By Kurtis Nagle 21 February 2025 4 min read Key points Our Undergraduate Vacation Studentship gives students the opportunity to collaborate with our leading researchers and use our world-class facilities. During the Australian summer, participants work on real projects in science, technology, and related fields. Students working on space and astronomy projects shared their unexpected and memorable experiences in the program. Every summer, university students have a unique opportunity to work alongside leading researchers and use our world-class facilities through our Undergraduate Vacation Studentship. Over 8-12 weeks, they gain hands-on experience, contributing to real projects in science, technology, and related fields such as science communication. While the program provides valuable technical skills, it’s the unexpected and memorable experiences beyond the science that truly make it special. We spoke with a few students working on space and astronomy projects during the summer. They shared some of the unexpected moments that made their time in the program really memorable. Marvels of engineering Most students enter the program anticipating the chance to work on cutting-edge research with advanced technology. However, witnessing this technology in action often catches them by surprise. This was certainly the case for Catherine Smith, a student based at the Canberra Deep Space Communication Centre (CDSCC) in Tidbinbilla, Australian Capital Territory. CSIRO manages CDSCC on behalf of NASA . Catherine climbed Deep Space Station 43 (DSS-43), the largest antenna at the CDSCC. With its 70-meter dish, DSS-43 is the largest steerable single-dish antenna in the Southern Hemisphere and the only one on Earth capable of communicating with NASA’s Voyager 2. “It’s the first antenna you see when you drive in, and even from the car, it’s incredibly impressive,” Catherine said. “But climbing the maze of stairs and ladders really gives you a true sense of what a feat of engineering the antenna is.” Once on the receiver turret inside the dish, Catherine was struck by the view. “You can just barely see the hills over the edge, but the first thing you notice is how warm and bright it is, particularly on a summer day,” Catherine said. The sheer effort that went into both engineering the dish and the science behind its operation left Catherine feeling inspired. “We did three asteroid observation runs with DSS-43 while working on my project and getting to see the antenna up close really helped me appreciate how much effort goes into gathering that data.” Friendships formed In addition to the scientific work, a common thread among all the vacation students was the lasting friendships they formed throughout the program. Mac Button, a vacation student working from our Kensington office in Western Australia, spoke warmly about the strong bonds she developed with fellow Perth-based students. “Everyone says that it’s about the friends you make along the way, and for us in Kensington, that was definitely true,” Mac said. The 2024/2025 Kensington-based vacation students. One evening, the five Kensington-based students ventured on a tour of a local animal rehabilitation centre after work, and it was there that their friendships deepened. “We spent the evening together, saying ‘aww’ a million times over all the cuddly marsupials and playfully competing about who spotted which animal first,” Mac recalled. “We saw owls up close and echidnas enjoying their dinner. My favourite part was pointing at the animals and joking, ‘That one’s older than you!’” The Kensington-based vacation students got up close and personal with an owl Reflecting on the experience, Mac shared how their connections grew into something special. “To be honest, none of us expected to form such strong friendships with the other students, but we’re incredibly grateful that we did,” Mac shared. “Nothing bonds friends like sharing our favourite obscure astronomy facts with one another.” A home away from home For many students, relocating for the program means finding a temporary home for the duration of their projects. For some of the students based in Marsfield, a suburb of Sydney, that home was ‘The Lodge.’ Tucked away on-site at our Marsfield facilities, The Lodge provides a convenient place to stay for staff, astronomers, collaborators, and students. With seven bedrooms, each with ensuite bathrooms, along with a communal lounge, fully equipped kitchen, and laundry, The Lodge has everything needed for a comfortable stay. For Angela Sojan, The Lodge quickly became one of the standout highlights of her experience. “It was so beautiful and peaceful, and it really made me feel at ease while working on my project” Angela said. The courtyard of The Lodge. Angela gives a lot of credit to the efforts of the Visitor Services Group, who went out of their way to make her stay at The Lodge as comfortable as possible. “The Visitor Services Group did everything they could to make The Lodge feel like home,” Angela recalled. “They even made sure to ask me about my favourite cereal, ‘Nutri-Grain,’ and fully stocked the kitchen with it!” Angela appreciated the Visitor Services Group, who kept the kitchen well stocked. Angela wasn’t the only student staying at The Lodge – she shared the space with a few others, and together they formed a close-knit group. “It was so much fun being housemates with the other students,” Angela said. “We would bake together, debrief about our weekends, and spend our nights playing games.” “Staying at The Lodge was truly a core memory!” As the Undergraduate Vacation Studentship program wraps up each year, participants leave with more than just valuable technical skills – they take with them unforgettable experiences and long-lasting memories. Whether it’s standing at the top of iconic antennas, forging bonds with fellow students, or finding a home away from home, the program offers experiences beyond research. Learn more about our Undergraduate Vacation Studentship - applications open in July. Previous post20 Feb 2025 Everyday AI: Sparking innovation in the workplace

By Smriti Daniel 20 February 2025 7 min read Key points Emily Goddard builds cutting-edge radio telescopes in remote WA, and loves being out in nature. Chirantan Parui is shaping a greener future, using science to drive sustainable solutions. Ash Porter uncovers viral secrets hidden in century-old specimens, tracing the evolution of diseases through time. With Mardi Gras just around the corner, three of our people are preparing to march – each on their own remarkable journey. From unearthing the secrets of ancient viruses to shaping a sustainable future and setting up cutting-edge telescopes in the outback, Emily Goddard, Chirantan Parui and Ash Porter are breaking new ground in more ways than one. Claiming space to shine Emily loves the big wide skies around her on Wajarri Yamaji Country. Right now, Emily Goddard is 450km away from her home in Geraldton, Western Australia. She’s in the outback at Inyarrimanha Ilgari Bundara, our Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory, one of the most remote workstations in Australia. And it suits her down to the ground. She and her partner came home after spending two years travelling 50,000 kilometres around Australia. Both had begun that journey after a period of shiftwork and were grateful they finally got to spend all their time in each other’s company. They also discovered something – they were no longer interested in the big cities, in a hectic life driven by consumerism and accumulation. Instead, Emily wanted to be out in nature. Emily was thrilled when she landed a job as a Field Technician on the international SKA Observatory’s SKA-Low telescope on Wajarri Yamaji Country. Her wish was granted when she landed a job as a Field Technician on the international SKA Observatory’s SKA-Low telescope on Wajarri Yamaji Country. When it’s complete, SKA-Low will be the biggest radio telescope of its kind in the world. “I knew I wanted to be part of that. And that’s what I love the best, I’m in the thick of it every day, putting up antennas, troubleshooting systems and chasing bungarra lizards out of the crib room. I love doing that stuff. It’s awesome!” And Emily also loves that she sees so much sky. Her day starts at 6am with a glorious sunrise, and at night innumerable stars wink back at her through the velvet dark. “That’s what we’re here for, isn’t it? And it’s incredible,” she says. Returning home has been the start of a whole new chapter for Emily, in particular because she chose to come out to her family for the first time as a 30-year-old. “I was very scared about moving back to Geraldton with my partner and just being concerned about how being in the community would be, but it has been a really positive experience. My family was incredibly accepting,” Emily says. Part of her confidence was rooted in her experiences of meeting other LGBTIQ+ people on their long journey around the continent. “I really, really love the queer communities across Australia. I love how accepting they are of everyone, how they let you be yourself. And whatever that looks like, it is just phenomenal,” she says. Now, Emily is gearing up to dance her way through the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade in 2025. It’s been a chance to reflect on all the things she’s learned. “Be whoever you want to be. You are you; you will meet so many people in your life, and if those people don't accept you for who you are, then they’re not your people. You will find your people. “I'm very strong in who I am, but it's taken me a very long time to get here. Now, I let that shine through.” Speaking up for his rights “This is my original voice,” Chirantan Parui says. These days, he speaks in a soft, gentle tone. But he also has a backup – a deeper, more traditionally masculine voice that he once relied on in interviews and professional situations. Back home in India, where Chirantan is originally from, he felt it was necessary to get by. Growing up, Chirantan knew homosexuality was illegal in his country of birth – a weight that only lifted in 2018 when India’s Supreme Court decriminalised it amid much fanfare and celebration. Yet discrimination still runs rampant. Chirantan is looking forward to marching in Mardi Gras for the first time. “I was told that’s what a man needed to sound like. If I didn’t sound like that, no one would pay attention to my qualifications or my experience. I’ve been in positions where I did not get a role because of my sexuality and how I sounded – simply because of who I am.” It’s been two years since Chirantan moved from India to Australia to take up a position as a CERC Postdoctoral Fellow with us. Two years of speaking in his true voice, of simply showing up as himself. Today, he wears a Pride-themed lanyard around his neck, with two additional rainbow ribbons pinned to it. “When you are allowed to be your authentic self, you can do wonderful things because you are in the best space in your mind. You are not worried about anything. You are just doing what you love, giving it everything you’ve got,” he says. No longer needing to mask himself has freed Chirantan to focus his energy on his research – specifically, on copper. When he looks at copper, he sees opportunity. It’s a strategic mineral for Australia that holds the key to net zero and a sustainable future. But it’s also becoming harder to find. In Australia, reserves could be buried under hundreds of metres of soil and rock – difficult to spot and even harder to access. As part of our Mineral Resources research unit, Chirantan is developing new knowledge to better understand critical and strategic minerals and tools to find them. Chirantan is now free to focus his energy on his research – specifically, on copper. Chirantan draws on his previous experience in the Himalayan region of India. "The foundational knowledge I developed as part of my PhD back in India plays a strong role in my current work – I’m building on top of that solid foundation,” he says. “I’m learning a lot of new tools and new methodologies on top of that.” Chirantan’s professional growth has gone hand in hand with his personal development. As a site champion for our Pride Network, he works hard to showcase the work we do. He’ll also be marching at Mardi Gras for the first time in his life – and he can’t wait. “I feel no anxiety or anything. I’m just looking forward to being myself and being with wonderful people,” he says. “I love how in Australia, and especially within CSIRO, you’re celebrated for being who you are.” Digging into the past, fighting for the future Cut open an ancient Viking’s tooth, and it will stink to high heavens. Ash Porter knows this fun bit of trivia because they’ve actually done it – a testament to their knack for finding DNA in the most unusual places. Teeth and eggshells, smallpox scabs, a vaccination kit used by a doctor dating back to the Civil War in the US, the toepads of preserved bird specimens – there’s hidden knowledge in all of them. Ash has spent their career looking for fragmented bits of viral DNA and RNA. Some of the specimens they examine are over a century old. The work offers valuable insights, revealing the vast diversity of viruses present in nature, and a better understanding of viral evolutionary timelines. Studying specimens like this can help scientists understand how viruses have evolved over time. “My background is in evolutionary biology, and I compare modern viral lineages or strains with the viral fragments we find in formalin-fixed wildlife specimens. It helps us understand how viruses have evolved over time, how they circulate in wildlife, and how they emerge in new hosts.” Ash loves this work. Ash's background is in evolutionary biology. © Gordon Gullock “For me, it’s about protecting wildlife, ecosystem and human health.” It was CSIRO’s incredible National Research Collections Australia that had Ash putting up their hand to work with us. They’ve also always joined the Pride Network at every institution they’ve worked in since they’ve been out. CSIRO has been no exception. “It’s a great way to make community, but it’s often a place where you can make change as well,” they say. Ash doesn’t remember many academics who openly identified as LGBTQI+ during their studies. It’s a big reason they want to be visibly queer and trans in the workplace. They’re conscious of everyone who came before, and of their responsibility to everyone who comes after. As Ash prepares to march in the Sydney Mardi Gras in 2025, they have a few people on their mind. “I’m still thinking about the original 78ers who marched, and how many of them had so much on the line when they did that. They were risking being outed to their families and workplaces at a time when you could lose your job, they were risking becoming targets of violence. It was courageous for them to do it, and also so important. “To me, it still is. It’s about pushing back against institutionalised homophobia and discrimination against queer people. It’s about declaring we are here.” Ash knows things have shifted in Australia in the intervening decades, but there’s still a need to push for inclusion, equity and intersectionality. “We’re also fighting for our queer family overseas who still have their basic human rights under threat,” they say. Why we care about diversity Coming up next20 Feb 2025 Everyday AI: Sparking innovation in the workplace Previous post19 February 2025 Could the ocean have a climate solution in store?

By Nikki Galovic 20 February 2025 4 min read Key points AI is reshaping the workplace across all industries, including firefighting, but human skills remain essential. An AI-powered tool called Spark is helping predict and manage bushfires, demonstrating the practical applications of AI. AI offers some benefits like increased efficiency, but it also raises concerns including job displacement. Balancing these factors is key to successful integration. In the heart of Australia's bushfires, where the flames can be as fierce as the conditions are extreme, artificial intelligence (AI) is helping save lives and protect property. Chantelle O'Brien, a seasoned bushfire system specialist, has witnessed firsthand the terrifying power of these natural disasters. "I've been to some big fires where it's very terrifying, and you just have to focus on the tasking that you've been given," Chantelle said. Bright spark fighting fire with AI Chantelle is a bushfire system specialist with a long career fighting and managing bushfires. She works at the Australasian Fire and Emergency Services Authorities Council (AFAC) providing expert advice on bushfire behaviour. This includes how fires behave based on different fuels, terrain and weather. Her role is to help predict how a fire will spread based on weather patterns and local landscapes. Accurate predictions help put firefighters in the right place at the right time and get information out quickly. Previously, these predictions took hours and involved maps, paper, and pens. Today, technology has drastically changed the landscape of firefighting. Spark, a tool we developed that uses AI among other technologies, helps with fire predictions, significantly speeding up the process. Spark is an AI-powered tool that helps predict bushfire spread in minutes - giving firefighters crucial time to respond. “Typically, those paper and pencil predictions would take about an hour. Spark can do a quick prediction and we can get a warning out within about ten minutes,” Chantelle said. When you’re getting information out to frontline firefighters and communities in danger, every minute counts. Spark uses data like weather patterns, vegetation types, terrain, and past fires to help predict how a fire might behave. When a fire starts, a situation officer like Chantelle gets the location. She feeds that information into Spark. Spark then runs a simulation predicting how the blaze might spread. Firefighters report on the ground changes in weather or the fire's behaviour. Chantelle updates Spark with this real-time data so the simulation reflects the actual fire. AI: Friend or foe in the future of work? AI is becoming a familiar tool in many workplaces, from factories to finance, raising questions about the future of work. So, what does the future hold? Will human workers, even firefighters or weather forecasters, become redundant? Is AI coming for our jobs? We still need expert firefighters to run an AI tool like Spark. This is likely reflective of how we’ll see AI used broadly to augment human experts in many fields. Dr Claire Naughtin leads our Data61 digital futures team. She explained that as AI continues to evolve, the nature of work is bound to change. "For the majority of the workforce, we're likely to all have our work and our jobs impacted and augmented by AI to some extent," she said. We all need to ensure we’re continually learning and adapting to successfully navigate this transformation. But we shouldn’t be too quick to adopt every new AI tool that piques our interest. Australia is in a period of declining productivity growth. We’re at a 60 year low in labour productivity growth right now. That's true of many developed countries across the world. Productivity is essentially the value and output we can generate during the time that we spend in our work. And while some AI tools can make us more productive, they shouldn’t be seen as a silver bullet solution. We’re not going to laze our days away by the beach while a robot does all our work for us in a fraction of the time. The future of work is evolving, with AI augmenting human decision-making and collaboration across industries. Soft skills the hard truth in the age of AI There’s no denying we will see job losses and industry transformation as a result of AI. But Claire explained that the data in recruitment advertisements tells an interesting story about some of the changes we’ll see. While some repetitive or manual tasks can be automated, our uniquely human skills are critical. “Interpersonal skills are amongst the highest and fastest growing skills category across the workforce. We're likely to see this continue as AI continues to augment and change how we complete our work,” Claire said. AI is streamlining creative work, but human originality and problem-solving remain irreplaceable. As AI advances, its impact on various industries, including firefighting, is far-reaching. While tools like Spark can be useful, human expertise remains indispensable. The key lies in successful collaborative partnerships between humans and AI, where each complements the other’s strengths. We explore these stories and more in episode four of our podcast Everyday AI season two. Tune in as we ignite your curiosity about the nuts and bolts of AI in the workplace. Subscribe to Everyday AI wherever you get your podcasts Previous post20 Feb 2025 Marching with pride: three journeys to Mardi Gras

By Sharon Hook , Lev Bodrossy , Sophie Schmidt 19 February 2025 5 min read Key points Ocean alkalinity enhancement, or OAE for short, has emerged as one possible solution for Australia in tackling carbon dioxide removal. Elevating the ocean's pH may help it to act like a sponge and absorb more atmospheric carbon dioxide. Genomics-based approaches may help to resolve key uncertainties which remain around the environmental impacts of changing ocean pH. What if one of the solutions for climate change were to boost the storage capacity of the ocean? That's what a new area of science called ocean alkalinity enhancement (OAE) promises. It's a solution inspired by nature – where seawater absorbs carbon dioxide (CO2). Over vast time spans, CO2 dissolves into the ocean. It's then permanently stored away as carbonate ions. The transfer of CO2 from the atmosphere into the depths of the ocean can take centuries, but OAE could accelerate this process. Elevating the ocean's pH using ocean alkalinity enhancement (OAE) may help it to act like a sponge and absorb more atmospheric carbon dioxide. There is more than one way to add alkalinity to the ocean. It can be done using electrochemistry to split seawater into acidic and basic components. Another way is adding alkaline minerals. Both OAE methods lead to the same outcome. Adding alkalinity elevates the pH, causing a shift in the carbonate system in seawater. This results in additional uptake of CO2 from the atmosphere. OAE is gaining momentum in countries like the US, Canada, and more recently, Australia. It could help remove excess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and rebalance the carbon cycle. It could also counteract ocean acidification. It’s an enticing solution. But can’t we just plant more trees? We need new carbon solutions Not really. Here's why. Trees, soils and the ocean all play an essential role in abating climate change. They do this by sequestering atmospheric carbon dioxide. Today, CO2 is accumulating in the atmosphere at an unprecedented rate. In response, most nations, including Australia, are looking at reducing and removing greenhouse gas emissions as quickly as possible. Many of the ways to remove carbon dioxide are familiar to us. These include planting trees, managing soils, or restoring mangroves or kelp forests. Unfortunately, there isn’t enough room in these carbon sinks to store the amount of carbon dioxide required to limit global temperature increases to under the Paris Agreement target of 2 degrees. There’s also the issue of permanence. Bushfires and other catastrophes can release stored carbon back to the atmosphere. [Music plays and a split circle appears and photos of different CSIRO activities flash through in either side of the circle and then the circle morphs into the CSIRO logo] [Image changes to show the camera panning over the ocean, and text appears: Carbonlock- Research Project Spotlight, Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement [Images move through to show Dr Elizabeth Shadwick talking to the camera, underwater view of fish swimming around, and an aerial view of camera panning over the ocean and land, and text appears: Dr Elizabeth Shadwick, CSIRO Elizabeth Shadwick: I am Dr. Elizabeth Shadwick. I am a chemical oceanographer, and my research is focused on observing and understanding the ways in which the ocean exchanges carbon dioxide, or CO2, with the atmosphere. [Images move through to show the Earth, a view from above the clouds, waves breaking and coming towards the camera, and then various underwater views of a diver and fish] Net removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere requires both capturing it, so getting it out of the atmosphere, and also storing it somewhere over long periods of time. And the ocean has emerged as one of the feasible places where we could potentially store additional CO2 over long time periods. [Images move through to show the camera panning through rocks underwater, over a boat moving across the ocean at sunrise, and then panning in to the waves trapped between rocks of a blowhole The ocean is by far the largest reservoir of carbon on the planet in the present day. It already contains some 45 times more carbon dioxide than what is currently in the atmosphere. [Image changes to show a medium view of Elizabeth talking to the camera, and then a close view of Elizabeth talking to the camera] Rocks are input to the ocean and those allow the waters to become more basic or more alkaline, which induces an uptake of CO2 from the atmosphere [Images move through to show an underwater view panning left showing waves hitting the rocks, panning through a deep underwater ravine, and then past various rocks] And in fact, it's this process that occurs naturally in the ocean and allows CO2 to move from the atmospheric reservoir into the deep ocean, where it stays in a stable form for tens of thousands of years. [Images move through to show a fish swimming into a cave, an oil refinery, a power plant, an aerial view of the power plant, logs stacked, a male using a cement mixer, and fish in an underwater cavern] If we wait long enough the majority of anthropogenic CO2, so that's CO2 that has found its way into the atmosphere from human activities, those are burning of fossil fuels, deforestation, cement production, those CO2 emissions will ultimately end up in the ocean through natural processes. [Images move through to show an underwater view looking up to the surface, camera panning in to the fish swimming around rocks, and then a diver swimming in a cave] We would like to find technologies and strategies that allow us to forcefully accelerate the process of moving the CO2 into the ocean. [Images move through to show various views of Elizabeth talking to the camera, an underwater view of fish swimming through kelp, and then fish swimming underwater] We are focusing on studying something called ocean alkalinity addition, which is adding alkalinity or a basic material to the ocean to induce an additional uptake of CO2 from the atmosphere. [Images move through to show waves crashing on rocks with blowholes, various views of Elizabeth talking to the camera, and then an aerial view of ocean waves] What we are interested in doing is what we call electrochemical approaches, and that involves a first step of taking seawater and splitting it into its acidic and basic components, so that would be hydrochloric acid as the acid and sodium hydroxide as the base, and then reintroducing the basic component back to the ocean. [Images move through to show an underwater view of a diver swimming with fish, rocks underwater, and then the glare of the sun’s reflection on the ocean] The way that we will track this modified stream of seawater is using both in ocean state of the art sensors, some of which are being developed by our team and also really sophisticated biogeochemical ocean models. [Images move through to show Dr Richard Matear talking to the camera, hands using a keyboard, and fish swimming around a reef, and text appears: Dr Richard Matear, CSIRO] Richard Matear: I am Richard Matear. I am a climate scientist working at CSIRO. I have spent about three decades modelling the climate system, with a particular focus on the oceans and the role of the oceans in the climate and carbon cycle [Images move through to show a close view of a supercomputer, waves washing into a beach, an underwater view of the ocean floor, and then a time lapse of a boat moving across the ocean at sunset\ With models, we can actually do this ocean alkalinity addition. We can track how it behaves in the ocean and we can also quantify how it's taking up carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. [Images move through to show a camera view panning down underwater to the seaweed on ocean floor, and then a partial view of the Earth’s surface So the models provide a nice kind of toolkit to first start that exploration and we have done that at global scales [Images move through to show various views of rocky coastline, an aerial view looking towards the town, a time lapse of an ocean and land view, and then fish swimming past coral] And as we push forward with this particular project, we'd like to do that at much more local and regional scales. [Images move through to show waves rolling past as the camera pans out, fish swimming over coral, various views of Richard talking to the camera, and three squid swimming over seaweed] This research is not advocating doing carbon dioxide removal, but really providing the fundamental science that allows us to make a critical assessment of whether this is a good idea or not. Our research is really targeting can we have an effective way of removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere? Can we do it in a way that actually doesn’t have any detrimental impacts on the biology of the ocean or the chemistry of the ocean? [Images move through to show various views of Elizabeth talking to the camera, the power plant producing smoke, and the eye of an cyclone] Elizabeth Shadwick: The idea that we should not tinker with the ocean is a really understandable place to be and earlier in my own career, I shared some of those reservations. [Images move through to show aerial view of flattened trees, and then an aerial view of a flooded river] I think now that the problem has become so much more urgent and we are really beyond the place where we can just rely on moving away from emissions we really need to do net removal as well. [Images move through to show an aerial view of a fire engine moving beside burnt smoking ground, two kangaroos, and then various views of Elizabeth talking to the camera] I think one way of helping people to understand the urgency is to think of the natural experiment that we are already all of us participating in, which is the release of fossil fuel emissions to the atmosphere. [Images move through to show various views of power plants billowing smoke, and then fish swimming beside an anemone on rocks] One could argue that's the biggest geoengineering experiment we have going and what we are talking about would actually help to reset the ocean to its pre-industrial conditions. [Images move through to show an aerial view of a bushfire raging, an aerial view of a vehicle moving along a flooded roads past flooded buildings, and then a dolphin breaching and swimming] My hope is that the need for action outweighs the reluctance to tinker. But first, of course, we need to show that we can do these things without causing harm. [Image changes to show a diver and fish swimming around a coral reef as camera pans in and to the right] And we need to show that we can do these things in a safe and transparent way. [Music plays as image changes to show a white screen with the CSIRO logo, and text appears: Australia’s National Science Agency] View transcript Copy embed code Share & embed this video Link https://www.youtube.com/embed/6O-YlLyO1CY?si=uxPvO-bYPuIhA2n Copy Embed code Copy Copied! The international consensus is now clear that reducing emissions is no longer sufficient to limit warming increases to under 2 degrees. We now need to remove carbon dioxide durably from the atmosphere and store it away for long time periods. This means a raft of new solutions, including adding crushed rocks and microbes to soils, installing large vacuum machines on land, and OAE are now needed. We must deploy these technologies fast and at scale to prevent serious risks. What are the risks of OAE? As marine scientists and communicators, we’re the first to advocate for the health of our oceans. That includes ensuring that climate solutions do not have greater risks than benefits. Because it involves adding materials to the ocean, OAE is not without its complexities. One concern is around marine ecosystems. With the known consequences of ocean acidification on marine life, there is concern that elevating pH may have equivalent impacts on marine ecosystems. Tiny marine plants called phytoplankton photosynthesise – just like plants on land – and generate oxygen. They do a lot of heavy lifting when it comes to contributing the oxygen in the air we breathe. On the other hand, alkalinity enhancement (lowering acidity) could benefit shell-forming organisms, like oysters and scallops. But subtle changes to the pH could have unintended side effects. Why use genomics? We must ensure OAE can be deployed in a safe and transparent way. And we must be certain that any approaches we use have known and tolerable environmental consequences. Experiments in the field can help us measure for impacts, including those that we may not have originally accounted for. This includes understanding which types of phytoplankton are in the ocean, and what ocean conditions are present. But we need to go further. We need to be able to verify what is happening at a microscopic level. Our decades-long research into genomics could play a significant role in closing knowledge gaps. Genomics allows us to monitor changes in ecosystems for assessing impacts. It could be an important tool for ocean-based carbon dioxide removal technologies. © Sarah Firth Genomics is the study of genetic material (DNA and RNA) collected from samples. We’re interested in samples from phytoplankton and other microorganisms (known collectively as ‘plankton’). These make up the base of the ocean food chain. Why use plankton for ecosystem monitoring? Plankton may be small, but they play a huge role in ecosystem health. They are sensitive to disturbance but quick to recover. So, if we measure a disturbance at this level in the ecosystem using genomics, we can quickly stop OAE experiments to prevent more widespread ecosystem-level changes. Two of these new monitoring technologies could help in understanding the risks and opportunities of OAE. Metabarcoding: we can use common genes in the plankton’s DNA to create a name tag ID. This approach tells us which plankton are present and abundant in a water sample. This means if a sensitive organism were to diminish or disappear, we would be able to tell. Metatranscriptomics: we can measure all the RNA in a sample of seawater. This allows us to tell what physiological processes the plankton are carrying out at the time. Using these tools would let us know if the small changes in pH would lead to big changes in the metabolic capacity of the plankton. They would also tell us how big the changes would be and over what scale. This would allow us to predict if other animals in the ecosystem would be affected. Genomics could provide essential guardrails to protect our marine ecosystems. What does this mean for future OAE research? It's important to remember that genomics provides just one line of evidence to ensure that OAE approaches are safe and effective. We don’t have all the answers to make a call on OAE just yet. But we're certain OAE warrants further investigation. Large-scale modelling simulations have already shown OAE to be effective, but we still need to determine whether it is a potentially viable CDR option for Australia. If OAE progresses to large-scale deployments, it will require robust and safe methodologies. Our research has helped provide a tool to assess environmental impacts of OAE. Genomics could provide essential guardrails to protect our marine ecosystems. Ultimately, OAE technologies in development will need to be modified and adjusted in response to emerging research like ours to ensure that they are developed responsibly and safely and deliver a net positive benefit to our planet. Dive into our ocean alkalinity enhancement research Previous post13 Feb 2025 Overcoming challenges old and new to improve energy efficiency in Australian homes

18 February 2025 News Release 2 Photos 1 B-roll Video CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, has today launched an important new national resource of isotopic data – food’s unique fingerprint – that can be used to help protect and further grow Australia’s reputation for high-quality, safe, and sustainably-produced food. Isotopes.au consolidates a treasure trove of isotopic data from Australia’s leading research agencies into a single, open-access and trusted resource, which can be used by regulators and industry to verify a food’s provenance and sustainability claims and ensure compliance with trade regulations. Isotopic data can be used to identify where key food commodities were grown, as well as the amount of water or carbon emissions that were part of production. CSIRO lead scientist, Dr Nina Welti, said Isotopes.au could also underpin the development of sustainability standards for Australia’s $80 billion agriculture and food export industry. “Customers increasingly want to know where and how their food was sourced so they can make ethical and more sustainable choices,” Dr Welti said. “Isotopes are unique chemical ‘fingerprints’ that imprint clues of a product’s origin, as well as the inputs that went into production, and environmental factors like soil nutrients and groundwater flows. “This is just the beginning of capturing Australia’s wealth of isotopic data into one place – Isotopes.au – to help industries demonstrate how they’re meeting environmental targets for greater transparency with trading partners and consumers.” Isotopes.au was developed by CSIRO in partnership with Geoscience Australia, the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), and the National Measurement Institute, with co-investment from the Australian Research Data Commons (ARDC). Isotopes.au will continue to be expanded to include more data, broadening beyond land-based measurements. For example, the fisheries and aquaculture industry are set to reap benefits as additional applications are developed to track marine products through the supply chain. Fisheries Research and Development Corporation General Manager for ICT and Digitalisation, Kyaw Kyaw Soe Hlaing, said timely access to supply chain data is key to responding to several challenges facing the sector. “Data is key to maintaining sustainable practices, reducing carbon emissions and responding to increasing competition for marine space,” Mr Soe Hlaing said. “We use isotopes to answer questions about fish movements and food web dynamics. “Isotopes.au is a powerful tool that complements our ARDC-supported research infrastructure project, which is looking to liberate key sources of fisheries and aquaculture data.” Isotopes.au aligns with industry goals to consolidate data for more trusted supply chains, and aligns with the National Agricultural Traceability Strategy. It could also support the development of food circularity in production systems by underpinning safety standards for food reuse. The resource complements a suite of CSIRO research and innovations aimed at growing the value of Australia’s agrifood exports, including a digital ecosystem to boost food safety and new tools to simplify and manage pest risks. Explore Isotopes.au. This project received co-investment from the ARDC. The ARDC is enabled by the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS). Images Isotope map of Australia made by CSIRO using data from Isotopes.au. Download image PNG 1MB Dr Nina Welti. Download image JPG 7MB B-roll video B-roll: Agriculture and food Download video ZIP 296MB View transcript

17 February 2025 News Release CSIRO, Australia's national science agency, is calling for expressions of interest for ‘Innovate to Grow: Queensland’, a free eight-week research and development (R&D) training program, aimed at helping Queensland small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) transform innovative ideas into research-ready projects across a range of sectors. This R&D training program, delivered as part of the Queensland Government funded Regional University Industry Collaboration (RUIC) program, guides businesses through developing and implementing R&D strategies with support from experienced researchers and industry mentors – with a focus on collaborations with regional universities. Queensland Chief Scientist, Professor Kerrie Wilson, said this training will equip SMEs with the tools to build partnerships with regional universities to commercialise their innovative ideas and drive economic growth. More than one-third of the 650 participants from CSIRO’s Innovate to Grow program have been from regional Australia, demonstrating strong engagement from businesses outside major metropolitan areas. RUIC Program Facilitator, Dr Brendan Kidd, said the program addresses a critical need in Queensland’s innovation ecosystem. “One of the biggest challenges for SMEs is knowing how to effectively engage with the research sector,” Dr Kidd said. “CSIRO’s Innovate to Grow bridges that gap by teaching businesses how to speak the language of R&D, identify the right research partners, and structure their projects in ways that attract both research interest and potential funding opportunities.” James Lister, whose company LP One develops sustainable bio-based alternatives to conventional materials, found the program’s structured approach invaluable. "The Innovate to Grow program was a great introduction at the early stages of our business," Mr Lister said. “The staged process for deliverables and assistance from mentors has been great, helping us progress from initial concept to developing potential research collaborations.” Innovate to Grow is now open to Queensland-based SMEs working on innovative technologies or solutions across a range of sectors, including: Agriculture and food Digital technology and AI Environmental sciences Health and biomedical sciences Indigenous science Manufacturing Mining and mining equipment, technology, and services Renewables and low emissions technologies Space and defence Transport To learn more and apply. The Regional University Industry Collaboration (RUIC) program is funded by the Queensland Government and delivered by CSIRO. Partner universities are James Cook University, Central Queensland University, University of Southern Queensland and University of the Sunshine Coast. The RUIC Program is designed exclusively for Queensland-based SMEs, providing support at every stage of their R&D journey.

By Amanda Dunne , Bronwyn Adams 13 February 2025 4 min read Key points Two CSIRO studies are providing a more complete picture on how modern Australians use energy at home, opening the potential to shape policy, research and construction as we move towards net zero. Dr Pippa Soccio is investigating how Australians living in apartments use energy in a two-year study that will track indoor environmental conditions and behaviour. Mr Michael Ambrose is testing a methodology that would see the nation’s energy efficiency ratings for new homes expanded to existing homes. As Australia moves towards a target of net zero carbon emissions by 2050, our researchers are working to fill a big missing piece of the puzzle – existing houses and apartments. The Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme (NatHERS) provides clear standards for the construction of new dwellings. Now, Michael Ambrose and team are testing a method that would allow the scheme to be applied to existing homes built prior to the introduction of NatHERS. Meanwhile, Dr Pippa Soccio is undertaking Australia’s largest-ever investigation of the energy use of people living in apartments, a group that has been traditionally neglected in energy studies. Both scientists have had to overcome unexpected challenges to advance these projects to being tested in Australian homes. Some of these challenges have their roots in the 1940s, while others are very modern. Powering through challenges Pippa said the origin for energy efficiency models is detached housing in the 1950s, when scientists from CSIRO’s Division of Building Research Laboratory started investigating the influence of climate on buildings. Several assumptions were made back then about how people live. “For example, I found that the heat gain schedule used in the model assumes a household will start cooking an evening meal at 4pm using heat-intensive activities like using the oven, grilling and frying,” Pippa said. “This doesn’t account for changes in behaviour over the past 80 years, especially in apartments, which may not have a big enough oven to cook a roast or even feature an oven at all.” With a growing number of people living in apartments – they are now the dominant form of new dwelling being constructed in New South Wales – the time is ripe to understand their energy use. The Apartment Energy Behaviour Study involves monitoring actual energy usage over a period of two years, via a device placed into participants’ apartments that shares data with the researchers. This might sound straightforward, but it has thrown up numerous, often-unexpected, logistical challenges. The devices needed to be: easy to install aesthetically pleasing, or at least neutral designed to minimise electrical cords to avoid the risk of being unplugged capable of collecting accurate data that can be accessed remotely. To identify a suitable device, Pippa set up a testing wall at home in her living room, where she tested different devices to determine which would work best for this project. Pippa tested various devices on the wall of her living room. The end result is a kit Pippa refers to as a "CSIRO show bag", full of everything an installer might need. Procuring enough devices for 430 apartments led to hundreds of boxes (weighing 1.4 tonne) being delivered to CSIRO, and the team needing two weeks just to unbox them all! Then there have been the challenges in recruitment, including a very modern problem. Participation in the Apartment Behaviour Energy Study is targeted so Pippa can control for variables in apartment design and construction. After identifying appropriate buildings, she then wrote to occupants inviting them to take part with a personalised, hand-written letter and a postcard with links and QR codes to more information. People thought it was a scam. “Because it’s so customised and bespoke and very much about trying to target people to make them feel special, it’s had the opposite effect, because it doesn’t look like what they expect from CSIRO,” Pippa said. She is working to overcome this problem by placing sandwich boards outside target buildings, and identifying champions within the building who can reassure and recruit neighbours. Pippa produced sandwich boards to place outside apartment buildings to reassure residents that her research is not a scam! Shining new light on energy efficiency in homes While Michael hasn’t faced the same recruitment challenges as Pippa, he has had to go through the same challenge of developing new methodologies for his NatHERS Existing Homes Trial. “New homes have a full set of documentation that allows an energy assessment, but collecting this information for existing homes was traditionally very laborious and involved someone measuring the whole house with a tape measure or using a $40,000 laser scanner,” Michael said. “But if we’re going to make energy efficiency a mandatory disclosure, the rating process needs to be quick, cost-effective and accurate.” Michael and his team are exploring how the Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme (NatHERS) could be adapted to assess the energy performance of existing homes. Michael is taking advantage of new laser scanning technology that can be accessed from an iPad and allows an assessor to scan an entire double-storey home in 20 minutes, then import that data into modelling software. It’s an advance he describes as ‘game-changing’. “Even on new homes with documentation, we would have to manually input that data into the modelling software, so to have that happen automatically streamlines the process even further,” Michael said. The end result for homeowners will be a trial certificate on the energy efficiency of their home, and recommended upgrades to improve the rating, while the researchers will discover whether their methodology can be rolled out at scale. Another stream of this project involves banks interested in assessing the energy performance of their mortgage portfolios. This could support environmental reporting and create opportunities to offer customers discounted interest rates for more energy-efficient homes. “This bank stream piggybacks on the existing valuation process, whereby valuers collect the information needed, then energy assessors rate the property and provide that information to the bank,” Michael said. The future of residential energy use The benefits of the two projects stand to stretch well beyond their original goals of understanding energy use in apartments and testing a method for expanding energy efficiency ratings to existing homes. “These projects represent a golden opportunity to generate rich data sets that researchers haven’t had access to in the past,” Michael said. “There is going to be a lot of research work enabled by this data, such as modelling the use of AI algorithms in household energy, then testing those models in actual homes.” The future of residential energy efficiency in Australia is bright. Stay current on home energy efficiency Previous post12 Feb 2025 Beyond startups: the real impact of research translation

12 February 2025 5 min read Key points Research impact extends beyond company creation and publications. Australia's research translation system has its challenges, but programs like ON provide the guidance and support needed to overcome them. Collaboration is essential for maximising research impact. The Australian innovation landscape is filled with success stories addressing some of society’s most pressing challenges. From creating ‘Version 2 ’ of food as consumption skyrockets, to changing the face of virtual healthcare , the importance of bringing deep tech ideas out of the lab and into the world where they transform critical aspects of human life cannot be underestimated. However, success for researchers is not limited to venture creation or research publication. The idea that research impact is solely tied to company creation may be the most exciting view, but it’s a narrow one. The picture of success looks different for every researcher and does not necessarily resemble a company or a series of journal-published articles. There are countless ways for Australia to derive value from the research being produced before commercialisation is even considered as an option, or before publication becomes the only option. Impactful research can include licensing intellectual property (IP) to bring innovations to market through existing companies, consulting on public policy, social enterprise development or joint ventures, to name but a few. In return, royalties, collaborations and partnerships generate substantial social and economic impact. There are multiple pathways available to create impact within research translation. Examples include, but not limited to: startup, consulting, social entrepreneurship, joint venture, policy, and licensing. These pathways are often less visible but are no less vital to shaping Australia’s future. It’s our job to shine a spotlight on these pathways, supporting Australian researchers as they take the leap to validate their ideas whilst leaning on the broader innovation ecosystem. Bridging the gap from research to reality Lack of experience beyond academia, fragmented funding, dispersed resources and complex institutional responsibilities are just some of the challenges researchers must overcome to find their own pathway to success. These challenges are clear, and we know the current research translation system has room for improvement. It’s not from a lack of want, rather the pathway to translate research into real-world impact is difficult, convoluted, and time intensive. Launching a traditional startup presents entrepreneurs with a clear pathway. But bringing a deep tech idea or innovation to life has less well-defined structures and support systems, with alternative pathways often lacking visibility and clear frameworks. The ON Innovation Program exists for this very reason, taking researchers out of their comfort zone whilst providing support as they navigate unfamiliar terrain. Over the years, we have continued to evolve the Program to account for the diversity of impact pathways. Poppy Sykes, ON Innovation Program Manager speaking at the ON Accelerate 8 Demo Day in Sydney Our early stage ON Prime program, for example, now not only helps research teams validate the market through customer discovery but also empowers teams to understand the wide variety of pathways available to translate their research to market and then identify the most appropriate. ON bridges the gap between academia and industry, possessing specialised expertise cultivated over decades of leading scientific exploration and collaboration to shepherd researchers through their journey. We’ve proven how when researchers have access to an ecosystem of mentors, experts and peers capable of providing tailored advice, researchers can translate discoveries into real-world impact in a variety of different ways. So far, ON alumni have raised more than $414 million in investment capital and attracted over $330 million in commercialisation grants to catalyse far-reaching innovations. To maximise the opportunities and innovations being created in the minds of our smartest and most dedicated researchers, we need coordinated industry support. A call for collaboration Increased proactivity and collaboration between industry, government, and academia is essential to supporting emerging deep tech ideas and sustaining ongoing economic and societal impact. Public and private sectors must work together to create an ecosystem that recognises the contributions of researchers far beyond traditional venture creation metrics. This shift in thinking comes at a critical point in the local innovation industry, with Australia’s Group of Eight Universities finding that despite its ongoing success, research and development intensity has been declining over the past decade. The result is a growing gap between the innovation capabilities of Australia and its fellow member countries of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. Researchers need to see immediate change through increased collaboration, funding and public recognition for the economic impact they provide when alternative research pathways are unlocked. IP rights alone accounted for 35 per cent of Australia’s GDP and contributed more than $6.4 billion in research and development in 2023. We’ve seen firsthand what happens when researchers are given access to the resources and networks required to explore the pathways available to them. One idea that recently became a reality is Dragonfly Thinking , an AI platform pioneering a new frontier in Think Tech – helping people think in less siloed ways and recognise different perspectives in complex environments before making strategic decisions. Dragonfly Thinking - an ON Accelerate alumni team The founders, Professors Anthea Roberts and Miranda Forsyth, recognised they’d created something extremely unique, but were uncertain about how to proceed. Following their journey through the ON Program, including trials and engagement with potential customers, they recognised the capabilities of their technology. The winner of Australia’s inaugural National AI Sprint competition , Dragonfly Thinking is now being used by governments and corporations around the world as a strategic decision-making tool. Dragonfly Thinking exemplifies the impact of venture creation through research, but it’s not the only path. Countless ON Program alumni are showcasing why we must redefine research success and position researchers as catalysts for change across multiple domains. Researchers like Dr Kieran Mulroney and Dr Christine Carson, founders of Cytophenix, who are now working in partnership with Atamo Innovations to deliver personalised precision medicine. Or the team behind A14.0S , who recognise the potential of licensing in customised technology servicers. These researchers deserve recognition for their significant innovation and economic contributions, and for demonstrating the diverse pathways to research impact beyond venture creation. If you’re a researcher in an Australian institution and believe your work could change the world, the ON Program is ready to support researchers at any stage of their journey through to the next level. Get in touch with the team and find out more. This article, written by Poppy Sykes , ON Innovation Program Manager, was originally published on InnovationAus.com in partnership with CSIRO's ON Innovation Program, as part of its sponsorship of the 2024 InnovationAus Awards for Excellence. Coming up next13 Feb 2025 Overcoming challenges old and new to improve energy efficiency in Australian homes Previous post11 February 2025 Tjakuṟa

12 February 2025 News Release 3 Photos CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, has developed an advanced artificial intelligence (AI) tool for assisting in the estimation of biological sex from human skulls. The AI tool has the potential to accelerate the accurate identification of skulls , supporting investigators when results are needed rapidly, for example, in criminal analysis and severe natural disasters. Results published in Scientific Reports show the AI tool achieved an accuracy of 97 per cent, significantly outperforming the 82 per cent accuracy achieved by conventional methods used by human assessors. The tool was developed in collaboration with The University of Western Australia (UWA), whose forensic anthropology experts provided labelled data and domain knowledge to support model development. CSIRO research scientist and joint first-author of the study, Dr Hollie Min, said imaging from a dataset of 200 computerised tomography - or CT scans - was analysed for sex-associated traits by the AI algorithm, with results then compared against human analysis. “Our AI tool produces its results approximately five times faster than humans can, meaning families waiting for results of investigations can receive news about their loved ones more quickly,” Dr Min said. “This AI tool has the potential to support forensic anthropologists to enhance the accuracy of sex estimations, while reducing the potential impact of human bias." Dr Min also emphasised the importance of accounting for population-specific variations in skull traits. “This collaborative study allowed us to address some of the perceived limitations of traditional methods and better account for diversity in forensic data,” she said. "Future research is needed, especially around expanding datasets to include diverse populations, enhancing the robustness and generalisability of the AI framework. “Our goal is to provide forensic anthropologists with a reliable, interpretable tool to support their critical work, especially in cases involving individuals of unknown population backgrounds." This collaborative effort demonstrates the potential of AI to support forensic anthropology and advance the field with innovative and data-driven solutions. “Our team is currently looking for industry collaborators to develop and translate this technology for real-life applications,” Dr Min added. The CT database was collected at Dr Wahidin Sudirohusodo General Hospital (RSWS) at Hasanuddin University, Indonesia. The paper, “Deep learning versus human assessors: forensic sex estimation from three-dimensional computed tomography scans” was published in Scientific Reports. Images A volume-rendered CT scan featuring the five cranial traits used in the study. Download image JPG 1MB Imaging from a dataset of 200 CT scans was analysed for sex-associated traits by the AI algorithm. Download image JPG 1MB CSIRO research scientist and joint first-author of the study, Dr Hollie Min. Download image PNG 3MB

By Keirissa Lawson , Ian Dewar 11 February 2025 4 min read Key points Weevils are fussy eaters, making them ideal biocontrol warriors against invasive weeds. Dung beetles recycle nutrients by rolling or tunnelling dung, reducing flies and improving soil health. Lady beetles and parasitic wasps help protect canola from pests, reducing the need for pesticides. Choosing your fighter can be tough when there are so many great options. Do you prioritise a cool look, armour, speed, strength, savage taunts, hunger to hunt or advanced combos? It all comes down to the opponent you’re looking to defeat or the terrain you need to navigate. Let’s take a look at some of the small and mighty defenders making a big impact protecting our crops from pests, waging a war on weeds and dealing with a whole lot of crap! Weevils waging war on weeds Weevils are ahead by a nose when it comes to choosing a biocontrol warrior. They’re naturally fussy eaters so they can make great biocontrol besties to tackle weeds. Their long snout, or rostrum, gives them underwater breathing superpowers and an unmistakable appearance. They use this to drill into plant tissues to feed or lay eggs. Weevils are actually a type of beetle. There are close to 200,000 species of weevils in the world. But only about 62,000 have scientific names so far. Some of our biocontrol weevil geniuses include the Cabomba weed weevil and the Paterson’s curse weevil. Cabomba weevil underwater on Cabomba weed. The cabomba weevil is smaller than a grain of rice. It's the first biocontrol agent to be used against Cabomba weed. © CSIRO Dung beetles dung good Beginning in the 1960s, CSIRO has introduced 44 dung beetle species from overseas. Dung beetles have specialised gut microbiome bacteria. This helps them break down the cellulose in the dung and access the amino acids they need to grow. They come with two different battle plans: rolling or tunnelling. Either way their superpower is recycling. Tunnellers dig down below the cow pats and pull pieces of dung underground. They pack these into tunnels and chambers. They then lay their eggs in the sausage or pear-shaped dung mass. In contrast, rollers shape pieces of dung into round balls and roll them away from the cowpat. They do this to ensure their own piece of dung real estate, laying their eggs inside the ball and burying it to keep it safe. Whether they're rolling or tunnelling, dung beetles use their big engineering energy and commitment to cleaning up to return nutrients from the sloppy dung of livestock to the soil. Our native dung beetles can’t do this as efficiently as they’re focussed on the hard, dry droppings of our native species. Dung pads are also breeding sites for bushflies. So, removing them from the soil surface helps reduce fly numbers. A male Copris elphenor dung beetle. This species was introduced to Australia. It is native to southern and eastern Africa. Canola allies When you’re a crop like canola facing attack from 30 different species of invertebrate pests, you need you a Marvel-esque team of winged and crawling crusaders for protection. If unchecked, it's estimated these hungry invaders would cause $54 million of crop damage annually. But a crew of canola allies can be coaxed into combating the pests. Getting the team balance right can stop infestations escalating, reducing the need for powerful pesticide campaigns to control outbreaks. Conserving the agricultural management relies on diversity to provide protection throughout the crop growing stages and the seasons. Lady beetles are aphid assassins Despite the fashionable armour, the lady beetle is a polka-dot assassin. This femme-fatale has a voracious hunger for sap-sucking aphids, consuming around 1000 aphids during their lifetime. Their palate also extends to mites, mealybugs and scale bugs. Aphid assasins: lady beetles prey on aphids and other plant pests making them beneficial insects to use as biocontrol. © CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=132421624 Their hunger is not their only superpower. They can also multiply rapidly to control infestation. Laying their eggs among an aphid smorgasbord, the alligator-like larvae hatch with a predatory instinct and a single-minded mission to eat. One ladybeetle larva can consume 350 to 400 aphids! Caterpillar killing wasps The braconid parasitic wasp is a predator with a nursery plan straight out of a horror movie. They use the egg and adult stages of other pest insects as hosts for their young. Adopting a truly gruesome parenting strategy, they lay their eggs in or on their victim (oviposit). This provides their larvae with a ready meal when they hatch, killing the reluctant host. These small to medium-sized wasps with narrow waists, long antennae, and ant-like heads are found throughout Australia. They are excellent and effective biocontrol agents against many insect groups, including aphids, caterpillars and beetle larvae. Encouraging beneficial insect patrols These are just a few examples of beneficial insects. Effective crop-wide pest management relies on diversity to provide protection throughout the crop growing stages and the seasons. Our researchers are looking at ways to encourage beneficial insect, mite and spider armies to flourish. We are studying the ecology of beneficial species in canola growing regions, to understand their impact on key canola pests, and determine ways to enhance their activities to control pests. Alongside research partners*, we are developing tools to help growers integrating beneficials into their pest management practices and reduce pesticide use. Whether you’re an avid gardener or a broadacre agriculturist, getting to know your allies is key to telling the goodies from the baddies and supporting their survival. Beneficial insects are our natural invertebrate allies. It’s impossible to choose just one as the ultimate fighter. Together they make a great team of insect icons helping our agriculture and environment. *Canola Allies project: Tailoring Practices for Beneficials in Canola Systems (2023-2028). GRDC Investment CSP2309-004RTX Minimising damage of invertebrate pests in canola through a better understanding of the impact of beneficial insects. A collaborative research project led by CSIRO, in partnership with NSW DPIRD, SARDI, Murdoch University, DPIRD and Biological Services. Coming up next11 Feb 2025 Tjakuṟa Previous post10 February 2025 Taking the ‘forever’ out of ‘forever chemicals’: we worked out how to destroy the PFAS in batteries