Vaccine for cattle pneumonia

Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) currently costs the Australian feedlot industry around A$60m a year. A vaccine is now available, thanks to Australian research. Scientists are helping Australian producers to keep their livestock animals happy and healthy by developing new vaccines and treatments.

Science for tomorrow: developments

Four CSIRO research projects from Farming Ahead: invigorating wheat production, accurately mapping water availability, weeding out the risk of pest plants and a survey to help refine seasonal forecasts. (1 page)

Dr Darren Kriticos: modelling the future of pests in Australia

Dr Darren Kriticos is researching the effects of climate change impacts on pests and diseases in Australia, as well as regional biosecurity threats from potential new invasive species.

Dr Helen Murphy: understanding the impact of weeds on rainforest habitats

Dr Helen Murphy works to understand the impact of weeds on rainforest habitats, focusing in post-cyclone areas.

Sulfidic waste offers hidden mineral wealth

CSIRO research is mapping the way for mining companies to exploit hidden mineral wealth within their waste through simple separation processes.

The CSIRO Fire Danger and Fire Spread Calculator

CSIRO’s grassland and forest fire danger and spread meters are now available as a computer program.

Modelling Climate Change Impacts on Sleeper and Alert Weeds: Appendix B: results of CLIMEX models

This document forms part of Appendix B of the Modelling Climate Change Impacts on Sleeper and Alert Weeds report and shows the development of and results for the CLIMEX models for species identified as sleeper or alert weeds. (12 pages)

‘Invasive aliens’ threaten global biodiversity

While the implications of climate change for biodiversity have been widely recognised, the insidious effect of invasive alien species (IAS) on global biodiversity stays under the radar.

Invasive ant researchers invade the Top End

Some of the world’s worst invasive species will be the focus of an international workshop in Darwin this week.

Ants Down Under website

Ants Down Under provides an overview of all ants found in Australia, and includes information about their biology, identification, distribution, and links to published literature.

Of lice and man: researchers sequence human body louse genome

They make you itch and they are hard to find but scientists have got the body louse well and truly in their sights.

New flowsheet brings battery recycling a step closer

The recovery and purification of cobalt and lithium from spent batteries could be a step closer through the use of new solvent extraction (SX) processes.

Dr Louise Thatcher, researching plant defences

Dr Louise Thatcher is investigating the genetic and biochemical mechanisms of defence against diseases such as Fusarium.

The Hidden crisis in the Murray-Darling Basin (Podcast 19 Jun 2008)

The drought in the Murray-Darling Basin continues, but lack of rainfall is not the only woe to afflict one of the country’s most productive agricultural regions. In this podcast, CSIRO’s Dr Ian Smith, Co-Ordinator of the South East Australia Climate Initiative, explains that global warming has a less obvious, but very real, threat. (6.06)  

Locals lose out to sexy aliens

Globalisation has led to an increase in invasions by new species around the world and this is costing agriculture and the environment dearly.

Biodiversity status and trends

Understanding the extent and health of the nation’s biological diversity is the first step to halting its decline.

Melbourne: Highett, Vic (Highett laboratories)

CSIRO’s Highett laboratories in Melbourne’s south-east is home to advanced processing, materials and infrastructure research, sustainable ecosystems, and CSIRO's Victorian Science Education Centre.

The impact of weeds on rainforests following Cyclone Larry

Severe Category 4 Tropical Cyclone Larry hit the North Queensland coast in 2006 causing extensive destruction to rainforest habitats in the Wet Tropics. The widespread disturbance caused by the cyclone provided ideal conditions for rapid recruitment and spread of invasive weeds in Queensland’s rainforests.

Climate change may wake up ‘sleeper’ weeds

Climate change will cause some of Australia’s potential weeds to move south by up to 1000km, according to a report by scientists at CSIRO’s Climate Adaptation Flagship.

Dr Ben Hoffmann: applied ant ecology in northern Australia

Ant ecologist Dr Ben Hoffmann's research focuses on the invasive ecology and management of pest ants, the disturbance ecology of native ant communities and the use of ants as bio-indicators for sustainable land management

Dust Mites

This comprehensive reference is essential reading for anyone involved or interested in house dust mite research and management.

Re-think on how to beat a major poultry disease (Podcast 11 Feb 2008)

Working at CSIRO’s Australian Animal Health Laboratory (AAHL) in Geelong, Monash University PhD student, Anthony Keyburn, has made a discovery which will change the focus of the worldwide search for a vaccine for the major poultry disease – necrotic enteritis. (3.54)

CSIRO scientists discover a new bat virus in humans

CSIRO scientists have played a key role in discovering that bats are the likely host of a new virus that can cause a serious but apparently non-fatal respiratory tract illness in humans.

Mesquite biocontrol with the stem girdler, Oncideres rhodisticta

The stem girdler, Oncideres rhodisticta was investigated as a potential biocontrol agent for mesquite, but was not released in Australia as it proved difficult to culture in the lab and preliminary data suggested it might not be sufficiently host-specific.

Blue mussels lead to barnacle free boats (Podcast 11 Dec 2009)

New methods to reduce the growth of plants and animals on surfaces immersed in water, such as ship hulls, are being developed by a team of scientists from CSIRO. (4:24)