The ‘brown food web’: dead vegetation plays essential role in desert ecosystems
A reduction in decaying vegetation can have significant impacts on the desert food chain, UNSW scientists have found.
Online interaction is impacting the mood and cognitive function of young people
The potential for being judged online could be affecting the ability of adolescents to concentrate on everyday tasks, a study by UNSW Sydney researchers finds.
Lifesaving Device Providing Breath of Hope
Ramiah Martin isn’t like other little girls, and that’s perfectly fine with her mother.
“She is nothing short of a miracle,” Leanne Martin said of her daughter, who was facing long odds before her birth in December 2017, after being diagnosed with heart problems during a prenatal ultrasound. And the odds only got worse when Ramiah was born with an extremely rare developmental abnormality called tracheal agenesis — she didn’t have a trachea, or windpipe. About one in 50,000 babies worldwide are born with the condition, which is almost always fatal.
Soft Semiconductors that Stretch Like Human Skin Can Detect Ultra-low Light Levels
Flexible electronics breakthrough could enhance biosensor technology, from wearables to soft-robotic implantable systems
Semiconductors are moving away from rigid substrates, which are cut or formed into thin discs or wafers, to more flexible plastic material and even paper thanks to new material and fabrication discoveries. The trend toward more flexible substrates has led to fabrication of numerous devices, from light-emitting diodes to solar cells and transistors.
Platypus populations impacted by large river dams are more vulnerable to threats
A new genetic study by UNSW scientists finds large dams restrict platypus movement, with significant implications for their conservation.
Swarms of advanced UAVs to collect key environment data
Swarms of advanced unmanned aircraft are set to carry out aerial surveys of Antarctica – gathering crucial data on changes to the region’s environment and wildlife – as part of new research with engineers from the University of Sheffield.
Research into ancient lineage of microscopic fungi upends assumptions about its genetic relationships
Mycologists tend to base their evolutionary assumptions about all fungi on the higher fungi such as mushrooms, bread molds and yeasts. But that is a mistake, according to a major recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
T cells use force to destroy cancer cells
New research reveals the mechanical processes used by T cells to kill cancer cells more efficiently.
As a part of our immune defences, cytotoxic T cells – or killer T cells – seek out and destroy cells that are infected or cancerous.
A breakthrough discovery in carbon capture conversion for ethylene production
A team of researchers led by Meenesh Singh at University of Illinois Chicago has discovered a way to convert 100% of carbon dioxide captured from industrial exhaust into ethylene, a key building block for plastic products.
Secret behind ‘nic-sickness’ could help break tobacco addiction
If you remember your first hit on a cigarette, you know how sickening nicotine can be. Yet, for many people, the rewards of nicotine outweigh the negative effects of high doses.