Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering

Most of us know someone whose life has been touched by ovarian cancer: it kills over 100,000 people each year and affects millions more. But an Australian-invented blood test is giving us revolutionary insights into the differences between separate ovarian tumours. This could lead to life-saving early screenings and new treatments tailored to individual patients. Dr Jessica Duarte from the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute and Adjunct Professor Els Meeusen from Federation University have worked with collaborators in Japan to create new ways to understand ovarian cancer at the immunological level. TechNOW is a podcast about Australian innovations that are shaping the future, thanks to the Global Connections fund – a project run by the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering and supported by the Australian Government. Find out more at https://atse.org.au/TechNOW

Australia's 60,000 abandoned mines range from poisoned goldrush-era mine shafts to huge, open-cut wounds on the natural landscape. Many pose grave threats to the health of our community and environment. In developing countries like India, these danger is even worse But what if we could turn these mine sites back into thriving ecosystems, and deal with a major waste problem at the same time? Biosolids are the organic matter left over after sewage has been treated. Distinguished Professor Andy Ball, his team at RMIT and collaborators in India are turning this unapealing into a special kind of charcoal that could revolutionise mine restoration. And in another incredible innovation, they're using native plant species to remove toxic contaminants from the environment. TechNOW is a podcast about Australian innovations that are shaping the future, thanks to the Global Connections fund – a project run by the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering and supported by the Australian Government.

COVID isn't the only pandemic threat we face. The infectious disease that killed the most people in 2018 wasn't malaria or HIV: it was tuberculosis. Because of antibiotic resistance, a growing number of TB infections can't be cured by current methods. Rising fever, chest-pain, coughing up blood – without new treatments, this ancient sickness could become a future crisis. But what if we could treat antibiotic resistant TB with a new drug delivered straight into the lungs by an asthma-puffer style device? Thanks to new technology developed by Associate Professor Charlotte Conn, her team at RMIT, and their collaborators in India, this dream cure could become a reality. TechNOW is a podcast about Australian innovations that are shaping the future, thanks to the Global Connections fund – a project run by the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering and supported by the Australian Government.

The number of Australians who die from unintentional drug overdose continues to rise every year. Treatment can be complicated because it's not always known what substance has been taken. And there are new synthetic drugs hitting the streets all the time. Imagine the benefit of a test that could quickly and accurately identify which drug is present. That's the life-saving tech Professor Shanlin Fu from the University of Technology is making a reality. TechNOW is a podcast about Australian innovations that are shaping the future, thanks to the Global Connections fund – a project run by the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering and supported by the Australian Government.

Australia is one of the sunniest continents in the world, so it's no surprise Australians have embraced solar energy to cut their power bills and slow down climate change. One in-five-homes now have rooftop solar panels. But all that extra energy being fed into the grid can be tricky to manage. Our infrastructure wasn't built for electricity to move in two directions. It's not impossible for electricity to flow backwards, but it must be managed or transformers can become saturated. Dr Elizabeth Ratnam and Associate Professor Lachlan Blackhall have come up with a revolutionary new way of better monitoring power flow through electricity grids. TechNOW is a podcast about Australian innovations that are shaping the future, thanks to the Global Connections fund – a project run by the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering and supported by the Australian Government.

Once the stuff of science fiction, Carbon Dioxide lasers are now crucial to soft-tissue surgery and next gen manufacturing. But a laser is only as good as the glass fibre that carries it. Professor Heike Ebendorff-Heidepriem is deputy director at the Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing at the University of Adelaide. Professor Heike Ebendorff-Heidepriem from the University of Adelaide is developing a revolutionary new type of glass fibre to make the laser beams more efficient. TechNOW is a podcast about Australian innovations that are shaping the future, thanks to the Global Connections Fund.

High blood sugar can injure nerves and blood vessels throughout the body. And the first nerves to be affected tend to be the smallest ones, furthest away from the spinal cord – those that stretch to the toes and feet. That nerve damage is called diabetic neuropathy and it can cause a tingling in the toes or a constant burning feeling in the feet. It can be sneaky too and completely rob the feet of their ability to sense pain. But Dr Anna Hatton has come up with a way of making shoes high tech to help a diabetic better negotiate the road ahead. TechNOW is a podcast about Australian innovations that are shaping the future, thanks to the Global Connections Fund.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in Australia. It claims 21 lives every day. Those who do survive heart attacks can take months to recover. That's where Associate Professor Nicole Freene comes in. She's developed an app-based exercise program designed to improve the health of older people at risk of a repeat heart attack. TechNOW is a podcast about Australian innovations that are shaping the future, thanks to the Global Connections Fund: a project run by the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering and supported by the Australian Government. Find out more at atse.org.au/TechNOW

On RN Breakfast with Hamish Macdonald Australia faces a critical challenge in the future management of our waste. New forms of waste are set to increase, including e-waste, solar PV panels, and batteries. Advanced technologies and engineering solutions have the potential to divert valuable resources from landfill. Recycling, reuse, remanufacturing and refurbishment of products can create a closed system, minimising waste. Economic benefits of a waste management industry include job creation (for every 10,000 tonnes of waste recycled, 9.2 jobs are created) and it has been estimated a recycling plant could bring up to $166 million in net gain to Victoria alone over the coming decade. This project delivers an objective, evidence-based, expert assessment of Australia’s readiness to develop a leading-edge waste and resource recovery sector based on innovation and technology by 2030, along with targeted policy and research recommendations to support this transformation. The investigation is part of a major three-year research project examining the technology readiness of Australian industry sectors. ATSE’s project is providing insights into Australia’s ability to capitalise on opportunities emerging in the digital economy. Future industries will rely on technology like artificial intelligence, robotics, augmented reality, automation, big data analytics and user interfaces, and we are asking the question: Are we ready?

The Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering Annual Oration delivered by Professor Margaret Sheil AO FTSE, Vice-Chancellor and President, QUT (Queensland University of Technology)

Engineer, company director and diversity leader Leeanne Bond talks about breaking down the blokey barriers in the world of engineering. She's also a Fellow of the Academy.

From fire ants to climate change, life can be tough on the farm. Academy Fellow Beth Woods, Director-General of the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, talks us through the challenges.

Science can transform our waste into energy and nutrients. We spoke to wastewater expert Professor Zhiguo Yuan about using sewage as a sustainable resource.

Professor Thorsten Trupke FTSE and Adjunct Associate Professor Robert Bardos are the winners of the 2019 Clunies Ross Innovation Award. They explain how their research has transformed the development of solar cells, with their technology sold to almost all leading manufacturers in the solar panel supply chain globally, including the world’s five largest.

Researcher Dr Jane Oppenheim is the 2019 Clunies Ross Entrepreneur of the Year. She talks about how science has laid the basis for both healthy skin and a significant growth in manufacturing jobs.

Professor Anthony Weiss AM FTSE is the winner of the 2019 Clunies Ross Knowledge Commercialisation Award. His invention of synthetic skin has revolutionised the treatment of wounds, ending the need for stitches, as well as generating valuable export income.

As we face the climate emergency, how do we make our cities cleaner and greener? Scientia Professor Deo Prasad weighs in on whether we should build up or out, rooftop solar vs. solar farms, and the secrets of sustainable urban planning. Based at UNSW Sydney, Professor Prasad is a Fellow of the Academy and the head of the Cooperative Research Centre for Low Carbon Living.

Distinguished Professor Genevieve Bell paints a picture of innovation and how it changes lives through the stories of six people. Professor Bell is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering and was speaking at the Academy's Innovation and Awards Excellence event in Sydney on 13 June 2019.

Every year, we throw away mountains of mobile phones and other electronic devices. What's the alternative? Scientia Professor Veena Sahajwalla, an Academy Fellow at UNSW, is pioneering microrecyling ... breaking down waste at a molecular level.

In a world awash with plastic waste, Professor Thomas Maschmeyer’s start-up company, Licella, could be a game-changer. Using renewable energy, Licella completely recycles plastic – saving energy and avoiding pollution. We talk to Professor Maschmeyer, from the University of Sydney, about this project, batteries that will never catch fire, and how to combine research and entrepreneurship. Professor Maschmeyer is a Fellow of the Academy, who won the 2018 CSIRO Eureka Prize for Leadership in Innovation and Science.

Our cities produce more water than they need, but we’re still at risk of running dry. Academy Fellow Professor Ana Deletic explains the technology that can save water, reduce heat … all while improving property prices along the way.

Academy Fellow Professor Eduardo Nebot from the Australian Centre for Field Robotics talks to Anthea Batsakis about automated cities, artificial intelligence and robotics and where all this is headed.

Managing Director of Energy, Resources and Manufacturing at Aurecon and Academy Fellow, Dr Alex Wonhas, breaks down the debate on renewable energy in Australia and describes alternate futures for the country.

Catherine Tanna FTSE, Managing Director of EnergyAustralia, delivered the annual Academy Oration in Melbourne on 23 November 2018.

Australia has joined the space race with the launch of the Australian Space Agency. Head of the Agency and Academy Fellow Dr Megan Clark explains why we have a head start.

Jon Jutsen, Chair of the Australian Alliance for Energy Productivity and a Fellow of the Academy, says energy efficiency shouldn't have a low profile in national energy debates.

Two of our Fellows debate the issue. Hear from University of Western Australia's Professor Simon Biggs and Swinburne University of Technology's Professor Bronwyn Fox.

As more devices become connected to the internet, huge amounts of data about the real world is being created. Imagine the wealth of information that can be generated from smart cars, smart infrastructure and, importantly, smart bodies. Hear Professor Hugh Bradlow FTSE, Academy President, explain how machine learning can navigate Big Data, deriving patterns from data with no obvious mathematical causal relationship, and so redefining healthcare.

David Glanz talks to Professor David Huang, 2018 Clunies Ross Knowledge Commercialisation Awardee, and collaborators Associate Professor Peter Czabotar and Associate Professor Guillaume Lessene. The three researchers, along with Professor Andrew Roberts, are recognised for their role in the development of a novel, potent anti-cancer drug called venetoclax. The drug, discovered in collaboration with Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, and AbbVie, was recently approved for use in the US, Europe and Australia to treat certain forms of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL). Derived from a basic research discovery in the late 1980s at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, the team’s findings helped to solve a problem that eluded international research efforts: inhibiting a family of pro-survival proteins called BCL-2. The solution involved expertise from each collaborator: Professor Huang led research unravelling the basic biology of the protein family; Associate Professors Lessene and Professor Czabotar focused on drug design and discovery; and Professor Roberts led translational and clinical research to establish its effectiveness in patients. They demonstrated that BCL-2 inhibitors had the potential to be exploited as an anti-cancer treatment. Pioneering clinical trials of venetoclax began in Australia in 2011 and saw outstanding results for patients. Some 79 per cent of people involved in two early phase clinical trials reported in 2016 had a promising result to the treatment. Both studies saw remissions in patients with advanced CLL for whom conventional treatment options had been exhausted. The social impacts of this drug will be enduring, benefiting patients and the health system and fuelling further investment and employment in the research sector – basic and translational. In July 2017, the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research completed a landmark deal, selling a part of its royalty rights in venetoclax for up to $US325 million. A portion of this income is being used to enhance and accelerate the discovery of new medicines, ensuring more cutting-edge medical research at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute can be translated. The drug is now undergoing clinical trials to test its effectiveness in treating other types of cancer, with the hope it will benefit more patients in the future.

David Glanz talks to 2018 Clunies Ross Innovation Awardee, Dr Jim Aylward. Dr Aylward is the inventor of Picato, a novel anti-skin cancer drug developed from a folklore remedy that has been used to treat more than one million patients. Picato is a prescription drug with worldwide sales and major competitive advantages, and has become part of the arsenal for dermatology clinics. Dr Aylward discovered the drug after observing how sap from a weed successfully treated sunspots and isolating the active ingredients: an ingenane diterpene family of molecules, including ingenol mebutate. The drug requires only two to three days of treatment and no disfiguring surgery, protracted therapy or damage to DNA. The ex-CSIRO research scientist and entrepreneur co-founded Peplin Pty Ltd in 1998 to commercialise his invention, which was later sold to Leo Pharma A/S for around $306 million in 2009. Leo Pharma has set up an Australian office, employing more than 100 Australians and expanding the number of Australians skilled in pharmaceutical manufacture and clinical trial management. Dr Aylward’s support for translational research and development is ongoing. He established Oncolin to mentor start-up companies and served on the Advisory Panel for the University of Queensland’s iLab Incubator from 2006-2011. He also serves as a non-executive director of Wesley Medical Research. For his work, Dr Aylward was a state finalist in the Senior Australian of the Year awards and a joint winner of the 2012 Life Sciences Queensland Award. Now, he supports innovative companies through the State Government Mentoring for Growth initiative, and in 2012 he was awarded a certificate in appreciation of his commitment and support for growing Queensland businesses. He is also a member of a number of commercialisation committees at University of Queensland institutes, providing advice and support to encourage a new generation of entrepreneurs.

Our podcast with Dr Rosalind Dubs FTSE, former Chair of the Australian Space Industry Innovation Council, discusses why women are a minority in STEM jobs, why STEM skills are so important and how to increase the number of women in leadership roles.

David Glanz talks to 2018 Clunies Ross Entrepreneur of the Year, Dr Erol Harvey FTSE. Scientist, educator and entrepreneur Dr Erol Harvey has made outstanding contributions to Australia through the world-leading microfluidic engineering company MiniFAB, his distinguished academic career and his unwavering support for research commercialisation and entrepreneurship. In 2002, he co-founded the export-oriented business MiniFAB, which is now a world-leading provider of custom-designed and manufactured microfluidic and medical devices. Capable of rapid prototyping and product commercialisation, MiniFAB delivers custom solutions into diverse markets, including medical devices, diagnostics, food packaging and aerospace.