“We’re only at the dawn of what is a very exciting age in this space”

19-Jan-2023

University of Queensland researchers have found a way to more efficiently convert sugarcane into a building block of aviation fuel and other products. By zeroing in on a specific enzyme, a UQ team working in collaboration with the Technical University of Munich (TUM) has sped up the slowest step ...

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New battery technology has potential to significantly reduce energy storage costs

09-Dec-2022

An international team of researchers are hoping that a new, low-cost battery which holds four times the energy capacity of lithium-ion batteries and is far cheaper to produce will significantly reduce the cost of transitioning to a decarbonised economy. Led byDr Shenlong Zhaofrom the ...

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“What began as an experimental annoyance ended up being a hint towards a capability of our microscope that is unique among current alternatives”

11-Nov-2022

While quantum computing seems like the big-ticket item among the developing technologies based on the behaviour of matter and energy on the atomic and subatomic level, another direction promises to open a new door for scientific research itself – quantum microscopy. With the advance of quantum ...

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Renewable material has many uses - from robotics and construction to water purification

17-Oct-2022

A new multi-functional material which can be used to purify water, as a recyclable construction material, and as a lightweight machine component for possible use in soft robotics, can also be moved remotely by a magnet. The new material that has been created and tested in theChalker Research ...

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A new design for solid-state hydrogen storage could significantly reduce charging times

16-Aug-2022

Researchers from the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) and Queensland University of Technology (QUT) have developed a new method to improve solid-state hydrogen fuel cell charging times. Hydrogen is gaining significant attention as an efficient way to store 'green energy' from renewables such ...

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The long-term goal is to engineer enzymes to degrade plastic waste

14-Jun-2022

Researchers at the University of Queensland have found a species of worm with an appetite for polystyrene could be the key to plastic recycling on a mass scale. Scientists discovered the commonZophobas morio‘superworm’ can eat through polystyrene, thanks to a bacterial enzyme in their gut. Dr ...

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Researchers have has discovered a ‘recipe’ which allows molecular switches to work at room temperature

10-Jun-2022

University of Queensland scientists have cracked a problem that’s frustrated chemists and physicists for years, potentially leading to a new age of powerful, efficient, and environmentally friendly technologies. Using quantum mechanics,Professor Ben Powellfrom UQ’sSchool of Mathematics and ...

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The ‘cool’ catalyst for a sustainable revolution in industrial chemistry

09-Jun-2022

Researchers in Australia have been able to use trace amounts of liquid platinum to create cheap and highly efficient chemical reactions at low temperatures, opening a pathway to dramatic emissions reductions in crucial industries. When combined with liquid gallium, the amounts of platinum ...

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Based on similar technology to night-vision goggles, Australian researchers have developed a device that can generate electricity from thermal radiation

20-May-2022

The sun’s enormous energy may soon be harnessed in the dark of night following a significant advance in thermal capture technology. Solar radiation heats the earth’s crust significantly during daylight hours, but that energy is lost into the coldness of space when the sun goes down. Now, ...

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Made from cheap chemicals, this polymer packs a punch

17-Mar-2022

An imaginative approach to polymer surface coating has produced a sustainable way to remove mercury from water – while providing a wide range of protection including for preventing metal corrosion and solvent damage of plastic PVC pipes. The smart coating, made from low-cost chemicals from oil ...

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