Research

Exploring secondary electron behaviour for next-generation quantum and fabrication technologies – Rose Wilkens

2025 Research Spotlight, Materials Science and Engineering, Pathway /

As the demand for faster, smaller, and more powerful technology grows, the microelectronics industry is reaching the physical limits of current manufacturing methods. Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography, the current state-of-the-art technique for fabricating microchips, is being pushed to its limits, as engineers work to create features measured in nanometres and even atomic scales. Exploring new […]

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A geochemical investigation into toxic metal behaviour in mining environments

2025 Research Spotlight, Archaeology and Geosciences, ECRG, Research /

By Georgia Barrington-Smith Beneath abandoned mine sites, a silent chemical threat lingers. When sulfide-rich rocks are exposed to air and water during mining, they trigger acid mine drainage—acidic runoff that releases toxic elements like arsenic (As) and antimony (Sb) into surrounding soil and water.This contamination can persist for decades after mining operations cease, threatening the

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Building the safety blueprint for future Moon missions

2025 Research Spotlight, Biotechnology and Biomedical Science, PGRA, Research /

By Georgia Barrington-Smith Have you ever wondered what the main risks of space travel are? Hollywood films like The Martian and Apollo 13 often portray the dramatic risks of space travel, such as mechanical failures, life support issues, and unpredictable space weather. However, as astronauts journey far from home, venturing into the cold, unforgiving vacuum

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How Saturn’s largest moon, Titan, could help us understand life’s origins.

2025 Research Spotlight, Materials Science and Engineering, PGRA, Research /

By Georgia Barrington-Smith In the quest to unravel one of life’s greatest mysteries—how it all began—scientists are looking beyond our planet, to the vastness of space, in search of the molecular seeds that might have sown life on Earth. One key stop on that journey is Titan—Saturn’s largest moon. For nearly two decades, NASA’s Cassini

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Thermo-electro-magnetic synergy: Unlocking next-gen thermoelectricity

2025 Research Spotlight, Materials Science and Engineering, PGRA, Research /

By Georgia Barrington-Smith Amidst the ongoing global energy crisis, industries such as power, manufacturing, and transportation are significant contributors to energy consumption. These sectors produce substantial amounts of unwanted heat as a byproduct, typically released into the environment through exhaust systems, heated surfaces, or cooling mechanisms. This thermal energy, often considered waste, represents a largely

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AINSE 2025 Gold Medal Ceremony and Networking Dinner

Environmental Science, Gold Medal, Materials Science and Engineering, Outreach, PGRA, Research /

On Tuesday 20th May 2025, our annual AINSE Networking Dinner was hosted at NSW Parliament House to bring together representatives from across the Australasian nuclear science and technology sector. As part of this event, AINSE Scholar Gold Medals for excellence and impact in research were formally awarded to: Read more about Rebecca’s and Hayden’s research successes below.

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Sustainably powering the digital age: Next-generation spintronic materials for a low-energy future

2025 Research Spotlight, Materials Science and Engineering, PGRA, Research /

By Georgia Barrington-Smith In today’s digital era, the rapid proliferation of online services and cloud computing has driven an unprecedented global demand for data centres. These facilities support the storage and distribution of vast data volumes, ranging from AI models to high-demand streaming content. Unfortunately, as our reliance on digital infrastructure and artificial intelligence accelerates,

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What Tasmania’s Pencil Pine teaches us about bushfire management.

2025 Research Spotlight, Archaeology and Geoscience, Archaeology and Geosciences, Environmental Science, PGRA /

By Georgia Barrington-Smith Anthropomorphic climate change is weakening the resilience of globally significant forests by altering their temperature and aridity. Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area (TWWHA) is particularly at risk, with longer, more intense bushfire seasons threatening this sensitive ecosystem. Amid ongoing climatic stress and ecological decline, important questions are emerging around the ability of

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Historical holes: Beneath the surface, caves hold the key to Australia’s wildfire history

2025 Research Spotlight, Archaeology and Geosciences, ECRG, Research /

By Georgia Barrington-Smith & Dr Rebecca Duncan Anthropogenic-driven climate change has extended the duration of Australia’s annual fire seasons, wreaking havoc on agricultural crops, wildlife, and homes. The 2019-2020 bushfires, which scorched over seventeen million hectares and claimed the lives of over one billion animals, provide a stark example of this growing crisis. Satellite observations

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Beyond Conventional X-rays: Recovering Multimodal Signals with an Intrinsic Speckle-Tracking Approach

2025 Research Spotlight, Biotechnology and Biomedical Science, PGRA /

By Georgia Barrington-Smith & Dr Rebecca Duncan For decades, conventional X-rays have been invaluable in clinical settings, enabling doctors and radiographers to gain critical insights into patients’ health. While traditional X-rays are still widely used, they are limited in the depth of information they can provide. New, advanced multimodal techniques, like phase-shift and dark-field imaging,

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