Noise is a dangerous worldwide environmental pollutant: at normal levels found in cities it can induce annoyance, stress and fluctuations in sleep patterns which in turn increase the risk of type-2 diabetes, arterial hypertension, myocardial infarction, and stroke. A new high-tech low-cost soundproofing foam invented at the University of Adelaide could help keep our cities…
Discovery Casts Dark Shadow on Computer Security
Tackling Cancer at Ground Zero With Designer Molecules
A new molecule designed by University of Adelaide researchers shows great promise for future treatment of many cancers. The new molecule successfully targets a protein that plays a major role in the growth of most cancers. This protein target is called proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), otherwise known as the human sliding clamp. “PCNA is…
The Future of Quantum Information
University of Adelaide-led research has moved the world one step closer to reliable, high-performance quantum computing. An international team has developed a groundbreaking single-electron “pump.” The electron pump device developed by the researchers can produce one billion electrons per second and uses quantum mechanics to control them one-by-one. And it’s so precise they have been…
Nanotech Modeled on Dragonfly Wings Fights Surgical Infection
South Australian researchers are embarking on a $20 million medical and manufacturing research project which could reduce the chance of infection after orthopedic surgery, thanks to a little help from the humble dragonfly. Working with leading surgeons and an Australian orthopedic medical device company, researchers from the University of Adelaide and University of South Australia…
Body Temperature Gauged by Tiny Probe
University of Adelaide researchers have invented a world-first tiny fiber-optic probe that can simultaneously measure temperature and see deep inside the body. The probe may help researchers find better treatments to prevent drug-induced overheating of the brain, and potentially refine thermal treatment for cancers. “With an outer diameter of only 130 microns, the probe is…
Graphene Creates More Efficient Fertilizer
Fertilizers with lower environmental impacts and reduced costs for farmers are being developed by University of Adelaide researchers in the world-first use of the new advanced material graphene as a fertilizer carrier. In partnership with industry, the researchers have demonstrated effective slow release fertilizers can be produced from loading essential trace elements onto graphene oxide…
University Launches Graphene Research Hub
Research and development around new applications and industries based on the advanced material graphene — hailed as the “miracle material of the 21st century” — is the focus of a new Graphene Research Hub being launched at the University of Adelaide. The ARC Research Hub for Graphene Enabled Industry Transformation will develop high-value products and…
Study Reports Higher Rates of Cancer in Developed Countries
New Technique to Aid IVF Embryo Selection
New Catalyst Paves Way for Carbon Neutral Fuel
100-Year-Old Fertility Technique Reduces Need for IVF
Infertile couples have a major opportunity to achieve a successful pregnancy without the need for IVF, thanks to new research into a 100-year-old medical technique. The now lesser known technique — which involves flushing the woman’s fallopian tubes with an iodised poppy seed oil — has been proven to have significant benefits for fertility, according…
Ocean Warming to Cancel Increased CO2-Driven Productivity
Honeybees Have Sharper Eyesight Than We Thought
Research conducted at the University of Adelaide has discovered that bees have much better vision than was previously known, offering new insights into the lives of honey bees, and new opportunities for translating this knowledge into fields such as robot vision. The findings come from “eye tests” given to western honey bees (also known as…
Fossil ‘Footprints’ Found from Extinct Sea Creature
Fossils found in Morocco from the long-extinct group of sea creatures called trilobites, including rarely seen soft-body parts, may be previously unseen animals that left distinctive fossil ‘footprints’ around the ancient supercontinent Gondwana. The trilobites were a very common group of marine animals during the 300 million years of the Palaeozoic Era with hard, calcified,…
Trapdoor Spiders Disappearing from Australian Landscape
Recent surveys by Australian scientists have identified an apparent significant decline in the numbers of trapdoor spiders across southern Australia. Famous for their carefully camouflaged burrows – some with lids or ‘trapdoors’ from which they launch themselves to catch their prey – trapdoor spiders are remarkable animals. The females of some species are known to…
Sensor Tracks Vitamin B12 Deficiency
University of Adelaide researchers have developed a world-first optical sensor that can detect vitamin B12 in diluted human blood — a first step towards a low-cost, portable, broadscale vitamin B12 deficiency test. Vitamin B12 deficiency is associated with an increased risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Such a device would enable the tracking of vitamin…