New genus of bugs discovered at WA alumina refinery

Previously unknown species of naturally-occurring bacteria have the potential to save the alumina and aluminium industries millions of dollars while helping to reduce their impact on the environment, microbiologist Naomi McSweeney has found in a collaborative project between Alcoa of Australia, CSIRO and the University of Western Australia.

The bacteria can successfully break down and remove sodium oxalate, an organic impurity produced during the refining of low-grade bauxite into alumina. The work is being presented for the first time in public through Fresh Science, a national competition for early-career scientists. Naomi was one of 16 winners from across Australia.

The bioreactor at Kwinana where Naomi's bacteria were found (Credit: Alcoa Australia)

At a typical refinery, sodium oxalate forms by the tonne during the production of alumina. It can affect the colour and the quality of the final product.

“Oxalate can be removed by combustion, but this process releases excess carbon dioxide”, Naomi says.  The impurity may also be stored but this represents a major cost to refineries so treatment is a preferred option.

Alcoa of Australia has designed and installed an innovative large-scale bioreactor which has the capability to remove about 40 tonnes a day of sodium oxalate produced at its Kwinana refinery south of Perth in Western Australia.

Naomi McSweeney investigating bacteria found at an alumina refinery (Photo:Damien Smith)

“Using bacteria to break down and remove oxalate is a better, more sustainable alternative.” The bacterial process breaks down the sodium oxalate and produces significantly less carbon dioxide whilst avoiding the need to store the impurity.

Naomi has worked with researchers from Alcoa’s global Technology Delivery Group and the CSIRO’s Light Metals Flagship to identify the main bacteria involved in degrading the oxalate within the bioreactor. They used DNA fingerprinting techniques to pick out the key players. What they found was a potentially new genus of Proteobacteria and a new species of the known genus Halomonas which are able to use the carbon in the oxalate to grow.

“Oxalates, and bacteria that feed on them, are common in nature –for example in our food, in our guts and in the root systems of plants such as rhubarb,” says Naomi.  “However, these oxalate-degrading microorganisms were not the ones we found in the bioreactor.” The bacteria doing most of the work in the bioreactor have never been found before.

To enhance the efficiency of the bio-removal process, the researchers are now determining the best conditions for growing these bacteria. Alcoa is seeking to apply the process to other refineries around the world, and hopes it will be able to use it to treat previously stockpiled oxalate.

Naomi McSweeney takes the Bright Sparks challenge during Fresh Science 2010 (Photo: Mark Coulson)

Naomi McSweeney is one of 16 early-career scientists presenting their research to the public for the first time thanks to Fresh Science, a national program sponsored by the Australian Government. Her challenges included presenting her discoveries in verse at a Melbourne pub.

• For interviews, contact Naomi McSweeney at Naomi.McSweeney@csiro.au
• For Fresh Science, contact Sarah Brooker on 0413 332 489 or Niall Byrne on 0417 131 977 or niall@freshscience.org
• For Alcoa of  Australia, contact Sarah Tempest 9316 5462 or sarah.tempest@alcoa.com.au
• For CSIRO Light Metals Flagship, contact Nola Wilkinson on 03 9545 8744 or Nola.Wilkinson@csiro.au
• For the University of Western Australia, contact Janine MacDonald on 08 6488 5563 or Janine.MacDonald@uwa.edu.au

Other images

A species of Halomonas munching on sodium oxalate. (Photo, Naomi McSweeney)

Naomi McSweeney (Photo: Mark Coulson)

Naomi McSweeney sees the results of an indicator in water. (Photo, Damien Smith)

…by putting the squeeze on mining waste

You may not be able to squeeze blood out of a stone but, by applying the right amount of ultrasound during processing, Jianhua (Jason) Du and colleagues from the Cooperative Research Centre for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of the Environment (CRC CARE) have been able to squeeze a considerable amount of fresh water from mining waste.

Honeycomb-like structure which retains significant amount of water in tailings before ultrasonic treatment. (Photo: Jason Du)

As well as conserving water the technique reduces the waste bulk, which could also save mining companies millions of dollars in operational costs and help postpone significant capital expenditure, Jason says. Jason is one of sixteen winners of the national 2010 Fresh Science program – highlighting the work of leading young scientists.

Jason demonstrates the technique at CRC CARE CleanUp 09 conference. (Photo: Meredith Loxton, CRC CARE)

“When we looked at one of Rio Tinto’s mines in the Murray Darling Basin, we found our method could potentially save 436 megalitres of water a year. That’s more than 170 Olympic swimming pools back into the Basin’s water reserves – so that’s a win for the environment as well as lower costs for the company.”

Ultrasonic vibration collapses the honeycomb structure and releases the trapped water. (Photo: Jason Du)

Between 400 and 600 litres of water are needed to process each tonne of ore. As a result, water makes up between 60 and 95 per cent of the more than 10 billion tonnes of tailings that mineral processing produces each year worldwide.

Some of this liquid is recovered by letting the solids settle in tailings ponds, a process that is aided by the addition of thickeners. But these are low in efficiency. What Jason and his colleagues found is that efficiency can be increased by pumping in the right amount of ultrasonic energy at the right time.

Although in their laboratory-scale trial the technique successfully increased the output of solids only by about 4 per cent by weight, on the scale of a large mine this represents a huge amount of water.

“At one of Rio Tinto’s mines outside Australia, we calculated the saving to be about 3.5 gigalitres (or 3,500 megalitres) a year, worth more than A$5.5 million to the company.”

Jason presents his research to the general public as part of Fresh Science at the Pub. (Photo: Mark Coulson)

Jason and his colleagues, based at the University of South Australia, used an electron microscope to examine the structure of the solids which formed after flocculants were introduced in the thickener. They found a network similar to honeycomb in which the water was trapped. The ultrasonic energy disrupts this network and leads to a denser aggregation. “It’s like shaking up a jar full of flour in a way which causes the flour to compact down,” Jason says.

The less water incorporated during processing also means the smaller the landfill site needed for containment. Together with lesser amounts of equipment and time needed to manage the disposal process, this lowers costs even further.

Jason’s work is supported by the Australian Research Council, CRC CARE, and Rio Tinto. He is one of 16 early-career scientists presenting their research to the public for the first time thanks to Fresh Science, a national program sponsored by the Australian Government. His challenges so far have included presenting his discoveries in verse at a Melbourne pub.

Further information:

• Jason Du, Jianhua.Du@postgrads.unisa.edu.au
• For further information on research by CRC CARE, contact the CRC’s Communication Manager, Peter Martin,  peter.martin@crccare.com

Web links

• CRC for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of the Environment (CRC CARE)

Australian researchers have invented a new clock that will bring atomic accuracy to your desk.

Skype, online games, air traffic control, smart energy grids – all rely on accurate timing across the internet. But our present computers aren’t accurate enough. They can synchronise with an atomic clock over the internet. But even tiny delays across the network introduce errors – your video conversation gets out of sync, you lose your online game, or the electricity grid wastes power.

University of Melbourne engineer Julien Ridoux and his colleague Darryl Veitch have two solutions to the problem – install an atomic clock in your computer for $50,000, or use their new, free, software clock accurate to within a millionth of a second.

Known as RADclock, their new software has been so successful it is now being tested across Australia with the cooperation of the National Measurement Institute (NMI), the Institute for a Broadband-Enabled Society and the Australian Academic and Research Network (AARNet). The work is being presented for the first time in public through Fresh Science, a communication boot camp for early-career scientists held at the Melbourne Museum. Julien was one of 16 winners from across Australia.

Making sure computer clocks are in sync (photo: Timothy Broomhead, The University of Melbourne)

“The techniques used in the past couple of decades are now not accurate enough to ensure the necessary coordination,” Julien says, “and the obvious solution of installing an atomic clock in each computer was neither affordable nor practical.”

The National Broadband Network promises a much faster internet leading to a new digital age. But, as the network accelerates, the time kept by computers has to become more and more accurate.

Right now, says Julien, most of us have computers that do not have enough to do. Soon, these computers will all be inter-connected by the NBN at very high speed. “This army of computers can collaborate to create new services and applications but only if they know who is doing what and, particularly, when. With a super-fast network, tasks occur more frequently, and that requires computers to track the passing of time much more accurately.

“We have designed the Robust Absolute and Difference clock (RADclock), a novel timing system, that is accurate, reliable and inexpensive. Under good conditions this achieves microsecond accuracy, which is as good as an atomic clock-enhanced computer. And it costs nothing to install.”

An Atomic clock is used to compare results (photo :Timothy Broomhead, The University of Melbourne)

Their software taps into the counting device already installed in each computer to keep track of how fast the quartz crystal timer is vibrating. But because individual counters are unreliable, the program samples and analyses time information from many computers across the internet, to construct a robust, precise and accurate picture of the passing of time. “It’s time-keeping using a brains trust, if you like – the computers talk to each other and adjust their clocks as a result,” Julien says.

The RADclock has been under development for the past 4 years. It is now part of the Ark infrastructure of the Cooperative Association for Internet Data Analysis (CAIDA) in California to monitor the Internet (see http://www.caida.org/projects/ark/).

RADclock time servers used to test and assess the quality of the clocks (photo: Timothy Broomhead, The University of Melbourne)

An experimental network of RADclock reference clocks is being established in Australia with the cooperation of the NMI and AARNet. This is the first step towards a nationwide high-accuracy infrastructure that will allow any computer access to accurate time.

Julien Ridoux is one of 16 early-career scientists presenting their research to the public for the first time thanks to Fresh Science, a national program sponsored by the Australian Government. His challenges have included presenting his discoveries in verse at a Melbourne pub.

For further information, contact Julien Ridoux at jridoux@unimelb.edu.au

For more information and to trial the software, visit http://www.cubinlab.ee.unimelb.edu.au/radclock/

More photographs

Julien keeping an eye on the time (photo: Timothy Broomhead, The University of Melbourne)

Everything running on schedule (photo: Timothy Broomhead, The University of Melbourne)

Results of the RADclock compared to the conventional computer clock (photo: Julien Ridoux, The University of Melbourne)

The core of the synchronisation testbed (photo Timothy Broomhead, The University of Melbourne)

Patented South Australian technology

South Australian researchers have invented and patented a new technology for delivering cosmetics and drugs to the skin.They are using nanoparticles of silica (essentially sand) to create longer lasting cosmetics and creams that control the delivery of drugs through the skin.

They already have a family of international patents on their technology, and are now actively looking for commercial partners to get their invention out of the lab and on to your skin.

“We are using specially engineered nanoparticles of silica—so small that about a thousand of them could fit across a human hair—to create the emulsions on which many cosmetic and therapeutic products are based,” says Nasrin Ghouchi-Eskandar from the University of South Australia’s Ian Wark Research Institute.

The work is being presented for the first time in public through Fresh Science, a communication boot camp for early-career scientists held at the Melbourne Museum. Nasrin was one of 16 winners from across Australia.

Many liquids we take for granted—milk, paint, salad dressings, skin creams—are actually emulsions, tiny droplets of oily compounds dispersed in water. These are typically created using surfactants or detergents, but Nasrin and her colleagues have developed emulsions in which silica nanoparticles—miniscule grains of sand—coat the oil droplets instead.

“Coating the tiny emulsion droplets with silica increases the stability of the mixture, and makes it less likely that the active compounds inside will degrade or be released until we want it to happen, says Nasrin. “These are two significant challenges for formulation scientists.”

Left: A typical emulsion using surfactant only Right: An Emulsion formed with nanoparticles (photo: Nasrin Ghouchi-Eskandar)

“Using our method, we found that, from a clinical point of view, drug delivery can be improved by adjusting release through the thickness of the coating. We can prepare both fast release, and slow or controlled release delivery systems.”

This could be really beneficial if a drug has to be released at a specific time, or if releasing too much at once can lead to accumulation and toxic effects.

“It turns out that silica nanoparticles interact with skin cells in a way which increases the delivery of drugs to specific skin layers significantly,” says Nasrin. “Using the nanoparticles, not only was a higher concentration of the active ingredient delivered, but also leakage into the blood stream was limited. This is a great advantage for skin creams like sunscreens, for instance. It limits exposure of the rest of the body, and any consequent toxicity.”

“And nanoparticle-coated emulsions are cost-effective, because they are efficient at delivering drugs. A smaller quantity of active compound can be used in a more stable form. And we are working to ensure they are safe,” Nasrin says. “We have shown that they will not pass through pig skin. In the near future we will be moving to trials using human skin.”

Nasrin Ghouchi-Eskandar is one of 16 early-career scientists presenting their research to the public for the first time thanks to Fresh Science, a national program sponsored by the Australian Government. Her challenges have included presenting her discoveries in verse at a Melbourne pub.

For further information, contact Nasrin at nasrin.ghouchi@unisa.edu.au

Additional photographs

An electron micrograph of the emulsion with nanoparticles (photo: Nasrin Ghouchi-Eskandar)

Nasrin at work (photo: Audrey Beaussart, Ian Wark Research Institute)

Nasrin Ghouchi-Eskandar (photo: Mark Coulson)

Nasrin in the lab (Photo: Dr. Audrey Beaussart in Ian Wark Research Institute)

Imagine printing your own room lighting, lasers, or solar cells from inks you buy at the local newsagent. Jacek Jasieniak and his colleagues at CSIRO, the University of Melbourne and the University of Padua in Italy, have moved a step closer to such a future, by developing liquid inks based on quantum dots that can be used to print devices.

These quantum dot inks will transform our use of light in the home and office. In the first demonstration of these inks Jacek and his colleagues have made tiny printable lasers.

Four different colours of quantum dots (photo: Jacek Jasieniak)

The first laser, invented 50 years ago in May 1960, was described as a solution looking for a problem. Today dozens of lasers are built into our computers, cars and homes. Soon, thanks to Jacek’s work, we may have millions of tiny lasers working in our homes lighting our rooms and even acting as pixels in printable TV screens. The lasers could also be used as components in optical computers, electronics, sensors, as cheap laser pointers in a range of colours or even fashion accessories.

Jacek’s work is being presented for the first time in public through Fresh Science, a communication boot camp for early-career scientists held at the Melbourne Museum. Jacek was one of 16 winners from across Australia.

A schematic of a quantum dot lasing device (photo: Jacek Jasieniak)

“Creating cheaper lasers relies heavily on progress in materials science,” Jacek says. “At present, lasers are manufactured using expensive materials and production techniques. To make them more cost effective, we have focused on developing materials that are cheap, function well as lasers, and can be printed. Quantum dots meet all these requirements.”

Quantum dots are made of semiconductor material grown as nanometre-sized crystals, around a millionth of a millimetre in diameter. The laser colour they produce can be selectively tuned by varying their size. To build a laser using quantum dots, you need to place them within a structure known as an optical cavity. This structure acts to amplify the light that is produced by the quantum dots to produce the laser.

A prototype quantum lasing device (photo: Raffaella Signorini, Padova University)

“Conventional lasers use large optical cavities which make them impossible to use for printable lasers. To develop true nanometre-sized lasers we have employed a special type of optical cavity that consists of a repeating nano-structured pattern on the surface of the material onto which the quantum dots are printed. A major benefit of this nano-structured optical cavity is that it can be produced during the printing process by controlled indentation or scratching of the material’s surface,” Jacek says.

“The tiny lasers generated using such an approach are highly efficient and can be adapted for numerous applications.”

In addition to lasers, this research has significant implications for many other future technologies which use liquid inks to develop printable components. One highly promising example is the production of thin-film solar cells, a research area that Jacek is also currently involved in at CSIRO.

Dr. Jacek Jasieniak is one of 16 early-career scientists presenting their research to the public for the first time thanks to Fresh Science, a national program sponsored by the Australian Government. His challenges have included presenting his discoveries in verse at a Melbourne pub.

For further information, contact Jacek Jasienak at jacek.jasienak@csiro.au

Additional Images

Jacek Jasienak (photo: Mark Coulson)

Jacek pitches his story at the pub (photo: Mark Coulson)

Jacek sprinkling quantum dots (photo: Jacek Jasieniak)

A compound produced by a pregnant lizard may provide important information on the origins and treatment of cancer in humans, according to zoologist Bridget Murphy from the University of Sydney, who discovered the protein, which is pivotal to the development of the lizard placenta.

“Our egg-laying ancestors probably never got cancer, but things changed when we started having live young. Embryos need an extensive network of blood vessels to allow them to grow. So do tumours.  I found that the three-toed skink, which gives birth to live young, uses a particularly powerful protein to encourage the growth of blood vessels. The only other place where this protein has been found is in pre-cancerous cells grown in the laboratory,” she says.

The placenta of the three toed skink is highly vascular (photo: Bridget Murphy)

Future research on unlocking the secrets of how the protein works might well provide the basis of new therapies for cancer, and to promote wound healing or the regeneration of blood vessels in patients with heart disease. Bridget’s work is being presented for the first time in public through Fresh Science, a communication boot camp for early career scientists held at the Melbourne Museum. She was one of 16 winners from across Australia.

The protein belongs to a group known as vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGFs) which help to produce blood vessels in the uterus during pregnancy. Bridget became interested in the group as part of a study of the evolutionary origins of live birth.

The same protein found in pre-cancerous skin cells helps blood vessels to grow in the placenta of the three-toed skink (photo: Nadav Pazaro)

“Both tumours and embryos must develop an extensive network of blood vessels which bring in oxygen and nutrients to allow them to grow,” Bridget says. “And they both must avoid rejection by hiding from the immune system of their host. In fact, many researchers think that cancers have hijacked the molecular machinery that originally evolved to allow embryonic development.

“It may be that animals that give birth to live young, such as humans and some lizards, have an increased susceptibility to cancer.”

Using techniques to measure which of the VEGF genes were present and active in lizards, Bridget discovered the first known natural source of VEGF111 in the three-toed skink (Saiphos equalis), a shy Australian lizard which lives underground.

Bridget Murphy is one of 16 early-career scientists presenting their research to the public for the first time thanks to Fresh Science, a national program sponsored by the Australian Government. Her challenges so far have included presenting her discoveries in verse at a Melbourne pub.

For further information, contact Bridget Murphy at bridget.murphy@sydney.edu.au

ADDITIONAL IMAGES

The three toed skink (Saiphos equalis) lives its entire life underground and gives birth to live young (photo: Nadav Pazaro)

(photo: Nadav Pazaro)

(photo: Nadav Pazaro)

Bridget Murphy (photo: Mark Coulson)

High tech cling wraps that ‘sieve out’ carbon dioxide from waste gases can help save the world, says Melbourne University chemical engineer, Colin Scholes who developed the technology.

The membranes can be fitted to existing chimneys where they capture CO2 for removal and storage. They are already being tested on brown coal power stations in Victoria’s La Trobe Valley, Colin says. His work is being presented for the first time in public through Fresh Science, a communication boot camp for early career scientists held at the Melbourne Museum. Colin was one of 16 winners from across Australia.

“The membrane material is specifically designed to separate CO2 from other molecules,” he says. “It acts like a filter and is much more efficient than existing technology. We are hoping these membranes will become an important part of a carbon capture and storage strategy which will cut emissions from power stations by up to 90 per cent.”

Not only are the new membranes efficient, they are also relatively cheap to produce. “Carbon capture and storage is currently very expensive. Reducing the cost of trapping the CO2 will make it much more affordable. And cheaper systems mean power generators can put them in place much sooner.”

The plastic membrane filters out carbon dioxide (photo: CO2 CRC)

Another crucial aspect of the membrane has been its toughness – a power station chimney is not a friendly environment. “Trials with real flue gas have been essential for the development of material robust enough to handle industrial conditions,” Colin says.

“Fossil fuels currently supply 85 per cent of the world’s energy,” says Colin, one of the founders of the Australian chapter of Scientists without Borders. “So despite the urgent need to reduce levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, the International Energy Agency predicts fossil fuels will continue to be heavily used for many years to come. Carbon capture and storage will be an important part of the portfolio of solutions to address climate change including energy efficiency, less carbon-intensive fuels, natural carbon sinks and renewable energy.”

Colin’s work is supported by the Cooperative Research Centre for Greenhouse Gas Technologies where he is a research fellow.

Colin Scholes is one of 16 early-career scientists releasing their research to the public for the first time thanks to Fresh Science, a national program sponsored by the Australian Government. His challenges so far have included presenting his discoveries in verse at a Melbourne pub.

For further information, contact Colin Scholes at cascho@unimelb.edu.au

Additional Images

Colin Scholes operates a test rig for his carbon capture membrane (photo: CO2 CRC)

Colin Scholes (photo: Mike Coulson)

Colin pitches his story (photo: Mike Coulson)

A shoulder-joint implant, with the ball and socket on the opposite bones from nature, can significantly improve the quality of life of patients with severe arthritis and tendon tears, says medical engineer David Ackland from the University of Melbourne.

In a search for a more effective replacement joint, David and his colleagues looked at the counterintuitive ‘reverse’ implant, which was designed and manufactured in the US by Zimmer, Inc. Their tests on the Zimmer implant showed that it stabilises the joint and increases the range of movement of arthritic shoulders. His work is being presented for the first time in public through Fresh Science, a communication boot camp for early career scientists held at the Melbourne Museum last week. David was one of 16 winners from across Australia.

Arthritis and problems to do with muscles, joints and bones disable more people more severely than any other medical conditions, David says. “Many arthritis sufferers have to cope with chronic and debilitating pain and loss of joint function, for which there are very few effective treatments.”

David Ackland used a sophisticated rig to test the joint in a multitude of positions (image: David Ackland)

“These new implants increase the leverage of the muscles surrounding the shoulder, and thereby reduce the force required to move the arm. This lowers muscle stresses during everyday tasks such as lifting and pushing, and it also substantially increases the range of motion of the joint.”

After designing and building his own shoulder-testing equipment, David worked with orthopaedic surgeons from Melbourne’s Epworth Hospital who implanted eight of these artificial joints into the shoulders of donated human cadavers. During testing, the shoulders were manipulated to simulate common arm motions, while the properties of the muscles and joints were measured.

Ackland shows off his arm-testing device

Data from this study is not only helping surgeons to understand the clinical and biomechanical benefits of the shoulder reconstruction, but also has suggested ways in which surgeons can minimise postoperative failure and specific strategies for rehabilitation. David hopes that his research will lead to further improvements in the design of a range of joint replacements for the human body.

David Ackland is one of 16 early-career scientists releasing their research to the public for the first time thanks to Fresh Science, a national program sponsored by the Australian Government. His challenges have included talking to urban and rural school children and presenting his discoveries in verse at a Melbourne pub.

For further information, contact David Ackland at dackland@unimelb.edu.au



David Ackland (photo: Mike Coulson)



David pitching his story (photo: Mike Coulson)

A prosthetic shoulder joint (image: Mike Coulson)

Feeding weeds fertiliser sounds like exactly the wrong thing, if you want to get rid of them, but Jennifer Firn of CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems has been doing just that—to control African lovegrass, an invasive species of rangelands in every Australian state.

Her method works by making the weed tastier to grazing animals. It illustrates that we need to be smarter in dealing with weeds, not just reaching for the Round Up, Jennifer says. Her work was published in the Journal of Applied Ecology earlier this year and is being presented for the first time in public through Fresh Science, a communication boot camp for early career scientists held at the Melbourne Museum last week. She was one of 16 winners from across Australia.

Australia spends about A$1.4 billion a year in controlling weeds, yet most continue to spread. For decades, Jennifer says, the methods used against weeds have centred on killing the invaders with herbicides, slashing and bulldozers.

Fertilisation caused a marked drop in weed growth (photo: Jennifer Firn)

“But these measures create harsh disturbances, the very conditions that favour invasive species. Consequently, one weed may be removed from an area only to have the same or another one take its place. I found a better approach was to determine what environmental conditions were favourable to invasive species, and then change them to favour the growth of more desirable native species.”

In her work on African lovegrass, Jennifer evaluated 24 different ways of controlling it in a large field experiment. Then she monitored the abundance of lovegrass and native species over multiple growing seasons.

“I found a key reason why the lovegrass dominated was that it is unpalatable to grazing animals such as cattle and kangaroos. So the most effective control measure was to keep grazing but make lovegrass ‘tastier’ using a low application rate of fertiliser. This method decreased lovegrass abundance without using herbicides and labour-intensive slashing,” Jennifer says.

A tussock of African Lovegrass (photo: Jennifer Firn)

In addition, the native grasses became more abundant because they were grazed less and had access to more nutrients in the soil. In turn, that meant that the abundance of another weed, Mayne’s pest, was kept at low levels because of increased competition from the natives.

“At first these findings appeared counterintuitive to me,” Jennifer says, “because grazing and fertilizers generally don’t favour Australian native plants. This strategy worked because lovegrass responded very quickly to the added nutrients but grazing pressure kept it from producing seed.

Jennifer Firn took detailed measurements across 192 plots

The recommendation from this study is not to use fertilizer and grazing for all invasive species. Instead my findings point to a need for a broader approach where we understand how the invasives grow, what the natives need and then change the conditions to return our native species. ”

Jennifer Firn is one of 16 early-career scientists releasing their research to the public for the first time thanks to Fresh Science, a national program sponsored by the Australian Government. Her challenges so far have included presenting her discoveries in verse at a Melbourne pub.

For further information, contact Jennifer Firn at jennifer.firn@csiro.au

Jennifer Firn (photo: Mike Coulson)

Jennifer Firn pitching her story (photo: Mike Coulson)

Grazing animals on delicious weeds fostered native growth (photo: Jennifer Firn)

A young Monash University chemist and her colleagues have successfully strengthened insulin’s chemical structure without affecting its activity. Their new insulin won’t require refrigeration.

They have just filed a series of patents with the support of their long term commercial partner ASX-listed Circadian Technologies who are now negotiating with pharma companies to start the long process of getting the invention out of the laboratory and into the homes of people with diabetes.

At the same time they’re using their new knowledge to develop a form of insulin that could be delivered by pill.

The tertiary structure of human insulin (image: Bianca van Lierop)

“Over two hundred million people need insulin to manage diabetes, but we still don’t how it works at a molecular level,” says Bianca van Lierop.

Her work will be presented for the first time in public this week at Fresh Science, a communication boot camp for early career scientists held at the Melbourne Museum. Bianca is one of 16 winners from across Australia.

The poor stability of existing forms of insulin complicates the management of diabetes, a condition which already affects 1.7 million Australians.

“Like milk, insulin formulations need to be kept cold,” Bianca says.

“At temperatures above 4 ºC, insulin starts to degrade and eventually becomes inactive. So supplying insulin in areas where fridges are scarce or difficult to maintain presents a real challenge.”

From this... (Photo: Sarah G)

The instability of insulin is closely related to its chemical structure, Bianca says.

“Insulin is constructed from two different protein chains which are joined together by unstable disulfide bonds. Using a series of chemical reactions, we have been able to replace the unstable bonds with stronger, carbon-based bridges. This replacement does not change the natural activity of insulin, but it does appear to significantly enhance its stability.”

These so-called ‘dicarba insulins’ are stable at room temperature. And, Bianca says, storage at higher temperatures for several years had not resulted in degradation or loss of activity.

... to this? (photo: doug88888)

The new insulins may also provide much-needed insight into how the molecule works. “Insulin acts like a key in a lock at its receptor. When insulin binds to the receptor the lock opens and allows sugar to be taken up into cells from the blood. But insulin is known to change shape inside the ‘lock’ (the receptor), and its final shape is currently unknown.”

“If we had that information, we might be able to design smaller, less complex, non-protein mimics of insulin.” Such molecules could one day become the basis of treatments taken in pill form, eliminating the need for injections.

Bianca van Lierop and her fellow Fresh Scientists are presenting their research to the public for the first time thanks to Fresh Science, a national program sponsored by the Australian Government. Her challenges include presenting her discoveries in verse at a Melbourne pub.

For further information, contact Bianca van Lierop at Bianca.vanLierop@monash.edu

Additional Images

Bianca van Lierop (photo: Mike Coulson)

Bianca van Lierop pitching her story (photo: Mike Coulson)