2016 Australian Museum Eureka Prizes winners

CSIRO Marine Debris Team, CSIRO

The CSIRO Marine Debris Team applied integrated research to identify the sources and distribution of marine debris at a national scale around Australia's coastline. By combining field data and laboratory analyses with oceanographic and ecological modelling, the team translated scientific information into effective policy and behavioural change, combining rigorous research with citizen science, outreach to government and media engagement.

TEPO, CODES - ARC Centre of Excellence, University of Tasmania; Flinders University; Russian Academy of Science; and University of California

The Trace Elements in Past Oceans (TEPO) project is a multidisciplinary research collaboration utilising analytical chemistry, geology, palaeontology, evolutionary biology and toxicology. The project is contributing to a step change in understanding the connections between plate tectonics, past ocean chemistry and the evolution and extinction of life on Earth.

FANTOM5, Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research; The University of Melbourne; University of Queensland; Translational Research Institute; Telethon Kids Institute; and RIKEN Japan

With 260 specialists from 20 countries, including 22 Australian researchers, the FANTOM5 project is mapping the sets of genes expressed in each of our cell types. The map is being used to interpret genetic diseases and engineer new cells for therapeutic use.

Professor Leann Tilley, Dr Nick Klonis, Associate Professor Julie Simpson and Associate Professor James McCaw, University of Melbourne

Malaria kills nearly half a million children each year, and the emergence of resistance to the first-line antimalarial drug, artemisinin, is looming as a major global health crisis. Professor Leann Tilley and her team have made a number of key scientific discoveries leading to insights into how artemisinin resistance may be overcome.

Professor David Huang, Dr Peter Czabotar, Associate Professor Guillaume Lessene and Professor Andrew Roberts, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research

The work undertaken by Professor David Huang and his team has transformed a basic Australian research discovery into a new cancer therapy approved by the US Food and Drug Administration. Central to the achievement is the development of a novel class of targeted anticancer drug, the BH3 mimetic compounds.

Professor Ewa Goldys, Macquarie University and ARC Centre of Excellence for Nanoscale BioPhotonics; and Dr Martin Gosnell, Quantitative Pty Ltd.

The hyperspectral imaging technology, developed by Professor Ewa Goldys and Dr Martin Gosnell, enables the colour of cells and tissues to be used as a non-invasive medical diagnostic tool. This powerful approach is easily accessible and yields translational outcomes for patients and industry.

Dr Michael Bowen, University of Sydney

Dr Michael Bowen’s research focuses on discovering and developing novel treatments for serious brain disorders. His research has established oxytocin and novel molecules that target the brain’s oxytocin system as prime candidates to fill the void left by the lack of effective treatments for alcohol-use disorders and social disorders.

Thales Australia

Traditional light weight military vehicles are susceptible to battlefield damage from Improvised Explosive Devices and small arms fire. The innovative new Hawkei, developed by Thales, provides Australian soldiers with potentially life-saving protection against roadside bombs and other threats by combining several existing technologies to produce a novel design.

Kidney in a Dish, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute

Kidney disease affects one in 10 Australians, with kidney failure increasing at six percent per annum. Recognising the urgent need for new treatment options, Professor Melissa Little and Dr Minoru Takasato have recreated human kidney tissue from stem cells, opening the door to disease modelling, drug screening, and ultimately replacement organs.

Associate Professor Sharath Sriram, RMIT University

The work of Associate Professor Sharath Sriram harnesses the functionality of materials and objects at extremely small scales. His leadership transcends science, to include team mentorship, the establishment of a $30 million research facility and national science advocacy for early- and mid-career researchers.

Professor Gordon Wallace, University of Wollongong

Professor Gordon Wallace is an internationally renowned researcher in the field of electromaterials science and has cultivated a research vision in the area of ‘intelligent polymers’. Through his leadership and ability to inspire, his collaborative team has pioneered the use of nanotechnology and additive fabrication in renewable energy and medical science.

Professor Patricia Davidson, University of Technology Sydney

Professor Patricia Davidson is highly regarded amongst her peers and mentees for her generous nature and strong commitment to the development of early- and mid-career researchers. She creates an inclusive and safe learning environment for researchers to develop as scholars, and has continued to mentor and work collaboratively with many of her students once they have established their own research careers.

Fireballs in the Sky, Curtin University

Fireballs in the Sky is an innovative Australian citizen science program that connects the public with the research of the Desert Fireball Network. This research aims to understand the early workings of the solar system, and Fireballs in the Sky invites people around the world to learn about this science, contributing fireball sightings via a user-friendly app. To date, more than 23,000 people have downloaded the app world-wide and participated in planetary science.

Dr Lisa Harvey-Smith, CSIRO

Dr Lisa Harvey-Smith is a black hole hunter and a dynamic communicator bringing astronomy and its real-world impacts to life. It is the strong engagement that Dr Harvey-Smith fosters with schools, institutions and her public audience, particularly girls and indigenous students, which sets her outreach apart.

Wain Fimeri, Sonya Pemberton, Dr Derek Muller and Steve Westh

'Uranium – Twisting the Dragon’s Tail' is an Australian made series, an epic journey through nine countries and more than a century of stories, to discover the element that shaped the modern world. Join physicist Dr Derek Muller as he reveals the story of the most wondrous and terrifying rock on Earth.

Produced by Genepool Productions. Broadcast on SBS, 9, 16 and 23 August 2015.

Hayden Ingle, Banksmeadow Public School, NSW

Hayden was inspired to create his film after discovering a glaucus atlanticus on the beach, and wondering what it was and what it ate. In The Bluebottle and the Glaucus, Hayden uses some of his own underwater footage to share his love and experience of the ocean with the viewer.

Claire G. and Anna H., St Monica’s College Cairns, Qld

Owl Pellets: A Postal System to Scientists is an investigation of the Barn Owl’s adaptations, features and the formation of owl pellets. Claire and Anna explain how these owl pellets are used by scientists to gather data for conservation efforts, animal population studies and ecosystem monitoring.

A media release is available - 2016 Australian Museum Eureka Prizes Winners announced

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