Fresh Science

By-products provide cheap and plentiful ingredients for production of new treatments Researchers from the University of Melbourne have developed a process to harvest key ingredients from whey, which could be used as precursors not only to provide cheap nutritious baby food but to develop antiviral drugs at an industrial scale. The core ingredients, including bioactive…

A tool is being trialled at Adelaide and Melbourne zoos to help keepers decode reptile body language and measure their welfare. Research from the University of Adelaide has come up with a list of health-based and behavioural clues which could help rewrite welfare policies for reptiles in zoos and homes. The tool is now being…

From tropical savannas in the Territory to old growth rainforest in Tasmania, Australian forests may adapt to changing temperatures over time Forests are a major carbon sink, responsible for about three quarters of carbon absorption on land, a critical buffer against rising carbon levels in the atmosphere from climate change. As the temperature rises, ecologists…

Work, housing and friendships are core factors to feeling included. A new tool developed by researchers at Orygen to measure and monitor social inclusion was tested with more than 500 young people. By identifying the early signs of isolation and loneliness, support can be provided to prevent more serious mental ill-health. In mental healthcare, simple…