A gloved hand holds a petri dish with the CBD molecular structure drawn on the lid.

Synthetic cannabidiol, better known as CBD, has been shown for the first time to kill the bacteria responsible for gonorrhoea, meningitis and legionnaires disease.

20 January 2021

Molecules from the venom of one of the world’s largest spiders could help University of Queensland-led researchers tailor pain blockers for people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

21 September 2020

The development of eco-friendly pesticides urgently required to protect crops will be accelerated with funding from the Australian Research Council.

4 August 2020
Homeward Bound adventurers, from left, Dr Anna Vinkhuyzen, Bianca Das, Dr Emma Kennedy and Hana Starobova.

Five University of Queensland-based scientists will travel by sea to Antarctica this month, after being handpicked for a professional development program.

19 November 2019

A sample of estuarine mud taken 16 years ago has yielded a potential new class of painkiller as potent as opioids, but without their disadvantages.

16 October 2019

Environmental conditions influence our body mass index (BMI) by increasing or decreasing the effect of inherited genetic variations, University of Queensland researchers have discovered.

23 August 2019
Scientists-on-bow-of-ship-in-Antarctica

Three University of Queensland researchers are among a group of 100 female scientists from around the world taking part in a year-long leadership scheme culminating in an Antarctic voyage.

16 August 2018
Rattlesnake

Researchers have shown why a fragment of a protein from the venom gland of rattlesnakes could be the basis for an alternative to conventional antibiotics.

15 March 2018
Assassin bug: photo Jiayi Jin

Venom researchers from The University of Queensland have uncovered a unique and complex venom system within the tiny assassin bug.

23 February 2018
UQ's Emma Livingstone in Kowanyama for the 2017 program

A program that engages rural Australian communities with science also boosts visibility and career development for women researchers, a University of Queensland-led study has found.

20 October 2017
Endometriosis affects one in 10 women and can cause severe pelvic pain

In the world’s largest study into the genetic causes of endometriosis, University of Queensland researchers have helped identify five new gene regions linked to the disease.

25 May 2017
Associate Professor Mark Smythe ... his research led to new biotech company

University of Queensland spin-out biotech company Protagonist Therapeutics Inc is a step closer to developing a new drug that would benefit millions of people worldwide.

22 August 2016
Samantha Nixon with Selenocosmia crassipes, Australia’s largest tarantula

Tarantula spider venom could become an unlikely ally in the war against sheep infections caused by nematode worms - a major cost for the international sheep industry.

19 July 2016
Sea slug chromodoris annae. Pic: Deb Aston

Brightly coloured sea slugs are slurping deadly chemicals and stockpiling the most toxic compounds for use on their enemies.

20 January 2016

Does a doorhandle or a keyboard have more germs? The University of Queensland’s Dr Alysha Elliott swabbed people’s hands and common workplace surfaces to expose some of the germiest places around the office, as part of Global...

15 October 2015
A mini-kidney formed in a dish from human induced pluripotent stem cells. The three colours show the presence of distinct cell types within the developing nephrons. Image: Minoru Takasato

Australian researchers have perfected a method of growing mini-kidneys from stem cells for use in drug screening, disease modelling and cell therapy.

14 October 2015
Dr Rashmi Priya and Professor Alpha Yap

University of Queensland researchers have discovered a new signalling pathway that controls cell adhesion, an important process that is disrupted in diseases such as skin cancer and inflammation.

15 September 2015
Professor Jenny Martin was named a finalist in the awards for her tireless efforts campaigning for gender equity in science in Australia.

​Professor Jenny Martin from the Institute for Molecular Bioscience is a finalist for a Pride of Australia Medal in the Inspiration category.

1 September 2015
Associate Professor Bryan Fry is using a new technique to extract venom from box jellyfish

An international research team led by University of Queensland venomologist Associate Professor Bryan Fry has developed a new technique for ‘milking’ box jellyfish to extract deadly venom for the development into lifesaving drugs.

11 August 2015

University of Queensland pain treatment researchers have discovered thousands of new peptide toxins hidden deep within the venom of just one type of Queensland cone snail.

7 July 2015