Fran Molloy

Macquarie astronomers used both space and land telescopes to help unravel the mysteries of the APEP system where three massive stars are locked in a 190-year orbit, creating spectacular spirals of cosmic dust.

CSIRO researchers have worked out a way to transform the mining industry’s biggest liability into construction’s next breakthrough material – and it all starts at the local pottery shop.

New fossil research shows how human impacts, particularly through the rise of agriculture and livestock, have disrupted natural mammal communities as profoundly as the Ice Age extinctions.

The discovery of ancient footprints in Canada has transformed the way researchers hunt for dinosaur tracks.

When marine scientists gave Sydney Harbor seawalls a colorful glow up, they discovered it boosted marine biodiversity along our increasingly urbanized, concrete-dominated shorelines.

Astronomers led by a team at Macquarie University have tracked an extreme planet’s orbital decay to understand how stars dissipate energy.

In solving the complex maths to calculate how irregular atmospheric particles affect global warming, a Macquarie University mathematician has built equations that could transform climate modelling, medical imaging and material design.

Scientists have used bacterial DNA to track sewage pollution in 18 global harbours, revealing widespread contamination that current testing methods fail to detect. An international study published in Nature Water has uncovered wide-spread sewage…

Macquarie University researchers have discovered Australian bull ants use the moon’s light to navigate at night, revealing new insights into nocturnal animal behaviour. In the dark of night, nocturnal ants leave their nests to forage for food,…

Dr Tim Ralph from Macquarie University’s School of Natural Sciences will join an international team on a field expedition to Egypt in December to investigate previously unknown former Nile River branches near the ancient Meidum Pyramid Complex, which…

Australian tree skinks are mainly monogamous – but new research showing female skinks can store sperm from different males might explain the species’ evolutionary success. Female Australian tree skinks can successfully reproduce without access to…

CSIRO’s lunar testbed in Brisbane simulates the fine, abrasive lunar regolith covering the top five to ten metres of the moon’s surface.

“Unlike large pure fusion reactors, compact spherical tokamaks may be used to produce high-energy fast neutrons economically, which can breed fuel for traditional nuclear reactors or burn their waste, producing energy at the same time,” says Nikolai…

Small robots called Starbugs designed for large land-based survey telescopes by Macquarie University’s Astronomical Optics team, will give astronomers unprecedented access to galaxies that existed long ago – and far, far away. A revolutionary…

Can a tiny regular dose of ‘magic mushrooms’ boost your creativity, clarify your thinking and make you more productive? Macquarie University researchers are set to find out in a revolutionary new study. Researchers at Macquarie University are seeking…

‘Raylene’ is the ruler of a group of smooth stingrays whose shallow-water fish-feeding forays on the NSW South Coast have given scientists a rare view of their complex society. A group of smooth stingrays living under the tyranny of a ‘large and…

Our household dust is teeming with microplastics – but vacuuming and getting rid of carpets could reduce our exposure to potentially toxic materials, say Macquarie University researchers. The first Australian study to measure microplastics inside…

New research has uncovered the secret pathway used by some aggressive breast cancers to avoid detection – and will likely lead to more effective treatments for metastatic breast cancer. New research from Macquarie University could help to slow down…

One of Australia’s longest running volunteer science projects is a whale count that has uncovered a remarkable good news story about humpbacks. Retired diesel mechanic Wayne Reynolds loves whales. He’s proved his devotion every winter for the past 23…