News: Biological Science
How effective is hand sanitiser at killing germs?
![Summer research students Kate Whyte and Rachel Chin set out to find just how effective soap and hand sanitiser is against microbes, such as bacteria and viruses.](/sites/default/files/styles/ua_landscape/public/media/images/2022-02/hannah-bacteria-rachel-and-kate.jpg?h=8268fcbc&itok=Zk1AwoG_)
Scientist Hannah Agnew and summer research students Kate and Rachel set out to find how effective soap and hand sanitiser is against microbes, such as bacteria and viruses.
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DNA traceability tools to help determine timber 'roots'
![Timber logs](/sites/default/files/styles/ua_landscape/public/media/images/2021-09/wood-1209632_1920.jpg?h=e5aec6c8&itok=BBThM2B9)
Researchers at the University of Adelaide in partnership with InterpreData and DoubleHelix Tracking Technologies, Singapore, have been awarded a $500,000 grant from the Commonwealth Government’s Global Innovation Linkages Program to develop scientific origin verification tools for global timber supply chains.
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More than enough yard to have your lawn and eat too
![Backyard in Adelaide's south west showing you can have a lawn and grow your own self-sufficient vegetable supply too.](/sites/default/files/styles/ua_landscape/public/media/images/2021-03/backyard-adelaide-lawn-vegetable.jpg?h=45f30cf2&itok=VcZrDNGX)
Adelaide residents would only need to give up a small area of their lawn to grow enough vegetables to become self-sufficient.
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'Ingenious' scientists feature at key research-industry showcase
![Ingenuity event image](/sites/default/files/styles/ua_landscape/public/media/images/2020-10/ingenuity-fb-43.jpg?h=c4dd2c7b&itok=5FZHsdhP)
Scientists will feature at Ingenuity 2020 – a showcase of student projects exploring real-life applications across all disciplines of STEM.
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Study sheds new light on vein formation in plants
![Philip Brewer](/sites/default/files/styles/ua_landscape/public/media/images/2019-10/researcher-photo-brewer-34.jpg?h=0c5b457d&itok=EHFnYVoz)
Scientists gain new knowledge about how hormones regulate plant growth.
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New 'Top Talent' appointment to lead plant synthetic biology research
![Dr Jenny Mortimer, appointed Associate Professor of Plant Synthetic Biology at the University of Adelaide.](/sites/default/files/styles/ua_landscape/public/media/images/2020-05/Dr-Jenny-Mortimer.jpg?h=2f83cd36&itok=TMjNCUR5)
The University of Adelaide has appointed California-based scientist Jenny Mortimer as the new Associate Professor of Plant Synthetic Biology, part of the Top Talent program to attract the world’s best minds to South Australia.
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Global collaboration to secure Antarctica’s Environmental Future
![Antarctica](/sites/default/files/styles/ua_landscape/public/media/images/2020-04/news-antarctica.jpg?h=ff758ef3&itok=oaFNuUoK)
University of Adelaide scientists to lead research into biosecurity and invasive species risk to Antarctica and the Southern Ocean.
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Partnership to revolutionise cancer diagnosis
![Study biomedical science](/sites/default/files/styles/ua_landscape/public/media/images/2019-04/biomedical-2139.jpg?h=2f83cd36&itok=w3lOYnjF)
University of Adelaide and Griffith University researchers have engineered a unique protein - SubB2M - that can detect cancer by using liquid biopsies, immunoassays, circulating tumor cell assays and PET imaging.
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Scientists a step closer to malaria drug development
![Malaria Biology](/sites/default/files/styles/ua_landscape/public/media/images/2020-03/malaria-biology.jpg?h=237014a0&itok=3mUVWhTj)
Scientists have identified a key protein that controls malaria parasite entry into host red blood cells.
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Early exposure to infections doesn’t protect against allergies, but getting into nature might
![Child playing in mud](/sites/default/files/styles/ua_landscape/public/media/images/2020-02/news-playing-in-mud.jpg?h=6eb229a4&itok=v2j73o5k)
Scientists say keep washing your hands, especially in cities and airports, but don’t be afraid of getting a little dirty in biodiverse environments.