Discovery
Research discoveries add to human knowledge. They help us understand our world – and the universe. They help us understand who we are, and plan and prepare for the future. Discoveries can be serendipitous. But more often, they are the result of painstaking work. Here are some discoveries from the University of Melbourne and its collaborators.
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App offers mental health support for carers
An app for carers of young people with mental illness appears to enable a ‘therapeutic bond’ to form between the user and the app.
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How Buruli ulcer spreads in humans
Mosquito bites or puncture wounds spread the bacteria that causes the disfiguring disease Buruli ulcer in humans.
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Using design to build resilience in bushfire-prone areas
Researchers have developed nine principles to help urban planners, emergency services and communities work together to reduce fire risk.
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Children's pre-war letters reveal personal efforts to help refugees
Letters between two young pen-pals in the 1930s show how some Australians sought to help Jewish refugees when government policy didn’t.
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Gig economy requires a rethink of equality law
As the gig economy grows, research questions the relevance of current equality laws and calls for new ways to protect workers from discrimination.
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Indigenous speakers share their languages in 50 Words
While many Indigenous languages are in danger of disappearing, a new website is bringing the diversity of Australian languages to life.
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Marine bacteria approach the limit of chemotactic precision
Recreating microscopic features of the ocean shows that marine bacteria have pushed food-finding behaviour almost to its theoretical limit.
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Understanding early evolution through clues left by ancient life
A previously unknown form of marine life that lived around 600–700 million years ago provides clues to early evolution.
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Quantum sensing reveals magnetic organisation in chiton teeth
Quantum-based magnetic microscopy shows the nanoscale process of iron biomineralisation in chiton teeth, the hardest known teeth in the animal kingdom.
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Choosing a computer modelling method to predict chemical behaviour
Computer modelling methods based on density functional theory predict how molecules will behave. New tools help researchers choose the best method.
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TACI: A new target for treating lupus
Removing the molecule TACI from immune cells in mice with lupus protects against the disease without compromising immunity.
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The funeral industry in the digital age
Funeral directors decide which digital services are appropriate for grief and mourning, making it difficult for entrepreneurs to enter the industry.
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William Blake: A poet of the modern world
William Blake’s progressive views on sexuality, creativity and social justice offer a way to explore what it is to be human in the modern world.
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Women: The reluctant volunteers in the workplace
Women are more likely than men to take on workplace tasks that don’t lead to personal gain, potentially impacting promotions and workplace diversity.