Last updated September 3, 2019 at 12:11 pm
Australian science awards highlight innovation across diverse fields.
Australian Museum Eureka Prizes © Photo by Salty Dingo 2018
The University of Sydney’s Thomas Maschmeyer has taken out the top prize in the 2018 Australian Museum Eureka Prizes, one of Australia’s prestigious annual awards.
Maschmeyer won the CSIRO Eureka Prize for Leadership in Innovation and Science for his start-up companies translating technology to address climate change, through recycling plastic and renewable battery systems.
And in the science engagement category, the Royal Institution of Australia’s Lead Scientist Alan Duffy, who is also a professor in astronomy at Swinburne University, won the coveted Celestino Eureka Prize for Promoting Understanding of Science.
Game-changing discoveries, medical breakthroughs, systems for sustainability, revolutionary inventions, inspiring leaders and schoolgirls who could be our next generation of scientists are among the winners announced at the Australian Museum last night.
The world stage
A total of $160,000 in cash prizes was presented across 16 Australian Museum Eureka Prizes for research and innovation, leadership, science engagement and school science.
Australian Museum Director and CEO, Kim McKay AO, congratulated the winners and highlighted the role of Australian researchers on the world stage.
“The winners of the 2018 Australian Museum Eureka Prizes show us yet again how Australia’s scientists are kicking the big goals – they are making impacts in many areas of global significance,” Ms McKay said.
“From life-saving breakthroughs in medical science to discoveries which provide a sustainable future and change how we see the world around us or those which allow us to understand how our own bodies and brains work, Australia is producing extraordinary, world-leading scientific results.
“It’s also inspiring to see so many women among the prize winners. Ten of the 16 prizes feature female winners or women involved on the winning teams. It’s particularly exciting to see the girls from Presbyterian Ladies’ College Sydney and St Margaret’s Anglican Girls’ School Brisbane taking out the primary and secondary school project prizes.
“We are proud to shine a light on these achievements through the Australian Museum Eureka Prizes and, in partnership with our sponsors, support scientists and researchers in their ongoing pursuit of discovery, influence and excellence.
The 2018 Australian Museum Eureka Prize Winners are:
RESEARCH & INNOVATION
NSW Office of Environment and Heritage Eureka Prize for Environmental Research
RE100, Australian National University
Professor Andrew Blakers, Dr Matthew Stocks and Bin Lu have challenged the barriers to renewable energy in Australia. The team discovered 22,000 sites that are suitable for cost-effective pumped hydro energy storage, raising the profile of opportunities for pumped hydro investment within the clean energy industry. At 100 times more than needed for a totally renewable electricity system in Australia, the team’s study proves cost and storage are no barrier to a clean, green future.
UNSW Eureka Prize for Excellence in Interdisciplinary Scientific Research
Optical Physics in Neuroscience, University of Queensland
The Optical Physics in Neuroscience team has devised cutting-edge methods for studying how our brains work to detect gravity and motion. Using optical trapping and novel microscopes, they successfully imaged the functioning brain circuits that process gravity and motion and combine this information with other senses. Bringing together two separate specialist teams, the group solved one of science’s greatest challenges – how to study movement systems without the subject moving.
Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre Eureka Prize for Innovation in Medical Research
CF Air, Metro North Hospital and Health Service; The Prince Charles Hospital; QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute; Children’s Health Queensland; University of Queensland; Griffith University; Gold Coast Health; and Queensland University of Technology
The CF Air team has uncovered the process by which the deadly pathogens causing airway infections are transmitted between cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. Their research has attracted considerable attention from the CF community, impacting clinical practice and policy and ultimately reducing infection rates amongst CF patient groups.
Johnson & Johnson Eureka Prize for Innovation in Medical Research
Professor Tony Weiss AM, University of Sydney
Professor Tony Weiss has developed an adhesive surgical glue that quickly seals wounds without the need for common staples. His research found the protein building-block tropelastin not only halves the time for new blood vessel ingrowth into a wound, but also triples the rate of wound closure. The technology, made from natural elastic protein, has the potential to revolutionise treatment at emergency sites and was recently sold to an international pharmaceutical company.
ANSTO Eureka Prize for Innovative Use of Technology
Professor Wendy Erber, Dr Kathryn Fuller and Henry Hui, University of Western Australia
The groundbreaking invention by Professor Wendy Erber, Dr Kathy Fuller and Henry Hui can detect abnormal chromosomes inside leukaemia cells. This fast, accurate and sensitive automated method can detect just one leukaemia cell in 10,000 normal cells, a major advance that will lead to personalised treatments and better patient care.
Macquarie University Eureka Prize for Outstanding Early Career Researcher
Dr Mohsen Rahmani, Australian National University
Imagine being able to see in the dark by accommodating a layer of smart particles, 500 times thinner than a human hair, on your eye glasses or car windscreen. Or a sensor which can detect ultra low concentrations for biomarkers in human breath, signaling someone is seriously unwell. Nano and meta technology – where everything is smaller, finer, lighter and more sensitive – can do just that. Dr Mohsen Rahmani is breaking the rules of physics, having developed a new class of nanoscale surfaces that have transformed the capabilities of today’s miniaturised consumer devices. His research has a wide range of applications including night-vision technology, smart mirrors & lenses and ultra-sensitive biochemical detectors, and several organisations are interested in commercialising his work.
Defence Science and Technology Eureka Prize for Outstanding Science in Safeguarding Australia
The Sapphire Clock Team, The Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing, University of Adelaide; and Cryoclock Pty Ltd
A clock which keeps time within one second over 40 million years offers the potential for an upgrade to Australia’s safety, allowing the Jindalee Over-The-Horizon Radar Network (JORN) system to emit signals that are 1,000 times purer than current methods and therefore see smaller objects at greater distances. Combining two decades of pioneering research with cutting- edge engineering, the Sapphire Clock Team’s technology offers the potential for a step change in the performance of the JORN, a vital Australian defence asset. The Sapphire Clock can help Australian defence agencies better identify threats to the nation.
University of Technology Sydney Eureka Prize for Excellence in Data Science
Smart Infrastructure Team, CSIRO’s Data61
Assessing the condition of water pipes is an expensive and disruptive process and water utilities operators typically inspect just one percent of network assets every year. The Smart Infrastructure Team has developed an analytical tool that makes intelligent predictions about failures, helping prioritise the selection of pipes for maintenance, reduce costs and minimise disruption to water supplies.
UNSW Eureka Prize for Scientific Research
Professor Sally Dunwoodie, Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute
What if a vitamin could prevent miscarriage, foetal death and birth defects? Professor Sally Dunwoodie and her multidisciplinary team have discovered the potential of vitamin B3 to treat a molecular deficiency causing miscarriages and multiple types of birth defects. Their finding could prevent developmental defects through a common dietary supplement, which may transform the way pregnant women are cared for around the world.
LEADERSHIP
3M Eureka Prize for Emerging Leader in Science
Associate Professor Elizabeth New, University of Sydney
Regarded as one of Australia’s brightest young inorganic chemists, Dr Elizabeth New’s leadership extends beyond her research to encompass teaching, outreach and mentoring. Committed to developing the next generation of scientists, she has built a strong network of collaborators and works tirelessly to improve research culture and environments. Elizabeth’s vision is to enable better prediction and diagnosis of diseases by developing new chemical tools to explain previously unseen biological processes. For instance, she was the first to show copper is critical in metabolic processes, suggesting copper deficiency may play a role in obesity and copper supplementation could therefore potentially restore healthy metabolism.
CSIRO Eureka Prize for Leadership in Innovation and Science
Professor Thomas Maschmeyer, University of Sydney
Professor Thomas Maschmeyer is a world leader in the chemistry of catalysis. He aims to generate and translate new knowledge into commercial solutions as part of his vision for a more sustainable world. His discoveries allow widespread use of renewables and recyclables in the chemical, material and energy spaces. His discoveries have resulted in 23 patents and the foundation of four companies.
University of Technology Sydney Eureka Prize for Outstanding Mentor of Young Researchers
Professor Nalini Joshi AO, University of Sydney
Professor Nalini Joshi has been instrumental in training and mentoring dozens of individual researchers and countless others through the broader mechanisms that she has established. A strong advocate for gender equality, her influential actions have transformed the research landscape and supported young female scientists across Australia. Nalini was an initiator of Science in Australia Gender Equity (SAGE) which is transforming the research landscape by increasing the encouragement, support and retention of female researchers in STEMM.
SCIENCE ENGAGEMENT
Department of Industry, Innovation and Science Eureka Prize for Innovation in Citizen Science
QuestaGame
By combining the forces of gaming mechanics and information economics with a unique online reward system, QuestaGame motivates users to engage with biodiversity. With over 1 million sightings and identifications, by participants in over 40 countries, this outdoor gaming app has quickly become the largest provider of expert-verified biodiversity image data in Australia. QuestaGame is also attracting the attention of young people, with some remarkable identifications such as a ten year old who has found more than 1000 species and an Aboriginal student who discovered a new species of spider.
Celestino Eureka Prize for Promoting Understanding of Science
Associate Professor Alan Duffy, Swinburne University of Technology and The Royal Institution of Australia
Associate Professor Alan Duffy is a regular and recognisable personality in the Australian media, promoting science to all Australians. Through a combination of mainstream and social media channels, he has demonstrated that astrophysics can stand alongside sport or business as a news segment, making science a part of everyday life.
Department of Industry, Innovation and Science Eureka Prize for Science Journalism
Adam Geiger, SeaLight Pictures Pty Ltd
Headlines tout the impending disaster facing the Great Barrier Reef due to climate change. Can We Save the Reef? puts biologist Professor Emma Johnston at the centre of the science, and explores the issues and stakes involved in our urgent quest to find the right solutions.
Broadcast on ABC TV’s Catalyst, 3 October 2017
SCHOOL SCIENCE
University of Sydney Sleek Geeks Science Eureka Prize (Primary School)
(Note: Entry in this category requires the production of a video – all finalist videos can be accessed at link at end of media release)
Amelia Lai and Caitlyn Walker, Presbyterian Ladies’ College, Sydney, NSW
It is estimated that bees pollinate one third of the food we consume each day, making them an integral part of our environment. In Bee Aware and Care, Caitlyn and Amelia explain the major causes of bee population decline and share some practical strategies for saving these important insects.
University of Sydney Sleek Geeks Science Eureka Prize (Secondary School)
(Note: Entry in this category requires the production of a video – all finalist videos can be accessed at link at end of media release)
Ella Woods and Emily Woods, St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School, QLD
It’s estimated that two out of three people in the world are not able to consume dairy products without experiencing gut discomfort and gas. In Gas Busters, Emily and Ella explain the science behind lactose intolerance, explore its evolution and present a simple solution that allows everyone to enjoy cow’s milk.
2018 Australian Museum Research Institute Medal
In addition to celebrating the winners of the Eureka Prizes, the 2018 Australian Museum Research Institute Medal was awarded to Professor Rebecca Johnson. The AMRI Medal is presented to an individual staff member, senior fellow or team from the Australian Museum for outstanding science and communication of their research outcomes.
Professor Rebecca Johnson was recognised for her outstanding work in forensic wildlife genomics. Professor Johnson is the Director of the Australian Museum Research Institute (AMRI) and passionate about conservation, reducing illegal wildlife trade and the importance of STEM education for environmental outcomes.
For more information on the 2018 Australian Museum Eureka Prizes, visit https://australianmuseum.net.au/eurekaprizes
