The treatment of burns and other injuries requiring skin grafts is slated for significant improvements following a world-first innovation by researchers at Metro North Health and UQ’s Frazer Institute.

The breakthrough is the development of a complete skin replica containing blood vessels and immune cells. By incorporating these critical components, the model more closely replicates real human skin, allowing researchers to better study wound healing, inflammation, infection, and gain insight into how patients may respond to treatments before they attend a clinic.

Stem cells were used to successfully grow a ‘replica’ of human skin, known as skin organoids, complete with all skin layers. These include hair follicles, sebaceous glands, pigmentation, and nerves, and now, blood vessels, capillaries and immune cells.

“Advancements in stem cell research have enabled us to grow mini versions of skin by taking human skin cells and reprogramming them into induced pluripotent stem cells*, which can be turned into almost any type of cell in the body,” explains Dr Abbas Shafiee, UQ Frazer Institute Researcher and Metro North Health Practitioner.

“We used these same stem cells to create vascular organoids, tiny living networks of blood vessels, and added these into the growing skin organoids to generate vascularised skin organoids.”

Transforming understanding of human skin development

Dr Shafiee said the research is an exciting step forward that will transform researchers’ understanding of human skin development, wound healing, inflammatory skin diseases, and future regenerative treatments.

“For many years, recreating the complexity of real human skin, particularly the integration of blood vessels, has been a significant challenge. Bringing together advances in stem cell biology, vascular biology, and organoid engineering developed over many years of research is what made our innovation possible.”

Skin graft transplants transformed by innovation

“Looking ahead, having these skin replica for research will transform how we study skin diseases and develop new therapies. In the longer term, they have the potential to revolutionise skin graft transplants and regenerative medicine, particularly for patients with severe burns, chronic wounds and genetic skin disorders.

“Unlike traditional biological skin models, our skin organoids closely mimic the structure of real human skin, including blood vessels and immune cells. This is critical, as successful skin grafting relies on how well transplanted skin integrates with the patient’s body, establishing blood supply, responding to inflammation and resisting infection.

“Our model allows the study of living human skin in ways that were not previously possible,” Dr Shafiee said.

“The skin organoids can grow and change over time in the laboratory. This enables us to study how human skin develops, how diseases emerge and progress, and how different treatments affect skin function over time.”

Learnings from this research could be used to accelerate the development of new treatments for skin wounds, and the next generation of skin grafts.

“Burns and treating burns is complex. There are so many variables in terms of how a burn will behave, likelihood of infection, extent of scarring, frequency/volume of skin grafts and revision surgery – as well as longer term complications such as chronic inflammation before skin ‘products’ are considered safe and reliable.

“Our technology changes that by providing a more predictive platform for developing new therapies before they are tested in patients.”

Dr Shafiee said that previously when researchers wanted to study skin, animals, particularly rodents, were used to study skin biology and test treatments. While valuable, rodent skin differs from human skin in structure, composition, immune response, healing processes and hair follicle biology, limiting how well findings translate to patients.

The Burns Registry of Australia and New Zealand for example records around 3,000 major burns admissions annually. Of these, approximately 70% of adult patients and over 50% of paediatric patients who undergo surgical wound procedures require skin grafts.

“This skin model will enable us to further progress those treatments, along with wound healing, regenerative medicine and precision dermatology by providing a more realistic human platform for testing therapies and understanding diseases. At the same time, we are continuing to improve the functionality of our skin organoid models.”

A new generation of research and regenerative therapies

Achieving the successful integration of blood supply and immune cells to this skin model was a six-year undertaking**.

While this innovation is already providing new opportunities to study human skin development, its use as a therapeutic skin graft for patients is still some years away.

“The possibilities are incredibly exciting,” Dr Shafiee says. “This breakthrough opens the door to a new generation of research and regenerative therapies, and it is a space worth watching closely in the years ahead.”

Further information

The research received funding from Metro North Health and was conducted at the Translational Research Institute.

• Vascularised skin replica model
• Skin replica model developed before the vascularised version:
  • Development of Physiologically Relevant Skin Organoids from Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells
  • The empowering influence of air-liquid interface culture on skin organoid hair follicle development

• Dr Shafiee’s commentary on the potential of Skin Organoids as a New Biological Standard

*Pluripotent stem cells are remarkable cells that can continuously renew themselves and develop into almost any cell type in the human body. This unique ability makes them a powerful tool for researchers seeking to understand embryonic development, uncover disease mechanisms, and develop new treatments.

**Team members included Jane Sun, and Mitchell Mostina, who were Research Assistant and PhD candidate, respectively, at the time of this discovery. The study was co-led by Professor Kiarash Khosrotehrani, a clinician scientist and dermatologist at the UQ Frazer Institute.

Within interactive gaming, it remains uncommon for players to engage with virtual experiences that portray significant cultural ceremonies. 

But this is exactly what Rhett Loban set out to do through Torres Strait Virtual Reality (TSVR), with a storyline based on the Tombstone Opening ceremony, a significant cultural gathering held at the end of the mourning period for loved ones who have passed away. 

The project demonstrates how virtual reality (VR) can become a vehicle for deep cultural representation and communication to audiences.  

Communicating culture through immersive technology 

The ceremony depicted in TSVR is the Tombstone Opening, a deeply significant Torres Strait Islander cultural practice that brings together families from across the Islands and mainland Australia to pay respects and remember a family member or loved on who has passed away. 

Within the virtual environment the player takes on the role of someone involved in the Tombstone Opening preparation.  

The player participates in activities connected to cultural life and preparation for the ceremony. Gathering dugong and turtle for the feast, travelling to northern islands to obtain items from Papua New Guinean traders, and encountering native flora and fauna. 

The project also incorporates Torres Strait stories and cosmologies through constellation imagery, narrated storytelling (by an Elder) and encounters with Torres Strait Islander story characters. 

Respectfully sharing Torres Strait stories in immersive media 

“There was not much Torres Strait Islander representation or knowledge depicted in digital game or interactive immersive media.” Rhett says.  

“I created the game because I felt Torres Strait Islander culture was not widely known or depicted in interactive immersive media. I wanted to help young people and students engage with Torres Strait Islander culture.”

Developing a digital experience that is culturally sound 

To help ensure the experience was both well designed as a digital experience and aligned with cultural protocols, and an Elder and the Torres Strait Islander community were involved throughout the game development.  

The team was led by a Torres Strait Islander (Rhett) with an Elder embedded into the team who was helping shape the game and also creating game assets in the form of narrator’s voice and drawings of constellations that would be depicted at night. During playtests and quality assurance process, the team engaged with community for input as a part of an iterative cultural protocol and the software development process. 

“The Torres Strait stories, knowledge practices and depictions were constructed from the Elder and various community members’ input, external research, cultural stories/knowledge passed down and the product of interactions between Rhett,  the Elder and community. 

From game design into new contexts 

The game is being applied in a wide range of educational contexts. 

For example, Rhett worked with a fellow academic to implement TSVR in an environmental policy course. TSVR showed how different laws, policies and treaties were established to facilitate various existing cultural practices and relationships which were depicted through the VR experience. 

“You’re engaging the senses in a variety of ways – seeing environments change from day to night, being guided from one environment to the next, collecting drums, mats, harpoons and spears, being led by a narrator. You are immersed in the story and environment. This is very powerful and could help provide a greater understanding and context to what’s being studied or read in a book.” 

For Rhett, the broader goal is to create digital experiences shaped by Indigenous perspectives and cultural understandings. 

“The cultural focus is key to integrating culture into games where cultural depictions are more than visual objects, but rather, reflections of deep cultural understandings of the world,” he says.

Dr Rhett Loban is the Director of Indigenous Education in the School of Computer Science, and Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology at the University of Technology Sydney.   

He is the author of ‘Embedding Culture into Video Games and Game Design’, a book that helps game designers and those interested in games to thoughtfully embed culture into video games and the game design process.

Fishing supports the livelihoods of at least 34 million people and feeds billions, but it is also one of the biggest drivers of marine biodiversity decline. This introduces a fundamental tension: how do we keep seafood on our plates while protecting the ecosystems that produce it?

Associate Professor Carissa Klein is an ARC Future Fellow at The University of Queensland and Director of the Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science. Klein is a conservation scientist and leads The Ocean Conservation Team, a group of students and post-doctoral researchers focused on developing science to support marine and coastal conservation. Sustainable seafood is one of Associate Professor Klein’s key research areas.

Her work follows seafood from ocean to plate: how is it caught, where it comes from and how it travels through global trade networks.

Australia has an imported seafood problem

In Australia, 60-70% of the seafood we consume is imported (and that’s 12–15kg per person). Most of these imports come from a small number of countries, many with weaker environmental protections, higher risks of illegal fishing, and greater vulnerability to labour exploitation.

A/Prof Klein says this effectively exports Australia’s environmental and socioeconomic impacts of its seafood consumption to other countries, placing pressure on ecosystems and communities far beyond ours.

“This happens in other regions such as Europe, and countries such as the US and the UK.”

“Imported seafood may come from countries with weaker environmental protections, poor labour standards, illegal fishing practices, weaker fisheries management, and limited social and political protections.”

But tracing exactly where that seafood comes from, and under what conditions it was caught, is far harder than it sounds. By the time seafood reaches a plate, its origins are almost impossible to trace.

Fish and chips, with a catch

Mislabelling and complex seafood supply chains mean most Australians are making seafood purchase decisions without knowing the type of seafood or whether it is sustainably sourced. Klein encourages consumers to be proactive.

“If you don’t know where your seafood is from or what species you are eating, don’t buy it,” Klein suggests. “Refer to sustainable seafood guides, like MSC or the Good Fish Guide. For instance, if you’re told it’s ‘ocean trout’ ask questions. What species is it? Is it wild caught or farmed? Make careful and informed choices.”

Preventing fishy imports entering Australia

Despite the growing reliance on imported seafood globally, only three countries have implemented legislation to regulate whether the seafood arriving at their borders was legally caught. Australia is not one of them, though efforts to develop such a policy have been crawling along for years.

Consumer countries such as Australia have the opportunity to use their market power to raise the bar. The goal is not just better paperwork, but a coordinated global front against illegal fishing. Better traceability and stronger verification of legal origin could reduce the likelihood of illegal seafood entering Australian markets.

Seafood labelling guidelines a limiting factor

Whether at fish and chip shops, or restaurants, most Australians find it challenging to determine what seafood is sustainable.

“‘Fish’ can refer to almost anything,” says Klein.

“When we order wine, we know the grape. We care so much about where our beef or eggs come from. With fish, consumers often cannot tell which species they are eating, where it originated, how it was caught, or whether it is sustainable.”

New laws coming into effect this year will require seafood to be labelled as imported, Australian or mixed; a step forward, but one that falls short of what consumers need to make informed choices.

“Australia needs laws that require more stringent labels on seafood sold – whether at a fish and chip shop, a restaurant, or a supermarket. Together with consistent sustainable seafood certification, labelling laws could help make the consumption of more sustainable seafood the easy, default choice.”

Can commercial fishing and conservation coexist? A look at Southern Bluefin Tuna

The story of Southern Bluefin Tuna is a rare piece of good news. Historically overfished, it was listed as conservation dependent under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act 1999 in the early 2000s.

The Southern Bluefin Tuna is a major export species, but robust fisheries management and international collaboration have helped support its recovery and was delisted in 2024, demonstrating that commercial fishing and conservation can coexist,

Plenty more fish in the sea?

“Deep contradictions exist in the Australian context,” Klein explains.
Klein’s research team has identified multiple marine species that are both listed under the EPBC Act and subject to commercial fishing, four of which are legally exported from Australia: the orange roughy, blue warehou, school shark and, until recently, southern bluefin tuna.

We are working to protect some marine species in our waters while we continue to export them.”

“Why are we still catching and selling species we are trying to protect?”

It points to a persistent gap between conservation intent and industry practice, one that Australia’s key environmental legislation, the EPBC Act, has so far been unable to close.

“Further reform is needed to Australia’s environmental laws, as threatened fish species continue to be legally caught and exported.”

Policy tension

The EPBC Act is designed to protect vulnerable species and ecosystems yet operates alongside commercial fisheries and export industries. It has been under long-term review for years.

From imported seafood to domestic fisheries, from mislabelling to illegal fishing, the challenge is the same: aligning what we catch, trade and consume with what we are trying to protect.

Until then, Australia’s seafood industry will continue to reflect fundamental contradictions. Ultimately, the sustainability of what ends up on our plate depends on what we choose to buy and consume.

Ella Legg, with insights from A/Prof Carissa Klein.

Microbes living in soils in Australia’s coastal areas, inland agricultural regions and vast deserts may hold important links to the next generation of antibiotics for humans and animals. 

Dr Zeinab Khalil, a 2024 ARC Future Fellow whose work focuses on “Towards the sustainable discovery and development of new antibiotics” is at the centre of this effort. 

Based at the UQ Biosustainability Hub, part of the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology at The University of Queensland, Dr Khalil is an internationally recognised expert in microbial natural product biodiscovery, medicinal chemistry and metabolomics. 

Her work is aimed at countering the growing global threat of antimicrobial resistance in humans, animals and agriculture while doing so in ways that protect ecosystems. 

Turning microbial diversity into sustainable solutions 

Through her ARC Future Fellowship, Dr Khalil is building BLOOM. BLOOM, which stands for Biosustainable Life Out Of Microbes, is an integrated research platform dedicated to unlocking the potential of microbes collected from diverse environments including soils, marine ecosystems, plants seaweeds and host-associated microbiomes. 

“Through our BLOOM program we are turning microbial diversity from nature into practical, sustainable innovations for health, agriculture and the environment,” she says. 

BLOOM brings together microbial discovery, chemistry, genomics, protein analysis and metabolomics techniques that allow scientists to identify, characterise and understand the molecules microbes produce to bridge the gap between fundamental scientific discovery and real‑world application, discovering new, useful molecules and developing them at scale. 

From citizen science to deep discovery 

Dr Khalil previously directed Soils for Science, Australia’s first citizen science program designed to engage the public in studying soil microbes. That experience helped shape both her scientific approach and her commitment to collaboration.  

“My ARC Fellowship is enabling me to study microbes at a far more in‑depth level than before, moving from discovery alone to understanding microbial chemistry, genetics and biosynthetic potential in detail,” she says. “Through this integrated, multidisciplinary approach is how we find the next generation of drug leads.” 

This deeper level of analysis allows her team to explore not just whether a microbe produces a useful compound, but how stable, scalable and sustainable that production could be. 

Why microbes matter across every sector 

Microbes have largely been overlooked as a source of future biosustainable solutions, despite historically underpinning many of the most transformative discoveries in medicine and agriculture. Many of the world’s most important antibiotics, antifungals and bioactive compounds including penicillin and streptomycin were originally derived from microorganisms. 

“If you look around,” Dr Khalil says, “most antibiotics and many other drugs and natural products all came from microbes. What interests me is biosustainability – beyond soil microbes and in marine environments, plants, animal guts, and even the human gut.” 

Many microbes, and the compounds they produce, support human health, regulate immune systems, protect crops, improve soil structure and strengthen ecosystems. For example, soil microbes can suppress plant pathogens and promote healthier crop growth, while microbes in the human gut produce metabolites that influence immunity and overall health. Yet in Australia, one of the world’s most microbially diverse continents, this resource remains largely unexplored. 

“Australia spans bushland, deserts, beaches and marine environments,” she says. “Within these lie enormous chemical diversity that could help solve some of the world’s most pressing global concerns, such as antimicrobial resistance to sustainable agriculture and environmental restoration.” 

Rethinking agriculture and environmental impact 

BLOOM’s work is timely in agriculture, where reliance on synthetic fungicides is increasing resistance, reducing soil biodiversity, polluting waterways and creating resistant pathogens. 

“Growers are facing increasing antifungal resistance,” Dr Khalil explains. “Often the approach is to flood environments with chemical agents. Yes, they may kill the target fungus, but they also disrupt soil microbes, accumulate in waterways, and impact aquaculture, fish and even seaweeds.” 

Microbe‑based solutions such as biological fertilisers and naturally derived antifungals offer a sustainable alternative.

Collaboration brings complementary strengths 

BLOOM brings together academia, industry, community groups and policymakers and their complementary strengths, working together in ways that that accelerate discovery-to-application pipelines, reduce time to market, and enable scalable, real-world solutions. 

This work is further strengthened through partnerships with industry leaders such as Agilent Technologies, whose advanced analytical platforms support high-resolution metabolomic profiling and accelerate the identification of novel bioactive compounds. These collaborations ensure that discoveries are not only scientifically robust, but also scalable and ready for translation into practical solutions. 

Through the UQ Biosustainability Hub, research teams spanning genomics, microbiology, synthetic biology and chemistry are directly paired with industrial partners to fast-track innovation from early discovery to application and commercialisation.

“We bring all parties together and ask: what real-world problems are you facing?” Dr Khalil says.  “Then we design microbial solutions to meet those needs, whether that means discovering new antibiotics, developing sustainable antifungals for agriculture, or identifying beneficial microbes for gut health and functional foods.” 

Collaborators range from international universities exploring biodegradable food packaging derived from microbial compounds, to industry partners studying gut microbes for next‑generation functional foods such as weight‑management yoghurt. 

In another collaboration, the Capricorn Conservation Council in Rockhampton is working with BLOOM to explore soil microbiomes and their role in water retention. 

The partnership includes school visits, community talks and on‑site sample collection, integrating biosustainability education alongside science innovation.

 

A growing, shared platform 

BLOOM is still in its early stages, but it is developing rapidly. The platform already includes around 250 environmental samples, yielding more than 600 microbial strains. Dr Khalil’s vision is to make BLOOM a shared international resource. 

“I want BLOOM to be a platform anyone can contribute to and benefit from,” she says. “Drug discovery is just one part. Others might study these microbes for agriculture, environmental repair or new materials.” 

For Dr Khalil, Citizen Science Month speaks to the essence of BLOOM’s philosophy: science works best when sectors share knowledge and expertise. 

“The more expertise involved … community members and students to farmers, industry and policymakers, the greater the impact we can have, and scale of discoveries we can unearth.”

The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a common and usually innocuous virus that infects up to 95% of the world’s population. Typically transmitted through saliva, EBV remains in the immune system for life. In individuals with certain genetic risk factors it may later trigger problems with how the immune system behaves. While infection is often asymptomatic, a small proportion of individuals develop glandular fever. 

However, growing evidence suggests that the virus may play a much more significant role in disease pathogenesis. Research has shown that the vast majority of people who develop the complex autoimmune and neurodegenerative condition multiple sclerosis (MS) have previously been infected with EBV, indicating EBV as a key contributor to disease development.

Over the past decade, EBV-MS research has expanded rapidly, spanning large population studies, genomics, immunology and clinical trials across multiple continents. 

In Australia, more than 37,700 people are living with MS.  

Researchers around the world are investigating the connection between EBV and MS, examining whether the development of the disease may be linked to specific genetic variations, or strains, of EBV.

Dr Yuan Zhou is the lead investigator of a major Australian project (funded by MRFF) within the Australian Consortium for EBV Research in MS (ACE-MS). Dr Zhou is based at the Menzies Institute for Medical Research at the University of Tasmania. 

Coordinated by MS Australia, the ACE-MS consortium attracted participation from 20 research groups across Australia and brought together 11 major EBV projects with >$10M in funding for EBV research.   

Dr Zhou’s team is working to establish whether particular EBV genetic variants are associated with an increased risk of developing MS, with the aim of developing a risk scoring approach.
 

Building Australian EBV reference genomes 

As part of the project, a library of EBV reference genomes specifically relevant to the Australian population will be created. This resource could help inform the design of future EBV vaccines. 

“The development of a country‑specific library of EBV reference genomes is significant because EBV is not genetically uniform across populations. Its variation is shaped by geography, ethnicity and local transmission patterns,” explains Dr Zhou. 

A nationally representative EBV genome library may help identify high‑risk viral variants, enable more accurate links between EBV strain types and disease outcomes, and support the development of targeted prevention and screening strategies
 

Dr Zhou’s team, in collaboration with researchers from QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute and the University of Queensland, is working closely with interdisciplinary research teams across Asia and Europe to improve MS diagnosis, treatment and prevention. 

Key international collaborators include the Genome Institute of Singapore and partners involved in the European EBV-MS Consortium, funded through the Horizon Europe research program and comprising >10 institutions across different European countries such as the Netherlands, Switzerland and Spain.
 

“Currently, by the time MS is diagnosed, there is already damage occurring in the brain. It is hard to turn back the clock,” says Dr Zhou.
 

“If we are able to show that MS development is influenced by specific EBV strains, there may be future opportunities to prevent the disease through early or preventative interventions.” 

Part of a global research effort 

Dr Zhou says these national and international collaborations are contributing to a growing global effort to better understand the role of EBV in MS and related conditions.
 

Genomic studies form one part of a much broader body of research into EBV and MS, alongside work on EBV‑specific T‑cell therapies and clinical trials investigating their use in people with MS.
 

“The rate of MS continues to grow, and there is presently no cure. While there are treatments that can help manage the disease, they cannot prevent disability from progressing,” Dr Zhou says.
 

“Collectively, researchers are trying to make significant inroads towards improving outcomes for people with MS.” 

“The beauty of this work is that if we are on the right path, there is great potential to develop a vaccine that could benefit many people.”
 

Evidence from the US 

A major study published in Science followed more than 10 million US military personnel and found compelling evidence that infection with Epstein-Barr virus is a trigger for most cases of multiple sclerosis.
 

Of the 801 individuals who developed MS during the study period, all but one had tested positive for EBV before their MS symptoms began. The findings suggest EBV is the strongest known risk factor for MS, increasing the risk of developing the disease by more than 30‑fold following infection.  

 

One of the body’s smallest organs, the human brain, makes up around 2% of our body weight. Yet it consumes approximately 20% of the body’s energy. This makes the brain one of the most energy hungry organs in the body.

These facts are derived from studies that measure how much oxygen and glucose the brain and body consume. Using metabolic and brain imaging techniques, researchers can track how much fuel is used by different parts of the body.

Why does the brain need so much energy?

So where does all this energy go? A large part of the answer lies in how neurons communicate. The brain contains about 86 billion neurons. These specialised cells send electrical signals and communicate with other neurons, muscles, and gland cells using chemical messengers called neurotransmitters.

Each time a neuron sends an electrical signal, tiny, charged particles move across its cell membrane. To keep this system working, neurons must constantly maintain and restore delicate differences in these charged particles, known as ion gradients, across the membrane.

Maintaining these gradients is surprisingly metabolically expensive. After each electrical signal, the neuron must actively pump these ions back across the membrane to reset itself for the next message. These pumps run continuously and consume large amounts of energy.

The hidden cost of neural signalling

Electrical signalling is just one part of the story. When an electrical signal reaches the end of a neuron, it triggers the release of chemical messengers called neurotransmitters. These molecules cross a tiny gap between neurons known as the synapse, allowing one neuron to pass information to the next.

This chemical communication is also metabolically expensive. Neurons must produce neurotransmitters, package them into tiny vesicles, release them at the synapse, and then recycle or break them down after the signal has been transmitted.

Multiply these processes across 86 billion neurons and more than 100 trillion synapses, working continuously even when you are resting, the brain’s enormous energy demands begin to make sense.

Why evolution favoured such an expensive organ

This raises an interesting question: if the brain is so metabolically expensive to run, why did evolution favour such a costly organ?

The answer is that brains provide enormous advantages for flexible behaviour. Organisms with relatively simple nervous systems can rely on reflexes, or automatic responses to stimuli. But organisms with larger and more complex brains can do much more. They can learn from past experiences, anticipate future events, plan actions, and adapt to changing environments.

In other words, the brain’s main role is not just thinking in the abstract. Its job is to guide behaviour in ways that increase the chances of survival and reproduction. By integrating information from the senses and predicting what might happen next, the brain helps organisms make better decisions about how to act.

Energy efficiency and the predictive brain

Interestingly, the brain’s high energy cost may also help explain how it operates. Because neural activity is metabolically expensive, the brain cannot afford to process every piece of information in full detail. Instead, many scientists believe the brain has evolved strategies to be efficient.

One influential idea in neuroscience is that the brain constantly predicts incoming sensory information, allowing it to process the world more quickly and with less energy.

This link between brain activity and energy use is also important for neuroscience research. Many brain imaging methods, such as PET and fMRI, do not measure neural activity directly. Instead, they detect changes in metabolic activity, glucose consumption, blood flow, and oxygen use, which serve as indirect indicators of how active different parts of the brain are.

Thinking isn’t free

So the next time you feel mentally tired, it may help to remember that thinking is not free. Even when you are resting, your brain is quietly consuming a remarkable share of your body’s energy – about one in five calories – to keep billions of neurons ready to process the world.

Bradley Jack was a 2024 ACT Young Tall Poppy recipient.

Ref:

Dr Bradley Jack

Turning the tide: seagrass as critical natural infrastructure

Most Australians will never see it.

Beneath shallow coastal waters, from Western Australia’s southern coastline near Esperance to the tropical lagoons of the Great Barrier Reef, vast underwater meadows stretch quietly across the seafloor. They rarely make headlines.

These seagrass meadows may be among the most important ecosystems on earth.

“These underwater meadows are out of sight for most people, which is probably why they’ve been overlooked for so long,” says Professor Peter Macreadie, Director of the Blue Carbon Lab and Director of the Centre for Nature Positive Solutions at RMIT University. “But if you were designing the perfect coastal ecosystem — one that supports fisheries, protects shorelines, filters water and stores carbon — you’d end up with something that looks a lot like seagrass.”

A global ecosystem hiding in plain sight

Seagrasses occur in shallow coastal waters on every continent except Antarctica, forming extensive underwater meadows that support marine life and stabilise coastal environments.

Australia is a global stronghold for seagrass. The country supports roughly half of the world’s seagrass species and some of the largest meadows ever recorded, including the vast seagrass landscapes of Shark Bay in Western Australia. Northern Australia in particular is recognised as a global hotspot for seagrass diversity. “Australia holds an extraordinary share of the planet’s seagrass ecosystems,” Macreadie says. “We also carry a major responsibility for protecting them.”

“These meadows are the ecological engine rooms of our coasts,” Macreadie says. “They underpin fisheries, support biodiversity and help keep coastal waters healthy.”

Globally, scientists recognise more than 60 species of seagrass, forming one of the ocean’s most productive ecosystems.

The nurseries of the sea

Seagrass meadows act as nursery habitat for many marine species.

Their dense leaves create shelter where juvenile fish, prawns and crabs can hide from predators while they mature. Many species that support commercial and recreational fisheries depend on seagrass habitats during early life stages.

“When you lose seagrass, you’re not just losing plants,” Macreadie says. “You’re losing the nursery grounds that sustain fisheries.”

Seagrass meadows also support iconic wildlife. Green turtles feed on seagrass leaves, while dugongs depend heavily on seagrass meadows for food.

“These animals are sometimes described as the grazers of the sea,” Macreadie says. “Where you have healthy seagrass meadows, you often see healthy populations of turtles and dugongs.”

Natural coastal protection

Seagrass also plays a critical role in stabilising coastlines.

Its root and rhizome systems bind sediments together while the leaves slow water movement, helping to reduce erosion and keep coastal waters clearer. In combination with coral reefs and mangroves, seagrass ecosystems can reduce wave energy and protect shorelines from storm impacts.

“In a world where we spend enormous sums building coastal defenses, it’s easy to overlook the protection that natural ecosystems already provide,” Macreadie says.

A powerful carbon sink

Seagrass ecosystems also play a significant role in climate regulation.

Like plants on land, seagrasses absorb carbon dioxide through photosynthesis. Much of this carbon becomes trapped in the sediments beneath the meadows, where it can remain stored for millennia.

“Seagrass ecosystems are among the most efficient natural carbon sinks on the planet,” Macreadie says. “They capture carbon and lock it away in coastal sediments for thousands of years.”

Because of this ability, seagrass ecosystems are recognised as an important component of the world’s blue carbon systems, alongside mangroves and salt marshes.

A disappearing ecosystem

Despite their importance, seagrass ecosystems have declined in many regions around the world.

Coastal development, declining water quality, sediment runoff, dredging and climate change have all contributed to losses.

Scientists estimate that globally, seagrass meadows have been disappearing for decades, with significant declines documented across many coastal regions.

“These ecosystems are incredibly valuable, yet historically we’ve treated them as expendable,” Macreadie says.

Turning the tide: seagrass as critical natural infrastructure

In encouraging news, when pressures are reduced, seagrass ecosystems can recover.

Improving water quality, protecting coastal habitats and restoring damaged areas have already helped seagrass recover in several regions.

“In places where we reduce pollution and protect habitat, seagrass can return,” Macreadie explains. “That shows us these ecosystems are resilient if we give them the chance.”

For Macreadie, the next step is recognising seagrass meadows as critical natural infrastructure.

“If we want resilient coastlines, healthy fisheries and meaningful climate action, protecting seagrass needs to be part of the solution. Seagrass might not be as famous as coral reefs, but its importance is enormous. These underwater meadows quietly support the health of our oceans and our coastlines.”

Macreadie says there is no silver bullet. “If seagrass is seen as conservation, it competes for limited public and philanthropic funding. Treat seagrass as infrastructure, and it becomes part of how we manage coasts, economies and risk.”

Loneliness, the gap between desired and actual social connection, is being experienced by one in six Australians aged 65 and older. And this perceived deficit of meaningful relationships only worsens with age.

The social challenge of loneliness is a major health concern for older Australians, and it compounds with age-associated hearing loss, according to a study led by Associate Professor Dona Jayakody from the University of Western Australia.

“Hearing loss has been shown to significantly increase the odds of experiencing moderate and intense emotional loneliness,” says Jayakody.

“Our findings suggest that untreated hearing loss particularly undermines intimate, partner, or ‘inner circle’ relationships, where subtle verbal and emotional cues are crucial.”

In older adults aged 70 and above, approximately 70% have hearing loss. Unsurprisingly, the likelihood of experiencing moderate and intense emotional loneliness increases with age-related hearing loss.

The same study also found that an interaction between older age and poorer hearing was associated with reduced social interaction, suggesting that ageing and hearing loss together may impact social networks.

Social effects related to hearing loss

“Communication is foundational to social life. Hearing loss impairs meaningful communication, leading to misunderstandings and withdrawal from conversations,” Jayakody explains.

“It also strains relationships, as communication partners often have to repeat themselves, speak loudly, and speak slowly and articulately.”

Jayakody says as a result, people tend to limit their contact with those with a hearing loss, which can make them feel lonely and isolated.

Loneliness stemming from solo living

Study participants who lived alone had 55% higher odds of moving into a more severe emotional loneliness category compared with those living with others.

Hearing loss and a link to depression, anxiety and stress
The same authors have reported an association between hearing loss and depression, anxiety, and stress. These findings highlight a bidirectional relationship in which hearing loss, loneliness, and psychological distress can reinforce one another over time.

Clinical and public health implications: integrated approach to hearing care needed

Dr Jayakody is calling for an integrated approach to hearing care which incorporates the use of suitable hearing devices together with psychosocial assessment and support.

“Hearing loss not only impairs effective communication; it is a psychosocial risk factor. I would like to see healthcare professional consider loneliness, peoples’ living situation and mood as part of integrated treatment regimes.

“Addressing hearing loss in older Australians with suitable hearing devices, such as hearing aids, hearing implants, and hearables is the first step.
“Communication strategies, education, and support for families, caregivers and friends can also help hearing-impaired individuals communicate effectively.

“By integrating hearing care with psychosocial assessment and support, services may help reduce the burden of loneliness and improve overall wellbeing in older adults with hearing loss.”

Our exposure to plastic particles from microplastics to nanoplastics starts from the second we sip tap water in the morning. When water boils inside a plastic kettle. When food is prepared using plastic utensils, and when meals are reheated in plastic takeaway containers. At the end of the day, dishwashers and washing machines send millions of these particles into wastewater, which eventually makes its way back into the environment.

Measuring the impacts of these plastics on humans from microplastics to nanoplastics is extremely challenging, says Dr Elvis Okoffo, Research Fellow at the Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), The University of Queensland.

Tiny particles present big challenges

“Microplastics are defined as plastic particles smaller than 5 mm in diameter, with many existing in the micrometre size range and often not visible to the naked eye. Nanoplastics are substantially smaller, typically below 1 µm (and often <100 nm), approaching the size of viruses, and require specialised analytical techniques for detection beyond conventional light microscopy.

The behaviour of these particles in biological systems including their potential to cross epithelial barriers, enter the bloodstream, and accumulate in tissues or organs remains incompletely understood. A growing body of research is therefore focused on characterising their transport pathways, bioavailability, and potential health risks associated with micro- and nanoplastic exposure’’.

Exposure in focus

Microplastics and nanoplastics are everywhere inside our homes, in the water we drink, and in the utensils and containers we use. Studying how we are exposed to these tiny particles, how they are released from food contact materials, move through the environment, and potentially affect human health is the focus of Dr Elvis Okoffo, Research Fellow at the Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), The University of Queensland.

During his PhD, Dr Okoffo developed quantitative analytical methods to measure plastic residues in Australian wastewater treatment plants and biosolids. Tracking how these particles are released into the environment is central to his work.

Smaller than the eye can see

Detecting, characterising and quantifying micro- and nanoplastics across a large variety of sizes involves applying techniques such as pressurised liquid extraction, ultrafiltration, Vibrational microspectroscopy and pyrolysis gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS).

“These techniques allow us to measure plastics from visible microplastics down to nanoplastics that are otherwise impossible to see,” says Dr Okoffo.

“By applying several methods to the same samples, we can cross-check results and gain confidence in our measurements, giving a clearer picture of how plastics move through wastewater, biosolids, and the environment, as well as how we are exposed in daily life.”

In practical terms, Dr Okoffo’s research helps to reveal the origins of plastic pollution, how it spreads, and what strategies can reduce exposure and environmental release, bridging environmental science, analytical chemistry, and public health.

The presence of plastic in drinking water

Dr Okoffo’s preliminary work on plastic particles in drinking water* has already confirmed that plastics are present in tap water.

This finding raises important questions about where these particles originate – for instance from source waters, treatment plants, distribution pipes, or even household taps and their rubber seals and how exposure can be reduced at the source.

To tackle these challenges, Dr Okoffo has been awarded an ARC DECRA Fellowship at the Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences, where he is leading a project to trace micro- and nanoplastics through drinking water systems.

The research combines advanced analytical methods to detect and characterise plastics, pinpoint their sources, and evaluate practical solutions such as household and point-of-use filtration systems to reduce exposure before water reaches consumers.

“If we detect plastics in tap water, the next step is to test filtration systems to see how effectively they can remove these particles before they reach our homes,” says Dr Okoffo.

By identifying where these plastics come from, and how they travel through water networks, the project aims to close critical knowledge gaps and deliver actionable strategies that protect both human health and the environment.

Coming out in the wash

From dishwashers to washing machines, many everyday household appliances quietly release vast amounts of microplastics into our wastewater. Washing machines, in particular, shed millions of microscopic fibres and fragments from synthetic clothing during each cycle. These particles are often too small to be fully captured by conventional treatment systems, allowing some to pass through into rivers, bays, and coastal waters.

Much of what is captured during treatment ends up in biosolids a nutrient-rich by-product made from treated wastewater and organic matter. These biosolids are frequently applied to agricultural land as fertiliser or otherwise disposed of in the environment, meaning the plastics they contain can re-enter soils, waterways, and potentially even the food chain.

“This shows that plastic pollution doesn’t just disappear down the drain. Rather, it moves through our systems and often returns to the environment in different forms,” says Dr Okoffo.

“That’s why we need prevention at the source, including innovations such as built-in filtration systems in washing machines and dishwashers that can capture fibres and plastic particles before they ever reach wastewater.”

Environmental accumulation

Beyond the household, Dr Okoffo’s research traces where these plastics ultimately accumulate. Supported by the Max Day Environmental Science Fellowship, he has investigated microplastic contamination across Moreton Bay, uncovering historical build-up of plastics in sediments, elevated concentrations in mangroves near industrial areas, and ongoing contamination in water and seafood. The findings show how everyday emissions from homes and cities can accumulate over time in sensitive coastal ecosystems.

At the same time, Dr Okoffo has helped advance how scientists measure these particles. By developing and combining cutting-edge analytical techniques capable of detecting plastics from micro- to nanoscale, his work has improved the accuracy, reliability, and confidence of plastic measurements across complex environmental samples an essential step toward understanding real exposure risks.

“We still have a long way to go in understanding micro- and nanoplastics and what they mean for human health,” he says. “But it’s a rapidly emerging field, and I’m passionate about identifying practical steps people can take every day to lower their exposure and reduce how much plastic we return to the environment.”

It all starts at home

Dr Okoffo applies this philosophy in his own home. Inside his kitchen there are no plastic chopping boards, disposable takeaway cups, plastic kettles, plastic cups or single-use food containers.

Instead, he opts for glass, stainless steel, and reusable alternatives.

“These are small daily changes that, collectively, can make a meaningful difference.”

References

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304389423022975