science wire

Australia must help East Timor adapt to climate change
East Timor is particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change and Australia has a moral and historical obligation to help, a University of Melbourne study has found.

Smart homes for older Australians
A new report by the University of Melbourne's Institute for a Broadband-Enabled Society (IBES) has found smart technologies can support older people in their homes for longer.

Measuring and Managing Methane Emissions from Livestock
Efforts to reduce livestock methane emissions in Australia received a major boost with the launch of a new research cluster led by the University of Melbourne and drawing on expertise from five

Smart Timber Monitor set to save industry millions
Researchers at the University of Melbourne are reporting the success of a remote monitoring device that can accurately measure decay and insect infestations in construction timber over vast dist

Australian first network puts focus on elections
A new network established at the University of Melbourne will put a spotlight on the regulation of elections across Australia.

BUDGET EXPERTS RESPOND. Dr Colin McLeod (Retail industry, marketing, economist)
All comments to be attributed to the University of Melbourne's Colin McLeod.

Study to assess stigma and health of children with same-sex attracted parents
An Australian first and world leading study, into the overall health and wellbeing of children of same-sex attracted parents is being led by the University of Melbourne. The study is the biggest of its kind to investigate the complete physical, mental and social wellbeing of children with same-sex attracted parents, and in particular the role that stigma and discrimination play in their health and wellbeing.

Young-adults who get parental support do better at study and work
Young adults who receive parental support are more likely to be studying and have access to better job opportunities than young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, according to a recent study by the Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research. The research found that while young people from disadvantaged backgrounds receive less financial support from their parentsare more likely to be residentially and financially independent of their parents at an earlier age than their more advantaged peers.

Beyond Bushfires, a continuing look into community resilience and recovery
The University of Melbourne is leading a long-term study into the health and wellbeing of community members affected by the 2009 Victorian bushfires.

Limited genetic diversity of the Tasmanian Tiger sheds light on species’ geographic isolation
A team of international scientists including from the University of Melbourne have discovered the unique Tasmanian Tiger or thylacine had limited genetic diversity prior to its extinction. The results published today in the international journal PLoS One, provide insights into the genetic health of the thylacine (Thylacinus cynocephalus) before it was exterminated by hunting.

Back from the brink - Emergency action gives Pygmy-possums a future
Mt Buller's Mountain Pygmy-possums have had some rare good news following the success of an emergency action to save the isolated population from extinction caused by declining genetic diversity. A team from the University of Melbourne, Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) and an independent expert (Dean Heinze) took the action to genetically rescue a population of one of Australia's rarest marsupials, the threatened Mountain Pygmy-possum (Burramys parvus) that has been isolated on Mt Buller for over 10,000 years.

Bats in your belfry? Living with Melbourne’s native bats: a public forum
Melbournians are being asked to consider how they can live in harmony with bats at a forum held on April 11 at the University of Melbourne.

Geothermal pilot heats up
Geothermal experts from the University of Melbourne are working with Department of Primary Industries to demonstrate the efficiency of a form of renewable energy that will play an important role in the energy mix of Victoria's Future.

Brain gain for University of Melbourne
Global tropical disease specialist Professor Cameron Simmons will return to the Nossal Institute for Global Health at the University of Melbourne after 10 years working in Vietnam.

Debate on Australia and global issues sparks new lecture series
The University of Melbourne will host a new lecture series titled Australia's Role in the World aimed at promoting public debate on global issues and to explore Australia's role in the issues.

Arsenic in Goldfields soil needs monitoring
Exposure to arsenic in soil and mine waste may have contributed to a slight increase in past cancer risk in socio-economically disadvantaged areas in the Goldfields region of Victoria, according to new research published in the Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology. Researchers from the University of Ballarat have released findings showing that the incidence of some cancers between 1984 and 2003 was slightly higher in areas with higher arsenic levels.

Scientists use frogs to battle superbugs
Nuclear scientists using frogs in a battle against superbugs might sound like some kind of 1980s computer game - but it's actually scientific research underway right now. In search of ways to fight antibiotic-resistant bacteria, Australian scientists are analysing synthetic anti-microbial skin secretions of Australian Green-Eyed and Growling Grass frogs.

Largest-ever gathering of Middle East experts to explore revolution on first anniversary
The University of Melbourne will host Australia's largest-ever gathering of international Middle East experts to discuss the first anniversary of last year's revolutionary wave of demonstrations and protests at a conference this weekend.

No silver bullet for avoiding floods says water expert
Clearing waterways of vegetation will have a negative effect on the environment without solving flooding problems, warns Professor Andrew Western, University of Melbourne water expert.

Cost of regulations and subsidies reduce effectiveness of carbon pricing
Subsidies and regulations could seriously reduce the effectiveness of Australia's forthcoming carbon price scheme, according to a piece in the latest Australian Economic Review.

New book sets out carbon challenge and potential of clean energy
A new book by University of Melbourne scientist Professor Peter Cook calls for Australia to make the most of its advantages in clean energy technologies, especially solar, geothermal and carbon capture and storage (CCS).

$70M to Close the Gap on Treatable Indigenous Eye Health
Researchers from the University of Melbourne say $70 million could 'close the gap' on Indigenous eye health, which unlike other health conditions is preventable and treatable.

Changes in generic drug costs could save $590 million, but don’t go far enough
The recently announced price cuts to generic drugs by the Australian Government do not go far enough, according to University of Melbourne health economist, Professor Philip Clarke.

New analysis shows most Australians at increased risk of bowel cancer are under-screened
People who are at an increased risk of developing bowel cancer, because they have a family history of the disease, are failing to have adequate screening, a University of Melbourne study has found. Medical guidelines recommend that where the family history is strong enough, family members should be having more intensive screening than the usual faecal occult blood test that is recommended for everyone over the age of 50.

Indigenous Australians experience poorer mental health
Significant inequality exists in the mental health of Indigenous Australians compared with non-Indigenous Australians, and it starts from an early age, according to new analysis of data by leading youth mental health experts. In an article published in a recent edition of the Medical Journal of Australia Professor Anthony Jorm from the University of Melbourne's Youth Mental Health Research Centre, based at Orygen, and colleagues mined existing community health surveys from 2000 onward to establish an accurate picture of the state of Indigenous mental health.

Internet a boost for answers to mental-health
University of Melbourne researchers have found Wikipedia is the most highly rated website for accessing information on mental-health related topics. The researchers assessed a range of on-line and print material on mental health-related topics and found that in the majority of cases, Wikipedia was the most highly rated in most domains.

World’s greenest supercomputer heads to Melbourne to boost health research
Victoria will be home to one of Australia's fastest supercomputers and the world's greenest supercomputer, the IBM Blue Gene/Q, which will be housed at the Victorian Life Sciences Computation Initiative (VLSCI) hosted by the University of Melbourne, and is aimed at advancing the study of human disease.

Grass huts and Androids: preserving language and culture in New Guinea
An ambitious experiment involving the use of mobile phones in a remote corner of Papua New Guinea, is about to be launched by researchers from the University of Melbourne.

Melbourne parents with teens invited to participate in groundbreaking research
Researchers at the University of Melbourne are calling on families from the Melbourne metropolitan area to help them find long term ways to help teenagers better cope with physical and mental stresses.

Inquests more likely for younger people and deaths from medical care complications
Coroners are more likely to hold inquests for deaths involving younger people or people who died of fatal complications from medical care, according to a study from University of Melbourne experts and published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal.) Coroners must usually be notified of a death if it was violent or unexpected, if the identity of the deceased is not known, or if the deceased was in the custody or care of the state when he or she died.

Managing the education needs of our young gifted children
PhD researcher Anne Grant is using her knowledge of gifted children in their formative educational years to help better inform and teach these bright youngsters.

White roofs to make for cooler Melbourne buildings
New research launched by the University of Melbourne and the City of Melbourne will give buildings owners across Melbourne access to information that can help their buildings absorb less heat and stay cooler during hot days.

Genetic code cracked for a devastating blood parasite
Scientists have cracked the genetic code and predicted some high priority drug targets for the blood parasite Schistosoma haematobium, which is linked to bladder cancer and HIV/ AIDS and causes

International health experts call for a special UN session on mental health
Professor Harry Minas, Director of the Centre for International Mental Health at the University of Melbourne has joined experts from the US and the UK to call for a United Nations General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) on the topic.

Vitamin D deficiency rates cause for concern
Almost one-third of adults over the age of 25 have a Vitamin D deficiency, a new study evaluating the Vitamin D status of Australian adults has found. The paper is the largest study of its kind, drawing on 11,218 people from the AusDiab Study and includes Australians from Darwin to Hobart.

New gene discovery unlocks mystery to epilepsy in infants
A team of Australian researchers has come a step closer to unlocking a mystery that causes epileptic seizures in babies. Benign familial infantile epilepsy (BFIE) has been recognised for some time as infantile seizures, without fever, that run in families but the cause has so far eluded researchers.

Vets warn of dangers to pets during festive season and summer heat
20 Dec 2011 Veterinarians from the University of Melbourne are warning pet owners to take special care of their pets during the festive season and the hot summer holidays.

Stressed urban forests to benefit from new tree experts
16 Dec 2011 Since the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme was introduced, urban trees have become valuable for their major role in reducing carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere, now a new course will train experts in managing urban forests facing environmental stresses, pests and diseases.

Dedicated medical researchers rewarded
15 Dec 2011 Improving health and well-being, supported by evidence-based research is a key priority for the University of Melbourne. In the latest funding round of $114.2 million announced today by The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), the University of Melbourne has been recognised for innovative research projects that cover the spectrum of health issues from oncology, mental health and improving function after a stroke through the use of new technologies.

Young Architecture Champion wins Australia at Large Rhodes Scholarship
14 Dec 2011 Architecture graduate Angela Darby from the University of Melbourne has a passion for sustainability and design and hopes to bring these two disciplines together through her studies at Oxford University.

Should nuns be given the pill for health reasons?
8 Dec 2011 Catholic nuns should be given the pill to guard against cancers more common in women who have never had children, according to two leading Australian researchers.

Australia’s future opera stars to study in Melbourne
20 Dec 2011 Eight of the country's best and brightest opera singers have been selected for a new National Graduate Opera Program that will run next year as part of a collaboration between the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, University of Melbourne and Victorian Opera.

Sugar is good for a sweet heart: new heart disease study
2 Dec 2011 A new type of sugar could help prevent heart disease, according to latest research by Corin Storkey and Professor Carl Schiesser from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Free Radical Chemistry and Biotechnology at The University of Melbourne.

Australian economy strongly influenced by East Asian market conditions
2 Dec 2011 Market fluctuations in East Asia and their impact on Australia is the focus of the latest edition of the Australian Economic Review (AER), the peak economic policy journal in the country.

Thai field research grant to address human trafficking in Asia
1 Dec 2011 The United Nation estimates that at any given time 2.5 million people are in forced labour as a result of human trafficking, with 56 per cent of these people in the Asia Pacific region.

Garden watering advice in your pocket: new app launched
1 Dec 2011 University of Melbourne researchers have launched a new iPhone app that factors in local rainfall information and plant type to help gardeners remember how much to water and when.

Winners announced in portable classrooms for the future comp
An international jury has deliberated over design ideas submitted to the Melbourne School of Design competition to revolutionise the humble re-locatable classroom, and the results are now in.

Find & Connect launched to assist Forgotten Australians
For many people who grew up in 'care', the search for records and information - so vital to identity and to the process of reconnecting with family - can be frustrating, complicated, time-consuming, expensive and traumatic.