Archived News for Research Sector Professionals
The Western Australian Government has announced the formation of a new resources research institute aimed at driving innovation.
The Minerals Research Institute (MRI) will be established with $7.5 million in state funding over the next three years.
State Mines and Petroleum Minister Norman Moore said the initiative would focus on researching new technologies that fostered improved exploration techniques and promoted new processing methods.
New research cluster to focus on livestock methane emissions
A new research cluster called the Methane Research Cluster has been formed to focus on reduction of livestock methane emissions in Australia, which accounts for 10 per cent of the country’s overall greenhouse gas emissions.
Research warns of acidification threat to plankton
New research from the UK and Australia suggests that the rate of acidification of the world’s oceans is having a bigger effect on the population of plankton than previously anticipated.
Sahajwalla joins Climate Commission
Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, Greg Combet, has announced the appointment of Professor Veena Sahjwalla to the Climate Commission.
New research centre to focus on molecular basis for Chinese medicine
The University of Adelaide has entered a partnership with the Shanxi College of Traditional Chinese Medicine and the Zhendong Pharmaceutical Company to form Zhendong Australia China Centre for Molecular Traditional Chinese Medicine.
Autism research centre launched
A new autism research centre has been launched at Griffith University’s Mt Gravatt campus.
Victoria overhauls DPI to focus on R&D
The Victorian Government has announced a major overhaul and substantial changes to the deployment of staff of the Department of Primary Industries (DPI) with the aim of refocusing it towards delivering research and development to rural stakeholders.
$126 million boost for science and research in universities
The Federal Government has outlined an additional $126 million in funding for science and research in universities in 2012-13.
$29.8 million for new innovation centre
The Federal Government has announced $29.8 million in spending for the creation of a new Manufacturing Technology Innovation Centre.
Link found between Lupus and lack of Vitamin D
Lupus patients show more severe symptoms of the disease if their vitamin D levels are low, an Australian-first study has found.
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), which affects more than five million people worldwide, was found to be worse in vitamin D deficient SLE patients than in those with normal levels, in the study led by Professor Eric Morand, head of the Monash Lupus Clinic and Southern Clinical School at Monash Medical Centre.
The research also observed that Australians are more susceptible to the disease due to environmental, genetic and cultural factors, which contribute to vitamin D deficiency.
Professor Morand said although practicing sun avoidance is important for lupus patients, as sunlight can make aspects of the disease worse, this can lead to vitamin D deficiency and an increase in the severity of the disease.
“In multicultural Australia, instances of vitamin D deficiency can be seen in cultural groups where clothing covers the body, in people with dark skin tone who have lower absorption, and those who practice sun avoidance” Professor Morand said.
The findings will be presented at the Annual Scientific Meeting of the Australian Rheumatology Association in Canberra.
Plant diversity key to ecosystem stability
Losing even just a few plant species in diverse ecosystems could in the long term reduce biomass production and impair ecosystem sustainability say the authors of a new study published in the international journal, Science.
University of Adelaide studying hereditary risks of breast and ovarian cancer
Researchers from the University of Adelaide are hoping to better understand why the mutated genes for breast and ovarian cancer are not passed on more frequently from one generation of women to the next.
CSIRO shows continuing deep ocean change
The CSIRO has warned of drastic changes to volume of Antarctic Bottom Water, the cold dense water that drives global ocean currents, after releasing recent findings.
IP Australia launches online services
IP Australia has launched its online service, eServices, which provides a secure electronic business portal to register, login and conduct selected transactions.
In the first release of eServices customers can renew all IP rights and submit trade mark registrations electronically, and pay for them online using VISA or MasterCard. You can also access new features such as the option to save your requests, access your eServices transaction history and update your details.
The services and transactions within eServices have built-in checks and pre-populated fields to save time and help ensure the accuracy of the information.
Over the coming months IP Australia will be adding more transactions and services to the portal to make it a one-stop-shop to help in the management of IP assets.
MDBA announces science advisory committee
The Murray-Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) has announced the establishment of an Advisory Committee on Social, Economic and Environmental Sciences to advise the authority on key parts of its strategy.
New software to spell check gene sequences
A PHD student from the CSIRO and University of Queensland has developed a new software application that will allow greater accuracy in the ‘spell checking’ of genetic sequencing.
Bionic eye research facility launched at UNSW
The fabrication of implantable electronics has begun at the University of New South Wales ahead of planned patient tests of a functional bionic eye next year.
Medical bionics research program launched
The University of Wollongong’s newly appointed Australian Laureate Fellow Professor Gordon Wallace has launched a new $4.7 million medical bionics research program to develop ways to regenerate damaged nerves and muscles and ground-breaking brain implants for epilepsy patients.
Researchers call for open sharing of clinical trial data
Australian researchers are calling for the open sharing of clinical trial data in the medical research community, saying it would be instrumental in eliminating bottlenecks and duplication, and lead to faster and more trustworthy evidence for many of our most pressing health problems.
UOW enters research collaboration with India's CSIR
The University of Wollongong (UOW) and India’s industrial research and development organisation, the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) will work together to advance research collaborations and establish a dedicated CSIR Research and Development Centre at UOW’s Innovation Campus.
UQ alliance to boost radiopharmaceutical R&D
The Centre for Advanced Imaging (CAI) at The University of Queensland (UQ) has formed a strategic alliance with Axiom Molecular Pty Ltd to boost radiopharmaceutical research, development and commercialisation.
Axiom Molecular will use CAI facilities to produce Positron Emission Tomography (PET) radiopharmaceuticals for the diagnosis of cancer and brain disorders under the agreement facilitated by UniQuest, UQ's main commercialisation company.
Director of the CAI Professor David Reutens said Axiom Molecular will establish a specialised Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) laboratory in the CAI.
"It will be a valuable addition to the capabilities in the state-of-the-art CAI building that is currently under construction. “