Normal sea squirt muscle cells form a ring shape (left), but after “boss gene” intervention (right), the cells cluster quite differently. Images: Nathan Palpant.

The chain of command inside human cells is similar to the way a factory is run, two University of Queensland researchers say.

14 December 2020
Flock of sheep standing close together looking in direction of camera

More frequently sheared pregnant sheep are more active, have lower stress levels and produce lambs with finer wool, according to University of Queensland research.

3 December 2020
Stock image

Researchers investigating the heritage of thousands of rice varieties have identified just two distinct maternal lineages, a discovery which could help address the issue of global food security.

11 November 2020

Final-year chemical engineering students at The University of Queensland are investigating how sugarcane can be used as a clean energy source to create hydrogen.

23 October 2020
Neon jellyfish in aquarium

Jellyfish could replace fish and chips on a new sustainable takeaway menu to help keep threatened species off the plate.

22 September 2020
Close up of cellulose fibre network

The secret of how fibre shapes the structure of plant cell walls has been revealed, with potentially wide-ranging applications ranging from nutrition and health to agriculture.

17 September 2020
UQ's Chris O'Brien with cryopreserved avocado shoot tips

The supply of smashed ‘avo’ is secure for generations after world-first research cryopreserved the tips of avocado shoots and then revived them to create healthy plants.

10 September 2020
A close up of a parasitic wasp against a white background

Biological control of insect pests – where ‘natural enemies’ keep pests at bay – is saving farmers in Asia and the Pacific billions of dollars, according to University of Queensland-led research.

3 September 2020

A tiny weed with huge potential has prompted University of Queensland PhD candidate and 2020 Charlie Perkins Scholarship winner Audrey McInnerney to head to the UK’s University of Cambridge.

3 September 2020
Cattle yards outside of Rockhampton, Central Queensland. (Photo supplied QAAFI).

A strong association between the genes influencing cattle temperament and autism in humans has been discovered by University of Queensland researchers.

28 August 2020

The unique flavour, texture and aroma of Australia’s famous Wagyu beef can now be marketed using a world-first flavour profile developed by The University of Queensland in partnership with the Australian Agricultural Company (AACo).

9 August 2020

Robots working in abattoirs, sky-high vertical farms, more gene-edited foods in our supermarkets and automated farming systems could all help guarantee food supply in the next pandemic.

31 July 2020
Australian native stingless bee (Tetragonula carbonaria). Credit: Tobias Smith

Science has once again validated Indigenous wisdom by identifying a rare, healthy sugar in native stingless bee honey that is not found in any other food.

23 July 2020
(L-R) UQ’s Ciara O’Brien and Brooke Johnstone sizing up a giant, invasive Chinese elm tree.

Giant, invasive Chinese elm trees with a trunk circumference of up to three metres are being swiftly slain thanks to a new herbicide technology developed by The University of Queensland and BioHerbicides Australia.

23 July 2020

Advanced herbicides and treatments for infection may result from the unravelling of a 50-year-old mystery by University of Queensland researchers.

10 July 2020
Sorghum in the field

Exploiting quirks in plant reproduction could boost yields in two staple crops, sorghum and cowpea, for crop farming communities in sub-Saharan Africa (SA).

9 June 2020
UQ’s Associate Professor Yasmina Sultanbawa and Maylla Wunungmurra, Gulkula Mining Company Pty Ltd investigate a green plum tree in East Arnhem Land. © Margaret Puls, UQ

An Indigenous fruit which is one of the earliest known plant foods eaten in Australia could be the next big thing in the bush foods industry.

31 May 2020

Researchers are raising a glass to a Queensland first: beer brewed using wild fermented yeast, hand-picked from a jacaranda tree at The University of Queensland.

5 May 2020
Premature flowering can lead to a highly erratic pineapple supply. Getty Image.

New pineapple varieties which grow more reliably and predictably are being developed in a University of Queensland-led project that will benefit farmers and industry.

9 March 2020
UQ researcher Kusinara Wijayabandara seeks community help in tackling the invasive fireweed

Fireweed is one of eastern Australia’s worst invasive species, and scientists are asking landholders for on-the-ground information about where it is growing and how they deal with it.

17 January 2020