Lab+Life Scientist

Laboratory testing of several imported unregistered melatonin products has confirmed them to be counterfeit under the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989. Now, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has issued five infringement notices totalling $99,000 to a company for the alleged unlawful importation of unapproved melatonin products. “Importing, supplying and/or giving away counterfeit melatonin products is illegal and poses a significant public health and safety risk,” the TGA said.

Using a combination of microbubbles and nanobubbles, Australian scientists have developed a method of capturing microplastics from wastewater. By optimising existing operating conditions, including air pressure, saturation time and bubble size, the approach — developed by RMIT University researchers — is, according to RMIT, able to be adopted by wastewater treatment plants without major infrastructure changes. Microbubbles and nanobubbles working together in a dissolved air flotation system.

Monash University has signed a signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Therapeutic Goods Administration’s (TGA) Academic Outreach Program, which fosters collaboration across research, knowledge exchange and education to support the delivery of safe, effective and high-quality medicines in Australia and internationally.

Illumina has appointed Susan Martin as General Manager, Australia and New Zealand. Based in Melbourne, Martin will lead the DNA sequencing and array-based technologies company’s ANZ operations across clinical, research and public health sectors — driving commercial growth, strategic partnerships, market expansion and customer success.

In this video, researchers tracked the movements of kestrels — in the gusty and turbulent conditions of RMIT University’s Industrial Wind Tunnel facility — to create a robotic replica of a bird that is among the most stable fliers in the avian world. To learn more about the project, including its applications to the design of small unmanned aerial vehicles, click here. Video credit: RMIT University

The nankeen kestrel is among the most stable fliers in the avian world. Using motion capture technology, researchers have created a robotic replica.

Combining expertise from RMIT University, MIT and Harvard Medical School, scientists set out to provide practice guidance for future mRNA dry vaccine patch design. As an alternative to traditional injections, microneedle patches use hundreds of tiny tips to deliver vaccine into the skin.

The National NeuroProteomics Facility recently commenced operations at Macquarie University. Stephen Downes speaks with the facility’s academic director. The science of proteomics isn’t necessarily easy to explain to the uninitiated. But Associate Professor Albert Lee, Academic Director of the new National NeuroProteomics Facility (NNPF) at Macquarie University, draws on an evocative metaphor. “I liken it to being at the top of Sydney Tower looking down on the Sydney CBD,” he said.

A UTS report has explored the economic and social value of National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA) accreditation in Australia. Commissioned by NATA, the report used a mixed-methods design — combining a survey of 165 NATA member organisations and 181 Technical Assessors, in-depth interviews with seven organisations for case studies, economic modelling and a literature review.

As of 1 July, 30 Australian women have now undergone restorative breast surgery using an absorbable scaffold technology specifically designed to regenerate lost breast tissue. This number is across two trials: a first-in-human safety study involving 19 patients between 2021 and 2023, and a pivotal clinical trial launched in January 2026 in Australia.