Category: Science News

New Wastewater Technology to Clean Great Barrier Reef With Macroalgae

Australian researchers have come up with a new wastewater technology to clean the waterways of the Great Barrier Reef, one of the nation’s most precious natural assets. Developed by biotechnology company Pacific Bio, the RegenAqua technology uses native Australian seaweed and macroalgae, combined with sunlight, to remove harmful nutrients from wastewater before it enters waterways…


Leading Electricity Operator to Speed up Renewables Rollout

Transgrid, a power grid owner responsible for lighting up Australia’s three largest states along the east coast, has promised to beat an official timeline for delivering $10 billion (US$6.5 billion) worth of projects to embed renewable energy into Australia’s electricity market. Australia’s energy market manager AEMO expected these three transmission projects EnergyConnect, HumeLink, and VNI…


‘Beaver Blood Moon’ Offers World’s Last Total Lunar Eclipse Until 2025

Nighttime skywatchers from East Asia to North America will be treated to the rare spectacle of a “Beaver blood moon” on Tuesday, weather permitting, as the Earth, moon, and sun align to produce a total lunar eclipse for the last time until 2025. Here are some key facts about the upcoming celestial display, unfolding in…


Rare ‘Blood Moon’ to Excite Skygazers

Aussie skygazers will have the rare treat of seeing a total lunar eclipse where the moon turns into a blood-red astronomical body. Avid watchers armed with binoculars or a telescope for a better viewing experience should circle on Tuesday as the night for a phenomenon that will not be seen for another three years. A…


Reddish ‘Blood Moon’ Will Appear During 2022 Midterms for First Time Ever

A total lunar eclipse known as a “blood moon” will appear around the world on Tuesday, Nov. 8, coming hours after polls open across the United States for the midterm elections. The space phenomenon will be visible to viewers in North America, Central America, Asia, Australia, some Pacific islands, and in portions of South America….


Closest Known Black Hole to Earth Spotted by Astronomers

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.—Astronomers have discovered the closest known black hole to Earth, just 1,600 light-years away. Scientists reported Friday that this black hole is 10 times more massive than our sun. And it’s three times closer than the previous record-holder. It was identified by observing the motion of its companion star, which orbits the black…


Australia Inks Next-Gen mRNA Technology Deal With US

Commonwealth Serum Laboratories (CSL), an Australian biotechnology company and the world’s second-biggest flu vaccine manufacturer, has agreed to pay $312 million ($US200 million) to use groundbreaking mRNA vaccine technology from a U.S. company. The vaccine manufacturer announced on Nov. 2 that it had licenced the new technology with Arcturus Therapeutics, an American mRNA medicines biotechnology company….


Astronomers Discover Potentially Hazardous Asteroid That Could Collide With Earth

Astronomers have discovered three asteroids hiding in the sun’s glare, one of which could potentially collide with Earth in the future. The team of astronomers published the findings on Sept. 29 in The Astronomical Journal in a study titled, “A Deep and Wide Twilight Survey for Asteroids Interior to Earth and Venus.” Astronomers were able to…


World’s-First Gene Therapy Developed for Type 1 Diabetes

The Australian government has given a funding boost to an Australian biomedical research organisation, the Garvan Institute of Medical Research, to conduct clinical trials for the world’s first gene therapy for type 1 diabetes. The therapy was also developed thanks to the government’s ten-year $600 million (US$385 million) research accelerator program, targeted at addressing chronic and complex diseases….


Israeli Students Identify Compound to Prevent Hair Loss in Cancer Patients

Israeli biology students are researching a new way to prevent hair loss caused by chemotherapy in an effort to produce it on an industrial scale. Students at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology have been attempting to synthetically produce decursin, a hair loss deterrent, with the hopes of incorporating it into products such as shampoos, creams, and more. The team…