Official page for the Faculty of Science, The University of Melbourne
Here you will find the latest science happenings at the University of Melbourne, in Australia and around the world. You can also follow us on:
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15/06/2026
Analysing vast amounts of data using agentic AI, UniMelb's Dr Mia Cobb from the Faculty of Science and Dr Simon Cogham from Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology have uncovered new insights on greyhound welfare in the racing industry. Tap to learn more in Pursuit ➡️ https://unimelb.me/4viL0zW
12/06/2026
Congratulations to our staff, alumni and friends of UniMelb who received King's Birthday Honours 👑 They were recognised for their work and valuable contributions to environmental and wildlife conservation, animal health and welfare, sustainable agriculture, health, science education, maths, climate policy and more. Tap to learn more ➡️ https://unimelb.me/43YeN4B
10/06/2026
A donation of $200,000 from the Laby Foundation will support future leaders and pioneering research across quantum computing, quantum sensing, condensed matter physics and optics in the School of Physics.
The Laby family have a long history with the University and have made significant contributions to the field of physics. Tap through to learn more about them 👉
Images source: University of Melbourne Archives
Run! It's Godzilla El Nino! Sort of? 🦖 Scientists predict a "monster" El Nino this year, increasing the likelihood of floods, drought and heatwaves. The threat of drought brings anxiety to Australians - but this El Nino-zilla might not be as monstrous as we think. Tap to learn more from Dr Mandy Freund in Pursuit ➡️ https://unimelb.me/43nDqaQ
The University's new 2025 Sustainability Report is out, and we're so proud of the Faculty of Science's contributions. Explore the report to find stories on our sustainable chemistry lab, research on frogs, replanting and studying vegetation at our Dookie and Creswick campuses, science alum working in sustainability and research at the Melbourne Biodiversity Institute. Well done to all of our Science students and staff for championing sustainability at UniMelb! ♻️
Marking the midpoint of our Sustainability Plan 2030, the report highlights achievements across research, education and operations – and shows the collective impact of our students, staff and partners in driving sustainability and building resilience for the future.
Tap through to learn more ➡️ https://unimelb.me/4fWTuYr
03/06/2026
Forest certification verifies that timber and wood comes from responsibly-managed, sustainable forests.
But Dr Alex Van Der Meer Simo and researchers ask: are we ticking a box or making a difference? Tap to learn their findings and recommendations for bringing science and policy together for our forests ➡️ https://unimelb.me/3RJojpv
How does the sausage get made? 🤔 To find out, we visited a Food Processing & Preservation (FOOD30007) sausage-making class practical and asked Bachelor of Science students Gabriella and Sitan.
Unfortunately we don't have Smell-o-vision yet, but we here at SciMelb can verify that the student-made sausages smelled delicious 🌭
Tap to learn more about majoring in Food Science in the Bachelor of Science ➡️ https://unimelb.me/4voM6d2
01/06/2026
Using mathematical modelling, UniMelb researchers have been tracking currents around the Great Barrier Reef 🌊 Tiny hair-like structures on corals, called cilia, generate currents to exchange oxygen and nutrients between corals and the water. But researchers also found that warming ocean temperatures disrupt the cilia's movements and can cause the coral to die off - shedding more light on our knowledge of coral bleaching.
Tap to learn more from lead researcher Associate Professor Douglas Brumley from the School of Mathematics and Statistics in Pursuit ➡️ https://unimelb.me/4e0ePOh
29/05/2026
1 in 4 Australians have gut issues, and almost 900 of them tuned in for our Science at Melbourne Conversation on gut health.
UniMelb academics across food science, data analysis and gastroenterology shared their expertise (did you know that our bodies are full of bugs?), the struggles of collecting data (can you answer honestly how much chocolate have you eaten?), and the link between gut health, stress, sleep and environment.
Plus, we learned about their exciting new research on biofortified food, a future where celiacs might be able to eat gluten, and gut health diagnosis could be less invasive.
Thank you to our panellists Professor Jessica Biesiekierski, Professor Alex Johnson, Professor Kim-Anh Le Cao and Professor Jason Tye-Din, our moderator Professor Chibuike Udenigwe and to all of you for coming along 👏
Our next Science at Melbourne Conversation is on during the Science Festival. Keep an eye out on our socials and website for more details.
Tap to watch the lecture recording ⏯️ https://unimelb.me/4uAt434
Plane trees - do you love 'em or hate 'em? What should we do with them? We asked urban horticulture expert Dr Mohammad Rahman and urban landscape ecologist Dr Marie Dade for their expert perspective on these pretty, but pesky trees.
Dr Rahman and Dr Dade both spoke at an earlier Science at Melbourne Conversation this year on liveable cities. Tap to watch the full lecture ➡️ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhy7GFmL5zM