CSIRO

30 September 2026 News Release Biodegradable films made from engineered honeybee silk could form the basis of a new generation of ‘smart’ wound dressings, according to CSIRO and Adelaide University researchers.

24 September 2026 News Release The first of a new fleet of uncrewed surface vehicles (USVs) set off from CSIRO Hobart this week, as part of a mission monitoring the Southern Ocean to better understand how much carbon dioxide (CO₂) from the atmosphere is absorbed by the ocean surface. The USVs, made by Saildrone, will be deployed every quarter over five years to circumnavigate Antarctica, operating through the challenging conditions of the Southern Ocean.

By Smriti Daniel 21 September 2026 7 min read Key points A vineyard tool built to improve grape quality by aiding canopy management is being repurposed to measure pasture biomass across Australian paddocks. Dairy research suggests more accurate biomass measurement could lift farm profitability by 11-15 per cent. Supported by funding from Meat & Livestock Australia and CSIRO, the system will layer LiDAR with other sensors to work out how edible the pasture is.

Price Free Event date and time Tuesday 6 Oct 2026 1.00pm to 2.00pm AEDT Location Online virtual event Login details will be emailed to registrants This webinar presents the latest research from the Climate Systems Hub on extreme precipitation, focusing not just on how much rain falls, but how quickly it falls. The results indicate that intense, short-burst downpours are generally becoming more frequent and more intense.

By Matt Marrison 22 September 2026 6 min read Key points Students on a training voyage aboard CSIRO research vessel (RV) Investigator have helped shed new light on an intriguing shipwreck phenomenon. While involved in a shipwreck survey in waters off Bundaberg in Queensland, they observed mysterious holes in the seafloor surrounding a shipwreck turned popular dive site.

By Michael Coombes 18 September 2026 6 min read It’s the rarest of nights on Wajarri Yamaji Country, about 800 kilometres north of Perth. There’s no hint of the Moon. Not a wisp of cloud. The Milky Way is rising, heavy with shimmering stars. But what truly sets tonight apart from all the others is that CSIRO’s ASKAP radio telescope is not scanning the sky. It gives acclaimed Australian astrophotographer Alex Cherney an opportunity given to a rare few.

Price Free Event date and time Tuesday 29 Sep 2026 12.00pm to 1.00pm AEST Location Online virtual event Login details will be emailed to registrants Australia is one of the most biologically diverse places on Earth. From our largest states, like Western Australia and New South Wales, to our smallest, Tasmania, each has high levels of regional endemism with species which occur nowhere else.

By Keirissa Lawson 16 September 2026 5 min read Key points The India–Australia critical minerals and green steel research partnerships invested $22.6 million to address shared challenges in critical minerals supply chains, resource value-addition, steel decarbonisation and workforce development.

By Thea Williams 16 September 2026 8 min read Key points CSIRO has a fleet of around 160 drones in use across Australia in different research areas. The drones have allowed scientists better access, greater scope, more efficient ways of working and the ability to scale up the data collected. Drones have also delivered a lot more environmental data. CSIRO’s chief remote pilot has never flown a plane. Amanda Meys oversees almost 100 other remote pilots across Australia’s national science agency.

By Kirsten Fredericksen 16 September 2026 4 min read It looks like outback snow. A swathe of white bordered by the deep ochre of outback Australia. But look closer and the colours are limitless as Western Australia’s wildflower season is presented in all its floral beauty in the Murchison, about 800 kilometres north-east of Perth. This year’s season is the best in recent memory with early winter rains resulting in a spectacular display.