Research at the Faculty of Science
Research Happenings
Biotechnology
Five academic staff members were appointed specifically to teach the new specialist degrees in Molecular Biotechnology under the leadership of Associate Professor Tony Weiss. The Department welcomes Dr Bret Church, Dr Rachel Codd, Dr Kevin Downard, Dr Chris Fellows and Dr Neville Firth.
Sydney: the hub of National Microscopy Network
The University of Sydney has won $11.5 million in Major National Research Facility funding from the Commonwealth Government to establish a national facility in nanostructural analysis to serve the emerging fields of nano- and biotechnology.
Overseas opportunities for IT students
Selected students at the University of Sydney will now have the opportunity to undertake a 6-month internship in China under an innovative new arrangement with Microsoft Research Asia. This exciting new opportunity follows the signing of a formal Memorandum of Understanding between the University of Sydney and Microsoft Research Asia.
Research
Proteomics
The Biomedical Node of the Australian Proteome Analysis Facility (APAF) is the newest of the four APAF nodes and is based on the ground floor of the biochemistry and Microbiology Building (G08). It has provided a huge boost in proteomics research to scientists at the University of Sydney by offering expertise and state-of-the-art 2D gel electrophoresis, mass spectroscopy, robotics and liquid chromatography equipment. The facility is also available to researchers from other institutions and life science companies across Australia. The Biomedical node has particular expertise in analysis of the sub-cellular proteomes of human cells and pathogenic bacteria, and two-dimensional fluorescence difference in-gel lectrophoresis (DIGE) for quantitative comparison of protein fractions.
Advantage of female mimicry in snakes
Professor Rick Shine’s laboratory has found that males of several animal species mimic females either in appearance or in the chemical cues they release. In the past this mimicry has been interpreted in terms of alternative mating strategies but new studies of snakes suggest a different explanation, which relies on natural selection rather than sexual selection.
Astrophysics: Exploring the early Universe
In 2001 the Astrophysics group passed the midpoint in their major project to make sensitive detailed images of the southern radio sky with the Molonglo Observatory Synthesis Telescope (MOST). Their second major achievement has been to become part of a national consortium to build prototypes for the next generation radio telescope. The SKAMP (Square Kilometre Array Molonglo Prototype) project has been granted a share of $23.5 million over 5 years.
Understanding Multidrug Resistance
Understanding how multidrug resistance proteins bind to a wide array of drugs would aid the design of more effective antibacterial compounds that block or evade systems. Significant insights into this problem have recently been published in the journal Science by Professor Ron Skurray, Dr Melissa Brown and Mr Steve Grkovic from the School of Biological Sciences and their collaborators from Oregon Health & Science University, who have determined the structures of one such protein bound to a variety of drugs.
Human Impact
Dr Stephen Gale in the School of Geosciences has been studying the human impact on the Australian biophysical environment over the last two millennia. This research has implications not just for our understanding of how the environment responds to human disturbance, but also for predicting the direction and scale of future environmental modification.
Glycemic Index Testing Service
The glycemic index is a measure of how different foods affect blood glucose levels. Sydney University Glycemic Index Research Services (SUGiRS) in the Human Nutrition Unit provides a commercial service for food companies. The University has also joined forces with Diabetes Australia and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation to offer licenses to food companies to use a new ‘glycemic index tested’ symbol on foods to highlight the GI value. The license fees obtained will fund education and research about the GI.
Ecology of Sandstone Seawalls in Sydney Harbour
A study by the EICC - Centre for Research on Ecological Impacts of Coastal Cities - is looking at the effect of exposure to waves on the animals and plants living on seawalls. The potential effect of wave-exposure on organisms living on seawalls can be an important influence on what is able to grow on these man-made habitats.
Human Language Technology
The Language Technology Group in the School of Information Technologies is involved in developing systems for analysing the meaning of discourse. It is currently working with the Technology Enabled Capital Markets Co-operative Research Centre to retrieve text from Internet sites and analyse the text for financial investment proposals, and to identify opportunities and risky offerings.
The Birth of Continents
The School of Geosciences is investigating the chemical composition of 3 billion-year-old volcanic rocks of Western Australia and northern Canada in order to decipher tectonic processes on the ancient Earth.
VISLAB enters new era of teleconferencing
The University’s Visualisation Laboratory (VisLab) has recently installed an improved teleconferencing-style facility known as an “access grid node” at its site at the Australian Technology Park. The node operates over the Internet, reducing running costs considerably, and rather than focusing on one speaker at a time, the screen displays images of entire groups from various angles and can be subdivided into windows for individual speakers. This enables a group of people to interact more realistically, which is of particular importance for creating virtual conferences.
Gambling study will shape law on pokies
Gambling research experts at the University of Sydney have started a major study into whether proposed changes to the law governing poker machines will benefit problem gamblers. The study is being funded by the Gambling Industry Operators (GIO), a consortium of 12 major players in the gaming industry, at a cost of $154,000.
Scientists surprised by rapid nerve repair
University of Sydney scientists have discovered that the adult nervous system has the capacity to form new connections between nerve cells and muscle within a matter of minutes rather than weeks as was previously thought.
Funding success
Sydney leads the nation in ARC grants
For the third consecutive year, the University of Sydney has topped the funding list from the Australian Research Council. In the latest grants, Sydney University was awarded a total of $12.1m for 2002, placing it in the lead of the Group of Eight universities.
Sesqui Grants give $3 million research boost
Research grants adding up to more than $3 million have been awarded to some of the University’s most outstanding researchers under the Sesqui awards scheme. Announced last year to mark the University’s 150th anniversary, the Sesqui scheme will commit $150 million for direct research support over a period of ten years.
Chemistry Success
The School of Chemistry has been successful in securing the greatest number of ARC Large Grants in the University for 2001.
