2024 Australian Museum Eureka Prizes winners

Sensory Conservation Team, University of Sydney

Olfactory misinformation is a new, humane approach to pest control. This team’s research focuses on sensory cues that attract animals – like the smell of wheat for mice or plants for wallabies – and distributes synthetic odours to confuse pest animals, effectively ‘hiding’ foods they damage. This approach has reduced pest damage by approximately 70%, without using poisons or traps.

Professor David Keith, UNSW

Professor David Keith has developed the world’s first method to catalogue and describe all ecosystems on Earth. Adopted by the United Nations and already applied in Australia, the framework has been instrumental in formulating effective conservation strategies and is helping to maintain plant diversity in the face of increasing environmental change.

ACRF Australian Centre of Excellence in Melanoma Imaging and Diagnosis, University of Queensland

With more than 18,000 cases of melanoma diagnosed annually in Australia, the ACRF Australian Centre of Excellence in Melanoma Imaging and Diagnosis leads efforts to improve early detection and build a national targeted melanoma screening program. Drawing from a multidisciplinary team, they utilise AI-assisted 3D imaging technologies to conduct the world's largest preventive melanoma study.

Professor Gordon Smyth, WEHI

Professor Gordon Smyth is the lead developer of the world’s most downloaded software package of its type – Limma – which has been used to make biomedical discoveries published in more than 70,000 scientific papers. Limma helps identify and interpret changes in DNA material, significantly improving the confidence in statistical information used in biomedical research.

StrepA Outbreak Prevention Team, University of Queensland; University of Melbourne; CONACYT; and University of Wollongong

StrepA bacteria – responsible for common throat infections – are also a major cause of childhood diseases such as scarlet fever and septicaemia which contribute to child deaths globally. Responding to a post-COVID-19 infection surge, researchers from the StrepA Outbreak Prevention Team are tracking disease spread to mitigate clinical impact and leading efforts to develop a much-needed vaccine.

Associate Professor Aaron McFadyen, Queensland University of Technology

Associate Professor Aaron McFadyen has developed new world-leading drone management technologies. In collaboration with aviation authorities and industry, these technologies are now embedded in automated flight planning, assessment and approval processes for drone operations. This has enhanced safety, efficiency and utilisation of airspace in Australia and overseas.

Dr Mengyu Li, University of Sydney

Motivated by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, Dr Mengyu Li’s research quantifies the true cost of global demand for services and consumer goods – for example, food and energy. Through advanced computer modelling, her work maps intricate international supply chains, revealing their toll on society and the environment, while suggesting sustainable pathways for the future.

Bluelink Global Ocean Science Team, Bureau of Meteorology and CSIRO

The Bluelink Global Ocean Science Team has developed the world’s most accurate global ocean forecast system, predicting its sea level and three-dimensional temperature, salinity and ocean currents. The large performance gains over previous Australian and comparable international systems provides the Australian Defence Force with information superiority for seaborne operations that safeguard Australia.

Professor Stuart Tangye, Garvan Institute of Medical Research

Defects in immune cell development affect up to five in every 10,000 births globally. These inborn errors of immunity cause rare diseases that are difficult to diagnose and treat. Professor Stuart Tangye’s research identifying novel immune defects and mechanisms of disease has significantly improved diagnosis, helping target treatment for more than half of diagnosed cases in Australia.

Sustainable Omega-3 Oil, CSIRO and Nuseed

In the most complex genetic engineering of a plant to reach commercial production, the Sustainable Omega-3 Oil Team has produced and commercialised omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids from canola crops. This could save the need for unsustainable harvests of wild-caught fish, and double the world’s supply of omega-3, which is essential for good health.

Dr Jiao Jiao Li, University of Technology Sydney

Motivated by the belief that everyone is entitled to healthy ageing, Dr Jiao Jiao Li leads transdisciplinary research in regenerative medicine to find new treatments for bone and joint diseases, turning medical discoveries into new therapies for patients. She is also a leader and enabler in STEM engagement and career building for others, particularly under-represented groups.

Distinguished Professor Calum Drummond AO, RMIT University

A transformational leader, Distinguished Professor Calum Drummond has revamped research and innovation ecosystems in public and private institutions, so they are more efficient and effective. He has established molecular assembly design rules and experimental methods to fast-track discovery and application, leading to new, high-performance materials for use in medicine, energy storage and the resources sector.

Professor Kate Jolliffe, University of Sydney

Professor Kate Jolliffe’s research and leadership have enhanced Australia’s standing in the relatively young field of supramolecular chemistry. To help close the gender gap she supported the foundation of the international ‘Women in Supramolecular Chemistry’ network. Her committed mentorship has resulted in more than 150 researchers appointed to senior academic and industry roles.

Insect Investigators

Students have named 17 new insect species across Australia since 2019 through Insect Investigators’ multi-state school-based program that combines insect surveys with DNA sequencing and taxonomy. The 1,800 students from 54 schools have helped increase knowledge of Australia’s biodiversity by documenting more than 5,000 insect species using DNA.

Professor Euan Ritchie, Deakin University

In the face of dual climate change and extinction crises, Professor Euan Ritchie is a sought-after voice. From writing popular articles and influential opinion pieces, live-tweeting field research and creating the much-loved ‘Australian Mammal of The Year’ competition, he guides policy and fosters public understanding of nature, wildlife and how science can help overcome environmental challenges.

Hello AI Overlords, Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Presented in six 25-minute audio episodes, Hello AI Overlords was inspired by the emergence of easy-to-use AI tools in 2022. Featuring interviews with leading experts, it showcases the human stories that shaped today’s AI technologies. Subjects include accidents caused by driverless cars and a man wrongly convicted by this emerging technology.

Broadcast by ABC Radio National and published as a podcast, October - November 2023.

Wonder of Science, University of Queensland

Wonder of Science is a program fostering STEM engagement and inclusion, particularly across regional and remote Queensland. Supporting low-income, female, neurodiverse and Indigenous students to build scientific literacy, it has reached 114,000 people since 2012, providing teacher support and STEM challenge tasks for Year 4 – 9 students.

Cate Y., PLC Sydney, NSW

In her fast-paced film about her favourite snack – popcorn – 11-year-old Cate conducts a series of experiments, including blowing the lid off a metal tin to show why popcorn kernels explode. Popcorn Magic: Unlocking the Energy Within covers different varieties of corn, energy and the laws of thermodynamics and solves the mystery of why some corn kernels don’t pop.

Iestyn R., St John’s Anglican College, Qld

Fourteen-year-old Iestyn used animation software and his own illustrations to make Fusion – The Heart of the Sun. His film includes an overview of the proton-proton fusion process that occurs in the Sun’s core and shows how the Sun produces enormous amounts of energy – enough to power our planet’s processes and support life on Earth.