we have ever had to measurebefore.A state-of-the-art dynamic light-scatteringinstrument is being used at Australia’s NationalMeasurement Institute (NMI) to measure the sizeof nano-particles accurately and to calibratereference particles for use in industry. Using the internationally accepted measurementstandards developed by NMI and other nationalmetrology institutes, nanotechnology industriescan improve control of manufacturing processesand product quality, ensure compliance withhealth, safety and environmental regulations, andinnovate with confidence.

For more information: National MeasurementInstitute, Yen Heng, Tel: +61 2 8467 3771,[email protected]

PROF. COLIN WOODROFFE IS A LEAD AUTHOR FOR THEUNITED NATIONS INTERGOVERNMENTAL PANEL FORCLIMATE CHANGE

Coral records thousands ofyears of climate change

Thermometer-based climate records started in1850, so scientists have gone “back to nature” forsources of long-term climatic information to helpthem better understand climate change and risingsea levels.University of Wollongong coastalgeomorphologist Professor Colin Woodroffe andhis team study coral fossils from coral atolls inthe Pacific Ocean to reconstruct watertemperature and climatic conditions in the regionover the last 4,000 years.By studying oxygen isotopes measurements fromthe skeletal bands in coral fossils they find onislands like Kiritimati (Christmas) Island in theKirabiti group, Professor Woodroffe’s team has a“window” into thousands of years of climatedata, with particular insight into El Niño-SouthernOscillation (ENSO) variability. El Niño has a profound effect on the climate ofAustralia and the west coast of South America,and its influence extends into the Atlantic Ocean.

For more information: University of Wollongong,Prof. Colin Woodroffe, Tel: + 61 2 42215490,[email protected]

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AUSTRALIA’S HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF CATTLE, SHEEP,PIGS AND OTHER AGRICULTURAL ANIMALS RELEASEMETHANE AND OTHER GASES INTO THE ATMOSPHERE

Animals contribute togreenhouse gases

Smoke-belching coal-fired power stations andfactories and fossil fuel-guzzling motor vehiclesmay be seen as the big villains of the globalclimate change debate, but they aren’t the onlyones contributing to the greenhouse effect.Australia’s hundreds of millions of cattle, sheep,pigs and other agricultural animals – not tomention our native fauna – also releasesignificant amounts of methane and other gasesinto the atmosphere. To better understand global environmental issuessuch as the greenhouse effect and ozonedepletion, we need to understand the sourcesand transformation of atmospheric gases,including those produced by animals.The Centre for Atmospheric Chemistry at theUniversity of Wollongong is studying the impactof agricultural animals on atmospheric gases indifferent climatic regions of Australia. Part of itsmonitoring program involves a unique partnershipwith the famous Ghan train, which travelsbetween Alice Springs and Darwin and will carryan FTIR spectrometer that measures atmosphericgases as it crosses the continent.

For more information: University of Wollongong,Prof. David Griffith, Tel: +61 2 42215490,[email protected]

VESKI FELLOW PROFESSOR ANDREW HOLMES WITHMEMBERS OF HIS RESEARCH TEAM

VESKI’s innovativefellowships deliver results

VESKI’s main initiative – to return successfulAustralian expatriates with outstanding skills inscience, technology and design – is paying offwith some inspiring work.In 2004, VESKI’s – Victorian Endowment forScience, Knowledge and Innovation – inauguralFellow Professor Andrew Holmes returned fromCambridge University to work in a new $100million Bio21 Molecular Biology andBiotechnology Institute. One of the mostimportant research areas to emerge since hasbeen the development of cheap plastic solarcells.Professor Marcus Pandy has also relocated –from the University of Texas to the University ofMelbourne – and is developing new non-invasivetools to treat joint disease such as osteoarthritis.And Dr. Gareth Forde returned from CambridgeUniversity to join the Monash UniversityDepartment of Chemical Engineering to work on anew generation of DNA-based vaccines andstreamline the time in which vaccines areproduced to as little as two weeks.

For more information: VESKI, Julia Page, Tel: +61 3 9635 5700, www.veski.org.au

THROW AWAY YOUR READING GLASSES

Dynamic vision – new eyes for old

Want to throw away your reading glasses? When we read or look at something close, theflexible lens inside our eye changes shape toprovide the close focus required. However, as we age, that lens progressivelybecomes harder, and its ability to change shape isreduced. Because of this, almost everyone overthe age of 45 needs glasses for reading and otherclose work. The Vision Cooperative Research Centre isdeveloping a revolutionary flexible gel lens toreplace the old hardened lens and restore naturalvision. It acts like the natural young lens –changing shape and focus so that people can seefor reading and other close activities. Implantingthe gel would be a simple procedure similar tocurrent cataract surgery. The hardened lenscontents are removed, and then replaced with thegel, which begins as a liquid and is then set inplace with light. Patents on key technologies have been granted ininternational regions.

For more information: The Vision CooperativeResearch Centre, Kylie Evans, Tel: +61 2 9385 7406, www.visioncrc.org

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FIRST NON-CRYSTALLINE SAMPLE EVER RECOVERED BYEMERGING TECHNIQUE OF FRESNEL COHERENTDIFFRACTIVE IMAGING

Shattering the crystal lattice

Watson and Crick’s discovery of the structure ofDNA is arguably the greatest of the 20th century.The significance lies in its profound influence onour understanding of the nature of life and in itsstriking demonstration of the power of twodisciplines – physics and biology – collaboratingto solve a major problem. The method employed by Watson and Crick wascrystallography, a method originating with theAustralian father and son team of W.L. and W.H.Bragg, and it was the younger Bragg’s laboratoryin which the DNA structure was solved. Today, crystallography of proteins remains aprofoundly important technique at the heart ofbiotechnology. But crystallography relies on thecreation of a crystal, and the most interestingmolecules will not crystallise. The goal of theARC Centre of Excellence for Coherent X-rayScience is to develop, using the most modern X-ray sources on the planet, an approach toprotein crystallography that removes the need to make a crystal.

For further information: ARC Centre of Excellencefor Coherent X-ray Science, Tania Smith,Tel: +61 3 8344 5444,[email protected]

THE VENOM FROM MARINE CONE SHELLS HAS BEENSHOWN TO PROVIDE PAIN RELIEF FOR HUMANS – PHOTO COURTESY: DAVID PAUL, ZOOLOGY

Venom from the sea cureshuman pain

The University of Melbourne’s Departments ofBiochemistry and Molecular Biology, andPharmacology have over recent years identifiedcone shell venom as a potential treatment forchronic pain in humans. Researchers continue to develop the research intoa commercialised product. One of the venompeptides identified is currently in phase two ofclinical trials.Cone snails (cone shells) inject their prey withtoxic venom, which paralyses and eventually kills.Some 30 humans have died from cone snailenvenomation.The venom is a cocktail of potent peptides thateach target specific nerve channels or receptorsinvolved in vital body functions, such as musclecontraction. Associate Professor Bruce Livett who is leadingthe research says the finding that cone snailanalgesics are effective in humans, has opened aPandora’s Box of potential drugs from the sea forcommercial development as clinicalpharmaceuticals.

For further information: University of Melbourne’sDepartments of Biochemistry and MolecularBiology, and Pharmacology, Dr. Bruce Livett, Tel: +61 3 8344 2322/5911, Email:[email protected]

DAMAGED COLONIAL-ERA DATA FROM SAMOA

Rescuing the South Pacific’sweather data

Climate specialists from Australia’s Bureau ofMeteorology are helping Pacific nations saveprecious weather data threatened by decay,vermin attack and tropical weather. Two years ago, experts from the Bureau’sNational Climate Centre visited the SolomonIslands, Kiribati, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea andFiji to assess the condition of paper-basedclimate records, advise on conservation and takeimmediate action where needed. Now, teammembers are now helping those countries andSamoa derive further benefits by training staffand installing climate data managementsoftware.The project manager for the Pacific Islands DataRescue Project, Rod Hutchinson, says paperrecords deteriorate in humid equatorial conditionsif they are not stored in optimum conditions. “Wewere at risk of losing weather observations goingback for generations – information vital to ourglobal understanding of climate variability andclimate change. Regional meteorologists also usethis historical data for forecasting climate trendsand extremes.”

For further information: Australia’s Bureau ofMeteorology, Rob Morton, Tel: +61 3 9669 4188,[email protected]

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THE PLANT SEX CELL ‘SWITCH’ WAS FIRST IDENTIFIED IN LILIES

Master switch turns plantsex life on and off

University of Melbourne researchers haveisolated a genetic ‘switch’ that can be turned onor off to alter the development of sex cells inplants. The discovery brings understanding of fertilisationin plants to a new level, and is an important steptowards growing greater amounts of food throughincreased fertilisation of crop plants. Professors Mohan Singh and Prem Bhalla, whohead the University’s Plant Molecular Biology andBiotechnology Laboratory in the Faculty of Landand Food Resources, analysed the geneticmakeup of white lilies and other flowering plantsto identify a germline-restrictive silencing factor(GRSF). The GRSF is a protein, which is present in allplants during growth and can be turned off toeffectively block the development of sex cells inplants.Plants that produce pollen-causing hay fever maybe able to have their sex cell development – andtherefore pollen production – turned off.

For more information: University of Melbourne,Prof. Mohan Singh, Tel: +61 3 8344 5051, [email protected]

SCIENTISTS AND STUDENTS SEEKING A SUSTAINABLEFUTURE AT A CSRP WORKSHOP

Sustaining the shrinkingfootprint

Industry has increased its efficiency from what itwas in the past, to the point where its currentecological footprint is a fraction of what it usedto be. Now imagine an industry sector that produceszero waste, is carbon neutral and husbands theearth’s resource endowment for futuregenerations. The Cooperative Research Centre for SustainableResource Processing (CSRP) is searching fortechnological solutions to progressively eliminatewaste and emissions in the minerals cycle, whileenhancing business performance and meetingcommunity expectations. CSRP’s research program is working on thingssuch as developing a low Greenhouse Gas (GHG)concrete from waste materials. Concrete currentlycontributes more than 5 percent of society’s GHGemissions worldwide. It is also looking into Biomass, a low GHGpotential replacement for coal in metalproduction.And it is researching energy efficient liberationand comminution (i.e. grinding of mineral ores),which uses 14 percent of Australia’s electricity! Developing these practical technologies feedsinto sustainable development, which involvesdefining sustainability, how is it measured andhow we can achieve it.All this will contribute to a roadmap toward ahealthy, profitable, carbon-constrained, resource-limited world.

For more information: Centre for SustainableResource Processing, Stevan Green, Tel: +61 8 6436 8702, www.csrp.com.au

CRC SCIENTISTS ARE REVEALING THE TRUE POTENTIALOF SUGAR CANE

Turning sugarcane into aclean green energy source

Sugarcane is one of nature’s most efficientnatural converters of sunlight, carbon dioxide andwater into fuel or biomass – and as such, it isperhaps the world’s fastest growing and largestbiomass agricultural crop. The Australian-based Cooperative ResearchCentre for Sugar Industry Innovation throughBiotechnology (CRC SIIB) is investing in world-class research into sugarcane as a plant-basedbiofactory. Essentially, the CRC SIIB is taking a three-pronged approach to biofactory research includingengineering sugarcane to make bioplastics;researching biorefinery opportunities from thesugars already produced by sugarcane; and usingbiomass for natural products and a cheap sourceof sugars and lignin, a complex polymer that withcellulose, forms the chief part of woody tissue.

For more information: Cooperative ResearchCentre for Sugar Industry Innovation throughBiotechnology, Julie Lloyd, Tel: +61 7 3331 3309,www.crcsugar.com

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DR. PAUL VERMA AND HIS STEM CELL RESEARCH

Dairy stem cells a world first

Embryonic stem cells from cattle can now bestored in mass in the laboratory, paving the wayfor advanced breeding developments in dairycattle and other livestock. These new ways of efficiently isolating andmaintaining cells provide scientists fromAustralia’s Dairy Cooperative Research Centrewith the raw materials to investigate a range ofstem cell applications. The developments have been made by Dr. PaulVerma and his team, at the Monash Institute forMedical Research, Monash University as part ofthe Dairy CRC’s Breeding Technologies Program. Internationally, this is the most advanced stemcell work in a domestic species. It is coreresearch which adds significantly to knowledgeabout cell development and breeding. The project is funded by the Dairy CRC whichaims to enhance the profitability of the Australiandairy industry though development andapplication of new genetic technologies. What is a stem cell? Stem cells are cells thathave not yet become a specific type of cell suchas heart, brain or liver cell. Embryonic stem cellscan potentially produce every type of cell found inthe body (eg skin, mammary gland or sperm cells).

For more information: Dairy CRC, Gabrielle Sheehan, Tel: +61 3 9607 8608,[email protected]

RAIL CRC IS NOW RELEASING RESULTS FROM MORETHAN 45 SIX-YEAR RESEARCH PROJECTS

Rail science fast-tracked byRail CRC

Rail CRC is releasing research outcomes frommore than 45 research projects that span sixuniversities and six years.It is the first time this research has been publiclyshowcased, with many projects only justcompleted.The Rail CRC Technology Showcase to be held inBrisbane, Australia in June 2007, will coverworld-scale scientific and technologicalinnovation such as a wood treatment techniquethat effectively transforms plantation softwoodinto material paralleling the old-growth foresthardwood required for railway sleepers. The CRC has developed “heath card” technologythat looks like a small box attached to trains orrollingstock wagons, and reports futuremaintenance problems that can be fixed beforethey happen. Attached to this is also the option to include aninstant braking technology which applies allbrakes simultaneously – allowing heavier, fastertrains to operate just as safely. Research outcomes offer fuel savings, strongerrail bridges and steel, faster tracking capabilities,electronic modelling tools, instant rail schedules,higher safety levels, greater efficiencies, andadvanced environmental safeguards.

For more information: Rail CRC, Patricia Stevenson, Tel: +61 3 7 4930 9064,[email protected]

2007 L’ORÉAL-UNESCO AWARDS LAUREATES: PR. TATIANA BIRSHTEIN (RUSSIA); PR. MILDREDDRESSELHAUS (USA); PR. AMEENAH GURIB-FAKIMI(MAURITIUS); PR. LIGIA GARALLO (CHILE); PR. MARGARET BRIMBLE (NZ) – PHOTO COURTESY:SA©VERINE VASSELIN/GAMMA

The world needs science –science needs women

Since 1998, a public-private partnership betweenL’Oréal and UNESCO has promoted women inscience. The L’Oréal-UNESCO Awards For Womenin Science recognises outstanding womenresearchers who have contributed to scientificprogress.These scientists are role models for the nextgeneration, encouraging young women aroundthe world to follow in their footsteps.Firstly the international scientific communityproposes candidates. Next two juries – one in theLife Sciences and the other in the MaterialSciences – meet every alternate year to selectlaureates from these fields. The UNESCO-L’Oréal International Fellowshipsoffer 15 promising young women scientistscrucial international experience that they canbring back and share with others in their homecountries. The partnership also provides L’Oréal NationalFellowships with support from UNESCO nationalcommissions. National Fellowship programs existin 20 countries, respecting the countries specificscience needs. L’Oréal Australia is launching itsNational Fellowships at the WCSJ; Fellows willbe announced in September 2007.Pr. Christian De Duve, Nobel Prize in Medicine1974 is the founding president of the awards.

For more information: L’Oreal Australia, Megan Ryan, Tel: +61 3 9928 3339,www.forwomeninscience.com

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science stories

Predicting Australia’smineral future

Predictive mineral exploration by Australianscientists has given local mining companies apowerful edge in the hotly competitive world goldmarket. Instead of pouring money – and lots of it– into the ground in the quest for undiscoveredmineral deposits: often coming up empty. Ore deposit modelling helps to predict where richdeposits are most likely to occur. It’s the result ofa partnership formed in 2001 between the miningindustry and the research community to examinethe critical issues surrounding mineral explorationin Australia. The partnership or cooperative research centre,pmd*CRC, has developed a vastly improvedunderstanding of mineralising processes and afour-dimensional understanding of the evolutionof the geology of mineralised terrains. The success of pmd*CRC’s innovative programsand the level of expertise of research teams, hasplaced the CRC in a strong position to respond toopportunities for commercialisation oftechnology-based intellectual property.

For more information: pmd*CRC, School of EarthSciences, University of Melbourne, Bob Haydon,Tel: +61 3 8344 8351, www.pmdcrc.com.au

DEWPOINT AT CANBERRA AIRPORT DIVES SHARPLYEARLY ON THE AFTERNOON OF 18 JANUARY 2003,BEFORE THE DEVASTATING CANBERRA BUSHFIRES

A satellite clue to extremebushfire threat

The extreme weather conditions that can turn analready dangerous bushfire into an explosivefirestorm can now be better predicted, thanks tothe work of a 30-year veteran of the Bureau ofMeteorology. Researcher Dr. Graham Mills has found thatweather satellite images provide an earlywarning of high-altitude, super-dry air that, if itdescends to the ground, may contribute toradically increasing fire activity. Graham’s theoryis that turbulence in the lower atmosphere tapsinto the dry air, four to five kilometres above-ground and brings it to earth, rapidly reducing thehumidity and further drying the fuel load.Dr. Mills said that pinpointing bands of super-dryair on satellite images, and identifying areas ofstrong atmospheric mixing through the use ofcomputer models, could provide hours of notice ofpotentially severe fire risk.


WARMER TEMPERATURES INCREASE THE THREAT OFALIEN SPECIES, CARRIED BY HUMANS, COLONISING ICE-FREE AREAS OF ANTARCTICA

Antarctica under threat

Climate change will impose a complex web ofthreats and interactions on the plants andanimals living in the ice-free areas of Antarctica. Increased temperatures may promote growth andreproduction, but may also contribute to droughtand associated effects. These scenarios areexplored in a new book, Trends in AntarcticTerrestrial and Limnetic Ecosystems: Antarcticaas a Global Indicator, co-edited by AustralianAntarctic Division biologist, Dr. Dana Bergstrom. The book concludes that Antarctica is notspecifically different from other continents, justextremely isolated and at the end of the spectrumof planetary conditions. But among futurescenarios is invasion by more competitive alienspecies, carried there by humans seeking a placeof unspoilt wilderness or chasing scientificknowledge. Antarctica is one of the only places on Earthwhere natural biological phenomena can bestudied in their pristine state, but humanvisitation risks breaking its isolation, andseriously threatens Antarctica’s unique legacy.

For more information: Australian AntarcticDivision and Antarctic Climate and EcosystemsCooperative Research Centre, Dana Bergstrom,Tel: +61 3 6232 3442,[email protected]

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science stories

BHP BILLITON’S YANDI JOINT VENTURE OPERATION INAUSTRALIA’S PILBARA WHERE THE BLASOR™ SOFTWAREWAS FIRST USED

BHP Billiton leading the wayin mine optimisation tools

The strategic planning of open pit mining projectsthat span several decades is critical to achievingmaximum project value. To address this issue, BHP Billiton GlobalTechnology has developed a mine planningoptimisation software tool called Blasor™. Byusing optimal mine planning software, strategicplanners can now determine ultimate pit sizesand pit development plans that deliver maximumvalue over the life of the mine.Apart from their straightforward safety andlogistical advantage, mine plans allow optimaluse of the in-ground resource in the downstreamprocess plants, resulting in higher recoveries andless process plant waste for disposal. Optimalmine planning practices also improvesenvironmental and community outcomes.Improvements are achieved not by spending moremoney, but by using mathematics (optimisation)to operate existing infrastructure more smoothlyand efficiently. The mathematics has beenencoded into software and is used at mine sitesaround the world.

For more information: BHP Billiton, Carolyn Steere, Tel: +61 3 9609 3670,[email protected]

CSIRO ENGINEER DR. RICHARD HELMER: “THE TECHNOLOGY TAKES CLOTHING BEYOND ITSTRADITIONAL ROLE”

Every would-be rocker’sfantasy comes true

CSIRO has ‘built’ a shirt that could fulfil thefantasy of anyone who has, in the privacy of theirhomes, jammed along with one of rock ‘n roll’sgreat lead guitarists.A team led by CSIRO engineer Dr. Richard Helmerhas created a ‘wearable instrument shirt’ (WIS)which enables users to play an ‘air guitar’ simplyby moving one arm to pick chords and the otherto strum the imaginary instrument’s strings.The WIS works by recognising and interpretingarm movements and relaying this wirelessly to acomputer for audio generation. Textile motionsensors, worn on the elbows, detect motion whenthe arm bends.“The technology takes clothing beyond itstraditional role of protection and fashion into therealms of digital content where a wide range ofnew applications are appearing,” Dr. Helmer says.

For more information: CSIRO, Heather Forward,Tel: +61 3 5246 4085, www.csiro.au

RED LASER LIGHT IS USED TO ILLUMINATEMICROSTRUCTURES WRITTEN INSIDE BULK GLASS USING AN ULTRA FAST LASER WRITING TECHNIQUE

Making light work ofphotonic chip fabrication

Macquarie University laser physicists are part ofa consortium developing a micro-processingplatform that will revolutionise photonic chipfabrication. This technology has implications for adiverse range of applications such as fibre-to-the-home (FTTH), smart sensor arrays for aircraft,biosensing and astronomy.The next generation photonic components beingdeveloped by the Centre for Ultrahigh-bandwidthDevices for Optical Systems, which involves fiveuniversities – Macquarie, Sydney, Swinburne,ANU and UTS – will help facilitate FTTH.FTTH delivers the broadband telecommunicationscapability of optic fibre networks directly into thehome. It enables access to the much-hyped ‘TriplePlay’ technology – the transmission of voice,Internet content and video on demand. FTTH iscurrently experiencing rapid growth, with 7million new subscribers each year (3 million inJapan alone) and estimates ranging from 30 to 60million total subscribers by 2010.

For more information: Macquarie University,Assoc. Prof. Mick Withford, Tel: + 61 2 9850 7056,[email protected]

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UNIVERSITY OF WOLLONGONG GEOCHRONOLOGIST PROF. RICHARD ROBERTS WITH COLLEAGUES DR. KIRAWESTAWAY AND DR. CHRIS TURNEY (LEFT TO RIGHT)

Dating the hobbit

When Australian and Indonesian scientistsrevealed their “Hobbit” discovery in 2004, itcreated a sensation. Homo floresiensis was apreviously undiscovered branch of the humanfamily tree, raising images of a lost world of“little people” living on a remote island in easternIndonesia.What really excited scientists about the discoveryof the one-metre tall adult skeleton in a cave on Flores was the realisation this species had co-existed with Homo sapiens until just 12,000years ago.University of Wollongong (UOW) geochronologistProfessor Richard ‘Bert’ Roberts with colleaguesDr. Chris Turney and Dr. Kira Westaway used avariety of techniques, including radiocarbon,thermoluminescence, uranium-series and electronspin resonance, to date the “Hobbits”.UOW has world-class dating facilities at theGeoQuEST Research Centre. Its experts work withUOW’s “Hobbit” discoverer Professor MikeMorwood and other scientists around the worldgathering important information on topics rangingfrom human evolution to climate change.

For more information: University of Wollongong,Prof. Richard Roberts, Tel: +61 2 42215490,[email protected]

BUSHFIRES ARE INCREASING IN FREQUENCY AND FEROCITY

Fighting fire with science

In Australia we call them bushfires. In other partsof the world they are called forest fires, andglobal climate change and increasing humanpopulations mean they are increasing infrequency and ferocity.Wherever they occur – from the Australian bushto the Amazon Basin, the jungles of Sumatra orthe hills around Los Angeles – fires can have adevastating impact on the environment, on bio-diversity and, in many cases, on property andhuman life. The Centre for Environmental Risk Managementof Bushfires at the University of Wollongong isdedicated to scientific analysis of bushfire risks,and to resolving perceived conflicts betweenprotection of human life and property, bio-diversity conservation and protection of otherenvironmental values. The Centre is led by Professor Ross Bradstock,who has an international reputation for his workin fire management research, while theUniversity’s Dean of Science Professor RobWhelan is one of Australia’s leading authoritieson the ecological effects of bushfires.

For more information: University of Wollongong,Prof. Ross Bradstock, Tel: +61 2 4221 5531,[email protected]

THE HONOURABLE JOHN BRUMBY MP – MINISTER FORINNOVATION ANNOUNCING THE RECIPIENTS OF THE 2006 VESKI INNOVATION FELLOWSHIPS

Women at scientificforefront awarded newVESKI InnovationFellowships

VESKI – Victorian Endowment for Science,Knowledge and Innovation – has awarded itslatest Innovative Fellowships to two outstandingwoman scientists.VESKI was established with a $10 millionendowment from the Victorian Government toentice talented expatriates home.After seven years in the U.K. (Edinburgh,Cambridge and Oxford Universities), VESKI FellowDr. Cait MacPhee, will return home to Victoria tocontinue her ground-breaking research into thedevelopment of new materials by mimicking theway nature’s proteins self-assemble and heal.As well VESKI Fellow Dr. Alyssa Barry hasreturned from New York to join a team in theInternational Health Research Unit at the BurnetInstitute where she is continuing her researchinto the study of genes relating to the malariaparasite in the hope of developing a vaccineagainst the infection.

For more information: VESKI, Julia Page, Tel: +61 3 9635 5700, www.veski.org.au

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science stories

VARIATION OF RAINFALL AND STREAM FLOW INSOUTHWEST AUSTRALIA

Unlocking secrets ofsignificant declines inregional rainfall in Australia

Bureau of Meteorology Research Centre climatescientists believe they have part of the answer tosignificant declines in Australian regional rainfalland subsequent stream flow since the 1970s.Dramatic rainfall declines in early winter insouthwest Western Australia became evidentfrom the 1970s. Similar declines were observed insouthwest Victoria and southern South Australiafrom the mid-1990s. Researchers were puzzled why the impacts werefelt two decades earlier in the west.Their latest analyses suggest the changes weredriven by an increase in mean sea-level pressurethat first weakened rainfall from a long-lastingtrough located in winter off the WA’s south westcoast. The impact was slower to reach theaffected parts in the southeast, which areinfluenced by a persistent high-pressure ridge.The impacts are consistent with observedchanges of the Southern Annular Mode (variationsin the upper level circumpolar westerly jetstreams), which affect surface pressure inparticular. The researchers are now investigatingwhether the known human influences on theMode are a plausible cause for the rainfalldeclines.


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4419 wcsj 2007 storybook (2) - stories of australian science...a satellite clue to extreme bushfire...

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