Professor Baxter’s studies were central in characterising the protein complexes which transport insulin-like growth factors (IGFs), and determining the regulation of the component proteins in cell culture and in vivo. By purifying and developing analytical methods for these and other IGF bioavailability at the cell and whole-body levels. Most recently Baxter’s work has defined structural features of IGF binding proteins that may account for their activities in IGF transport and in cell growth regulation. These studies have increased the understanding of the role of IGFs and their binding proteins in regulating normal body growth and the uncontrolled growth of cancer cells.

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R.J. Baxter is a leader in statistical mechanics. His first work was the exact solution of a one-dimensional Coulomb plasma. He has established new relations between distribution functions and made a considerable contribution to the Percus-Yevick theory of real gases by showing how it can give a phase transition. Baxter has received international recognition for the solution of models with particles on two-dimensional lattices. His eight-vertex model contains as special cases the square lattice Ising model, the dimer, ice, F and KDP models. Later the Ising model with interaction between three neighbouring spins on a triangular lattice was solved. The solutions show how the critical exponents sometimes depend on the details of the interactions between particles, in contrast to the commonly held hypothesis that critical exponents depend only on the dimensionality and symmetry of the model.

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Professor Basten has earned an international reputation for his work on cell-cell interactions in both immune response and tolerance. He is best known for his innovative work on T cell dependence of eosinophilia , Fc receptors on B cells and the phenomenon of suppressor cell memory, and most recently for the development of a unique transgenic model which has shed new light on the mechanism of self-tolerance in B cells. His contributions to immunology have been recognised by the award of the Inaugural Wellcome Australia Medal for distinguished scientific achievement in the field of immunology in 1980, election to the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences in 1981 and selection as the 1989 Florey Lecturer of the Royal Society, London.

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Barber is distinguished for his contribution to plant cytogenetics. Contributed greatly to the knowledge of chromosome movement on the spindle by the study of time elapse photographs of living cells. Has advanced the knowledge of chromosome behaviour in many ways by experimental studies, including the origin of diplochromosomes following heat treatment, reaction of cold and colchicine on mitosis, and the discovery of multiple sex chromosomes in marsupials. Recently has turned to the study of the physiological genetics of flowering in Pisum. He has also studied the ecological adaptiveness of variation in Eucalyptus and of coat colour genes in wild rabbits in Tasmania.

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Professor Antony Bacic’s major contribution is in understanding the structure and biology of complex carbohydrates. This group of molecules is fundamental to recognition and regulation in biological systems. His input to work on arabinogalactan-proteins (AGPs) led to cloning of the protein backbone and then to an entire gene family. These AGPs are present in all plant tissues and his work created tools to examine their function. A whole new filed of research was opened. Other major contributions are the synthesis of polysaccharides characteristic of grasses, antigens of the human parasite Leishmania and gums from red algae.

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Professor Andrews is distinguished for his contributions to our understanding of the mechanism of action, structure and regulation of the key photosynthetic enzyme ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase-oxygenase (Rubisco). He shared in the discovery of the oxygenase function of Rubisco and its role in photorespiration. Since then he has made major contributions to defining aspects of Rubisco function, especially the role of the small subunit in determining catalytic competence, the carbamylation-based mechanism of regulation of the enzyme, and the factors contributing to the renowned catalytic inefficiency of the enzyme. Andrews, separately or with his colleague Lorimer, has been responsible for developing and refining key concepts about Rubisco including basic features of the mechanism of the carboxylation reaction, the consequent unavoidable nature of the oxygenase reaction and the evolutionary implications of these features.

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Anderson is distinguished for her outstanding contributions to the understanding of the molecular organization of the chloroplast thylakoid membrane. She was associated with N.K. Boardman in achieving the first physical separation of the photochemical systems of photosynthesis. Dr Anderson developed an improved method for resolving chlorophyll protein complexes, and applied it to an analysis of thylakoid membrane fractions, representing the unstacked and stacked membranes of the chloroplast. She demonstrated an extreme lateral heterogeneity of the chlorophyll-protein complexes and the photosystems between the stacked and unstacked membrane regions, and proposed novel concepts for the operation of the photosynthetic electron chain. She has done pioneering work on the pigment protein complexes of brown seaweeds.

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John Aitken's research has elucidated fundamental cellular and molecular mechanisms regulating mammalian sperm function, fertilisation and early embryonic development. Demonstrating that oxidative stress, due to electron leakage, plays a major role in defective sperm function, his work linked this pathway to DNA damage and provided the basis for anti-oxidant therapy. Using proteomic approaches, he has identified a number of novel mediators of sperm-egg interactions. These studies unravelled new mechanisms which prevent sperm degeneration by blocking apoptotic pathways. Based on this information, his work provides opportunities to improve fertility and also pathways for new contraceptive development.

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Lloyd Hollenberg has a sustained record of achievements in quantum information science. He has created the physical-quantum information basis for a full-scale silicon quantum computer, drawing on his deep understanding of the physics involved. He has achieved major theoretical and experimental advances in the use of nitrogen-vacancy centres in diamond as quantum sensors in physical and biological applications. Hollenberg has also played a major leadership role in the Centre for Quantum Computation and Communications Technology, including mentorship of many students and post-doctoral fellows, service to the discipline, and enthusiastic promotion of physics to the public.

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Professor Donna Strickland made groundbreaking discoveries in the field of laser physics devising a method of generating high-intensity, ultra-short optical pulses. Her chirped pulse amplification technique, or CPA, became standard for subsequent high-intensity lasers. In this technique, first the laser pulses are stretched in time to reduce their peak power, then these pulses are amplified, and finally compressed. If a pulse is compressed in time and becomes shorter, then more light is packed together in the same tiny space – and the intensity of the pulse increases dramatically. Uses of Professor Strickland’s technique include the millions of corrective eye surgeries that are conducted every year using the sharpest of laser beams.

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