Science and Society
The Science and Society theme draws together research strengths in several areas that have a significant impact on society. These areas include:
- science education, particularly in the areas of chemical and biological sciences
- nutrition and food science
- forensic science
- environmental health, focussing on the impacts of working environments on health
- occupational health and safety
The School hosts a collaborating World Health Organisation Centre for Environmental Health Development.
Our work in these key thematic areas is underpinned by a variety of world class facilities, including NMR, electron microscopy and confocal microscopy. In particular, the Confocal Bio-Imaging Facility (CBIF) draws together a suite of instruments which collectively produce live, three-dimensional images of almost any material. This state-of-the-art facility, which is unique in Australia, uses a suite of lasers to depict inorganic materials, plants and animal cells in incredible detail. Confocal laser imaging is increasingly being used to image:
- Viruses crossing cell membranes in real-time
- Living cells dividing and changing over days or weeks
- Live cells, with little or no sample preparation
- Real-time, solution-based molecular interactions, in femptolitre volumes
- The effects of drugs or other chemicals at the cellular level
