LATEST ARTICLES

The war on rust, a cereal killer

The war on rust, a cereal killer

The rust lab at the University of Sydney saves Australian agriculturalists many millions of dollars every year. Led by Robert Park, director of the Australian Cereal Rust Research Control Program at the university, a team of scientists uses pathology, genetics and pre-breeding to develop breeds of wheat, oats and barley that are resistant to the …read more

Diamond’s edge

Diamond's edge

Alexis Clarke’s strawberry-blonde hair is pulled back from her face, and she’s wearing no-nonsense black leggings, black running shoes and an olive-green puffer jacket on this chilly day in Thirroul, a northern suburb  of the NSW coastal city of Wollongong. Glowing slightly, she looks as though she’s just arrived from the gym (and in fact …read more

Eco-jewellery for the rich and conscientious

Eco-jewellery for the rich and conscientious

A diamond ring can signal joy, love, commitment and, maybe these days, environmental awareness. The global demand for ethically-sourced and environmentally-sound jewellery is steadily growing and big names, from the world-famous Tiffany brand to the massive Asia-based Chow Tai Fook group, have developed deep sustainable jewellery policies. 

Beam of inspiration

Beam of inspiration

Tebello Nyokong, a South African chemist, is developing nanomaterials containing photosensitive dyes for use with lasers to attack certain types of cancerous cells. Photodynamic therapy is a non-invasive, low-toxicity method of causing cell death used to treat a wide range of medical conditions, including several forms of cancer. Dye particles are ingested, injected or applied in …read more