University of Melbourne

Venom from the sea cures human pain

The University of Melbourne’s Departments of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and Pharmacology have over recent years identified cone shell venom as a potential treatment for chronic pain in humans.

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Master switch turns plant sex life on and off

University of Melbourne researchers have isolated a genetic ‘switch’ that can be turned on or off to alter the development of sex cells in plants.

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Predicting Australia’s mineral future

Predictive mineral exploration by Australian scientists has given local mining companies a powerful edge in the hotly competitive world gold market. Instead of pouring money – and lots of it – into the ground in the quest for undiscovered mineral deposits: often coming up empty.

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From bionic ear to bionic eye

Melbourne scientists gave Australia the first practical bionic ear. Today, over 180,000 people hear with the help of the cochlear implant.

Now, The University of Melbourne is a key member in an Australian consortium developing an advanced bionic eye that will restore vision to people with severe vision loss. This device will enable unprecedented high resolution images to be seen by thousands of people with severely diminished sight, allowing them to read large print and recognise faces.

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From Roman nanocrystals to new gold catalysts

Two thousand years ago Roman glass blowers used gold nanocrystals to create vases with brilliant colours ranging from red to purple. Today, gold nanocrystals are being used as catalysts in chemical reactions and may even become high-density data storage devices.

Gold nanocrystals aren’t gold in colour. They change colour as their size and shape change.

A team led by Prof. Paul Mulvaney, at the University of Melbourne, is using gold nanocrystals as a colour-coded catalyst.

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From plastic money to plastic electricity

Tomorrow’s solar panels could bear an uncanny likeness to Australia’s polymer banknotes.

In fact, the first prototypes of a new kind of solar panel are being printed on the same printing presses that print Australia’s money.

The research team are confident that within five years these plastic solar panels will start appearing on windows, shade clothes and roofs across Australia.

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