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Curing blindness by repairing corneas with invisible films

A patented treatment could restore eyesight for millions of sufferers of corneal disease.

The University of Melbourne–led team of researchers have grown corneal cells on a layer of film that can be implanted in the eye to help the cornea heal itself. They have successfully restored vision in animal trials and are aiming to move to human trials next year.

Berkay Photo - Fresh Science Profile Victor Fortmann’s vision in one eye failed following a condition called bullous keratopathy. Two donated cornea transplants restored his sight for a period, but he now needs a third to restore his vision in that eye.

Over 2000 corneal transplants are conducted in Australia each year. But globally there’s a shortage of donated corneas, and the resulting loss in vision affects about 10 million people worldwide.

“We believe that our new treatment performs better than a donated cornea, and we hope to eventually use the patient’s own cells, reducing the risk of rejection,” says Berkay Ozcelik who developed the film working at the University of Melbourne.

“Further trials are required but we hope to see the treatment trialled in patients next year,” he says.

[Read more…] about Curing blindness by repairing corneas with invisible films

Health and medical highlights from Science Week

Fear and Facebook, future medicine, and the Broncos vs ballerinas fitness challenge

  • listingimage-300x160 Broncos vs ballerinas in a fitness challenge – Brisbane, QLD
  • Health lessons from the Neanderthals – Adelaide (SA)
  • Risky business or worried well? Science, fear and Facebook – Melbourne, VIC
  • What has a 50-year population health study found? – Busselton, WA
  • Will we be happier in 2084, thanks to future medicine? – Camperdown, NSW
  • Diabetes, heart disease, obesity: a looming healthcare crisis? – Westmead, NSW
  • Mobile health checks for Territorians – multiple locations across NT
  • Superbugs, the science of scent, and pharmaceutical science on the big screen – Parkville, VIC
  • Seeing clearly: what’s the latest from eye and vision science? – Nedlands, WA

… and there’s more on each below.

Find more National Science Week events online at www.scienceweek.net.au  [Read more…] about Health and medical highlights from Science Week

NASA’s hunt for life; spot wildlife not Pokémon; and evil weevils in your pantry

National Science Week starts tomorrow with over 1,700 events from Darwin to Antarctica

  • lightbulb_explosion_with_text Is that an evil weevil? What pests are in your pantry? – from Saturday 13 August across WA
  • Dinosaurs, bees, and a shark in a bus – Saturday 13 August in Sydney
  • Bleaching hits a crocheted coral reef – in Darwin all next week
  • How hard is it to get scientists to believe BS (bad science)? – Wednesday in Adelaide
  • Born in Atherton, he co-invented lasers –Wednesday to Saturday in Townsville/Atherton/Cairns
  • What do changes in the Southern Ocean and Antarctica mean for Tasmania? – Tuesday in Hobart, Wednesday in Launceston
  • The muddy trenches of World War I and the mucus-lined trenches of a nurse’s gut – a graphic novel – Saturday 20 August in Melbourne

Just a few of the highlights, and there’s more on each below.  [Read more…] about NASA’s hunt for life; spot wildlife not Pokémon; and evil weevils in your pantry

Queensland laser shows celebrate Australia’s forgotten Nobel

Rediscovering the physicist born a century ago in Far North Queensland who went on to win a Nobel Prize for his role in the invention of the laser.

Laser shows and more in Prokhorov’s honour in Atherton, Cairns and Townsville.

AOSlogo Australia’s forgotten Nobel Prize winner Aleksandr Prokhorov was born 11 July 1916 in Atherton, Far North Queensland—the child of refugee parents fleeing Tsarist Russia.

When he died in 2002, Prokhorov was a nation AIPlogo al hero in Russia. Here, his Australian roots are largely forgotten.

Australian physicists are now working to change that.

The centenary of Prokhorov’s birth will be celebrated in a series of spectacular laser-shows in Far North Queensland as part of National Science Week, this week:

Available for interview are ANU physicist Hans Bachor and Questacon science-theatre leader Patrick Helean, who have created and will present the show on behalf of the Australian Institute of Physics and the Australian Optical Society. The Optical Society’s Stephen Collins can talk about the effect that laser tech has had on modern life, and current Australian research. Former Science Minister Barry Jones is also available to comment on his meeting with Prokhorov.  [Read more…] about Queensland laser shows celebrate Australia’s forgotten Nobel

The ABC’s Wildlife Spotter is off to a brilliant start

Media release from ABC Radio National

Thursday, August 4, 2016

Australian wildlife scientists need all eyeballs on deck this August to help them study where Australia’s wild things are, as part of Wildlife Spotter — the ABC’s citizen science project for National Science Week (13–21 August 2016). 

Since its launch on Monday 1 August:

  • 133,601 images have been identified, and
  • 153,463 animals have been
  • spotted by 7,290 citizen scientists.

[Read more…] about The ABC’s Wildlife Spotter is off to a brilliant start

Wine science; Bull S…cience; flying robocops; and a ‘rock’ musical

South Australia launches National Science Week tonight

4 August 2015, launch at 5pm, Goyder Pavilion Mezzanine, Adelaide Showground

  • Flying robocops: how are Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems being used by SA police?
  • Going batty: are you living with tiny bats that you can’t see?
  • America’s 1950s Dyna-Soar spaceplane
  • Moonlandings, global warming, and vaccinations – all science conspiracies, right? WRONG.
    But how hard is it to get scientists to believe BS (bad science)?
  • The chemistry of your buttery chardonnay
  • Plus Brian Cox, dolphins after dark, space robots and more.

More than 170 National Science Week events will be held across the state – these are just some of the highlights. More on each below.

[Read more…] about Wine science; Bull S…cience; flying robocops; and a ‘rock’ musical

Help find the wild things: citizen scientists needed to spot wildlife caught on camera

wildspotter

Australian wildlife scientists need your eyeballs this August to help them study where Australia’s wild things are for Wildlife Spotter—the ABC’s citizen science project for National Science Week.

Australia is a vast country. Researchers have set up automatic cameras that are snapping wildlife day and night. Now they need your help to analyse the millions of photographs they’ve captured in tropical rainforests, the dry rangelands, and around our cities.

From superb lyrebirds to common wombats, from bettongs to bandicoots, from brush turkeys to Tassie devils, and even feral cats and foxes—scientists want to know which species are roaming both in the wild and in urban areas. Participants will help answer questions including: how many endangered bettongs are left; how well native predators like quolls and devils are competing with cats for food; and how common are common wombats.

You can join in by heading to the Wildlife Spotter website at www.wildlifespotter.net.au. [Read more…] about Help find the wild things: citizen scientists needed to spot wildlife caught on camera