Science In Public
Science writers, communicators, media, training, and public relations
– Assoc Prof Maryanne Large speaking at the Big Science Communication Summit
Winter is slowly turning into spring, but science engagement is running hot, fired by the events of National Science Week. Many science communicators are also benefiting from the contacts made and lessons learnt at the Big Science Communication Summit, held earlier in the year.
L’Oréal Fellow Misty Jenkins and her colleagues at the Peter Mac have a paper published on Sunday that reveals how our immune cells kill damaged damaged, virus-infected or cancerous cells taking between one and two minutes to make the hit. Then these serial killers are free to strike again. And although the killer cells themselves are vulnerable to the poisons they use, they are somehow able to protect themselves from damage.
Melbourne researchers call on parents, dentists and other health professionals to act to save children’s teeth.
A recent study has shown that at least one in six children is affected by ‘chalky teeth’, placing them at a heightened risk of tooth decay. Many of the affected children are losing their adult molars and are on a path to years of expensive dentistry and orthodontics.
There’s currently no cure, but with early detection and dental treatment, tooth decay or tooth extraction can often be avoided. However, many cases aren’t getting to the dentist quick enough.
[Read more…] about Chalky teeth: a silent epidemic damaging 1 in 6 children’s teeth
Maths meets Carlton, AFL fights ACL
AFL knee injuries could be dramatically reduced if physiotherapists paid more attention to ankles, a Melbourne mechanical engineer has found. He is now trialling the mathematical models to help Carlton Football Club predict and screen for players at most risk of knee injuries.
Hossein Mokhtarzadeh has demonstrated that the ankle is key to preventing knee injuries that cost the Australian football codes tens of millions of dollars a year. As a University of Melbourne post-doctoral fellow at the Australian Institute for Musculoskeletal Science, Hossein is hoping to expand his work into protecting the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) against injury by developing exercises to strengthen critical muscles supporting the ankle joint. He also has a vision for a mechanical bracing system for those who may not be able to train their muscles to a sufficient level.
Sydney sea squirts show that there’s more to fertilization and IVF than we thought
For sea squirts the key to a long and happy life is to be fertilized not by a fast sperm, but by one that stands the test of time, Dr Angela Crean, from the Evolution and Ecology Research Centre at the University of NSW, has found.
And her discovery, published in PLoS, also shows for the first time that the influence of sperm extends well beyond the moment of conception. If further studies demonstrate the same effects in human sperm, the finding will change some of the assumptions used in IVF practice.
Trial of treatment underway in Perth
Perth researchers are planning to end the sleepless nights that families face when ear infections strike and won’t go away. Their research could reduce the need for antibiotics and surgery, and help tackle hearing loss in indigenous communities.
Dr Ruth Thornton and her research team at the University of Western Australia have discovered that sticky nets of DNA hide the bacteria in the ears of kids with recurrent middle-ear infections, where they evade antibiotic treatment by creating impenetrable slimy biofilms.
Ten stunning images have been selected as highly commended (including three finalists) for the New Scientist Eureka Prize for Science Photography.
The images showcase everything from cicadas to fluid mechanics. They will be published today on the Australian Museum and New Scientist websites, and are also available for publication.
[Read more…] about A splash, first light for a cicada, a neural dawn
The Australian Museum presents Australia’s premier science awards program.
Congratulations to the 100 individuals who were announced as this year’s finalists and are competing for 17 prizes worth $170,000.
Plus 10 stunning images revealed…