News: School of Biological Sciences

Fishing for solutions to the plastic problem

Lead researcher of the study, Nina Wootton, with some jars of microplastics found in fish

More than 35 percent of fish caught in the waters off southern Australia contain microplastics, and the problem is worse in SA - but many people in the fishing industry aren’t aware that we even have an ocean plastic problem.

[Read more about Fishing for solutions to the plastic problem]

Ironing out the cause of Alzheimer’s disease

Zebrafish

University of Adelaide researchers have found important evidence supporting their theory that a deficiency of active iron in the brain is an important factor in Alzheimer’s disease.

[Read more about Ironing out the cause of Alzheimer’s disease]

How humans catalysed the extinction of the woolly mammoth

Woolly mammoths persisted in Siberia until the mid-Holocene. Credit Mauricio Anton - https://mauricioanton.wordpress.com/

New research shows that humans had a significant role in the extinction of woolly mammoths in Eurasia, occurring thousands of years later than previously thought. 

[Read more about How humans catalysed the extinction of the woolly mammoth]

Smuggling bear parts in Australia and NZ

Asiatic black bear in a cage. The sad reality of the illegal wildlife trade. Photo by yongkiet - iStock

Australia doesn’t have any native bears, yet our involvement in the illegal trade of bear parts and products is sadly a different story. 

[Read more about Smuggling bear parts in Australia and NZ]

Does Australia have too many kangaroos?

High densities of Eastern Grey Kangaroo (Macropus giganteus). Note the short grassy sward and the bones in the foreground that are evidence of kangaroos that have perished. Photo courtesy Melissa Snape.

Wildlife scientists have come together to call for urgent reforms to the management of Australia’s kangaroo populations.

[Read more about Does Australia have too many kangaroos?]

Too late for 2050 climate change emissions target

Professor Tom Wigley

New research from the University of Adelaide says the 2050 target to reduce climate change emissions is too little and too late.

[Read more about Too late for 2050 climate change emissions target ]

Student-led STEM research and technology on show

Faculty of Sciences Communication Award winners, from left, Mistrel Fetzer Boegheim (1st), Vinuri Silva and Sophie Dolling (2nd), equal third Chris Keneally and Julia Pilowsky.

Emerging scientists showcase their research at Ingenuity, University of Adelaide’s annual interactive expo of STEM projects.

[Read more about Student-led STEM research and technology on show]

The illegal wildlife trade has bigger ramifications than you might think

A vendor display featuring a sulcata tortoise, one of the largest tortoise species in the world, at a reptile trade convention in Florida, USA

Scientists have highlighted that the illegal and unsustainable global wildlife trade has bigger ramifications on our everyday lives than you might think.

[Read more about The illegal wildlife trade has bigger ramifications than you might think]

Examining Earth’s oldest complex fossils using AI

Sedimentary layers in Mars photographed by Curiosity rover (Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS).

University of Adelaide scientists will develop computer vision and machine-learning techniques to examine the fossil evidence of the Ediacara Biota – the earliest evidence of complex life.

[Read more about Examining Earth’s oldest complex fossils using AI]

Can we extract ancient DNA from dinosaurs?

Tarbosaurus dinosaur by 5350755 from Pixabay

Delve into the science behind ancient DNA – what exactly is it, and how easy is it to extract from remains?

[Read more about Can we extract ancient DNA from dinosaurs?]

RSS News Feed