Our discoveries
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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Switching states: how one protein can both silence and promote gene expression
Depending on whether it’s solo or in a pair, Heterochromatin protein 1 (HP1) is able to both silence and activate genes, highlighting a potential new approach for gene therapy.
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A new research tool in the fight against the deadly chytrid fungus
A new fluorescent chytrid infection model allows researchers to follow pathogen invasion in real-time, a key step toward developing treatments
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Regulating graphene structures for potential quantum materials
Researchers have developed a technique to control ion channels in 2D graphene, making them promising candidates for quantum devices
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Predicting the cancer treatments of tomorrow
By incorporating the needs of patients, a new prioritisation technique aims to provide equitable access to life-saving medicines.
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A new approach to controlling aphids using bacteria
Infecting aphids with a specific type of bacteria could help control these garden and agricultural pests in a more sustainable and environmentally friendly way.
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A new method for detecting heart rhythm abnormalities in unborn babies
University of Melbourne researchers developed the method to automatically identify fetal arrhythmias in non-invasive electrocardiography recordings.
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A new coating boosts the performance of implantable electrodes
A new coating improves the lifespan and performance of carbon-fibre microelectrodes, enabling two-way communication with single cells.
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GABA inhibitory neurotransmitter excites cells in the adult brain
GABA – a neurotransmitter previously thought to have only inhibitory activity in the brains of adult mammals – can also excite certain types of cells.
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Christmas beetles may use their hard wings to keep cool
By acting as shields or light traps, the beetles’ hard outer wings may have a role in thermoregulation.
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App offers mental health support for carers
An app for carers of young people with mental illness appears to enable therapeutic bonds to grow between users and the app.
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Breakthrough for augmented reality display technology
The world's first flexible, transparent augmented reality (AR) display screen has been created using additive manufacturing and low-cost materials.
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Anatomy textbooks don't address the diversity in appearance of female genitalia
Current textbooks are not giving medical graduates in Australia a realistic view of the normal variation in the size, shape and symmetry of the vulva.
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Removing railway level crossings contributes to suicide prevention
The Victorian Government’s Level Crossing Removal Project has reduced the number of suicide deaths, according to University of Melbourne research.
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Bringing birth forward to 39 weeks has no adverse developmental effects
Developmental outcomes of children birthed by induced labour at 39 weeks’ gestation shows there's no difference in childhood development at ages four to six years compared to full-term babies.
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Understanding the impact of state regulation of mobility for trans and non-binary people
A gender studies project is exploring how binary gender norms impact mobility, especially how state regulation and biometric tech impact trans-gender and gender diverse people.
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Stimulating the vagus nerve can reduce blood glucose levels
Demonstrating the safety of vagus nerve stimulation in animals is the first step in establishing this method as a treatment for diabetes in humans.
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Using the eye to measure the brain
A prototype device for measuring intracranial pressure (ICP) is set to eliminate the need for brain surgery in head trauma patients, providing fast, non-invasive, critical decision-making data to clinicians to improve outcomes.
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The Maternal Metamorphosis: Becoming a mother in Australia (1945-2020)
New research by Dr Carla Pascoe Leahy has explored the ways in which the experience of becoming a mother has changed since the mid-twentieth century.
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Dual sensory impairment linked to a higher risk of death
People with both vision and hearing impairment – known as dual sensory impairment (DSI) – have a 44 per cent higher risk of death than people with neither sensory impairment.
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Keeping career change teachers in schools
To ensure career change teachers remain in the profession, teacher educators must develop support strategies and consider the specific needs of career-change teachers.
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An energy-efficient method to reduce drag in high-turbulence conditions
A new method reduces drag in high-turbulence conditions by counteracting large eddies in the flow of air or water, affecting the efficiency of aircraft and ships.
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Beneath the Surface and Inside Out: exploring neuroscience through art
A collaboration between a textile artist and a neuroscientist explores how the brain’s predictive processes are linked to mental health.
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Identifying changes in leg joints of female runners during puberty
How running affects females’ knee and hip joints changes during puberty. The findings could help prevent common sports injuries in female adolescents.
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Waste management legislation in Pacific region countries – insights and opportunities
A comprehensive legal review aims to reduce environmental, health and economic risk and improve waste management in 15 Pacific region nations.
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Modelling can predict the best cancer treatment for patient groups
For many cancers, treatment options are too numerous to test in clinical trials. Modelling can be used predict the best treatment for patient groups.
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Psychological therapy reduces depression in women who have experienced domestic violence
Combined evidence from 33 clinical trials shows that psychological therapy may benefit mental health in women who have experienced domestic violence.
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Stroke patients in remote Australia can’t reach hospital in time
The time taken to fly stroke patients from remote Australia to specialised stroke units exceeds the ‘golden hour’ for diagnosis and treatment.
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Women, workplaces and volunteering
Women are more likely than men to take on workplace tasks that don’t lead to personal gain, potentially impacting promotions and workplace diversity.
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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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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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Modelling 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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Quantum sensing of chiton teeth
Quantum magnetic microscopy shows processes of iron biomineralisation in chiton teeth, the hardest known animal teeth.
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Ancient marine life left clues to early evolution
A previously unknown form of marine life that lived around 600–700 million years ago provides clues to early evolution.
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Marine bacteria push the limits of food-finding
Recreating microscopic features of the ocean shows marine bacteria have pushed food-finding behaviour almost to its limit.
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Plotting Indigenous 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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Gig economy requires a rethink of equality law
New ways to protect workers from discrimination and relevance of current equality laws questioned in gig economy.
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Letters show children's help for 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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Designing for resilience in bushfire-prone areas
Researchers have developed nine principles to help urban planners, emergency services and communities collaborate to reduce fire risk.
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How buruli ulcer spreads in humans
Mosquito bites and puncture wounds are likely to transmit bacteria causing Buruli ulcer, a disfiguring infectious disease in humans.