Four Academy Fellows have been recognised in this year’s Queen’s Birthday honours, receiving the Order of Australia for their outstanding service or exceptional achievements.

Companion of the Order of Australia

Emeritus Professor Kurt Lambeck AC FAA FRS is recognised for eminent service to science, particularly to geophysics and geodesy, through research roles at the national and international level, to professional scientific organisations, and to education. Professor Lambeck was President of the Academy from 2006 to 2010 and was awarded the Prime Minister’s Prize for Science in 2018.

Officer of the Order of Australia

Professor Evans Lagudah AO FAA is recognised for distinguished service to agriculture and food science as a researcher in the area of wheat genetics.

Dr Steve Rintoul AO FAA is recognised for distinguished service to climate science through oceanographic and Antarctic research and policy development.

Emeritus Professor Jim Williams AO FAA FTSE (ANU) is recognised for distinguished service to the physical sciences, to tertiary education, and to professional scientific organisations.

The Academy warmly congratulates the Queen’s Birthday honours recipients.

Top view of conotoxin LsIA binding to a receptor. Image from a paper by Wen, Adams and Hung in the journal Marine Drugs.

Sufferers of chronic pain know the debilitating consequences of the illness. Existing treatments for chronic pain tend to activate a wide range of receptors in the brain instead of just the few specific ones being targeted. Each receptor subtype has a different role, and off-target effects on the wrong receptor subtype can cause serious problems.

If we could find or create larger and more carefully shaped drug molecules, they would be able to selectively bind only to targeted receptors. Off-target activations of other receptors would be eliminated. To find suitable molecules, researchers have turned to an unlikely source: venom from marine cone snails. Conotoxins, the compounds found in cone snail venom, are a growing source of interest for novel pain relief treatments.

Dr Andrew Hung from RMIT University is conducting detailed molecular dynamics simulations on the National Computational Infrastructure’s Gadi supercomputer to learn how conotoxins interact with target receptors in the brain. Using a large number of Gadi nodes to simulate many possible toxins in combination with different receptor subtypes, the research team has been able to make predictions tested and validated by experimental collaborators.

 “Gadi allows us to simulate the movements of these complex molecular systems for long enough to get a more accurate idea of how a protein really moves,” says Dr Hung. “It’s like a Bruce Lee movie: if you only see the opening credits, Bruce Lee doesn’t seem to do much. But watch the whole movie, and his impressive range of movements become obvious.”

Modelling the protein and drug interactions for an extended period of time using powerful HPC systems is important. A protein’s movement is closely tied to its function, but the effects causing those movements might not be obvious at first. In some cases, a drug might only slightly alter a protein’s structure—and thus its movement—through a series of subtle steps that take some time to come about. The Gadi supercomputer allows researchers to model complex molecular interactions in exquisite detail.

This story was provided by National Computational Infrastructure, a supporting partner of Science at the Shine Dome.

85% of Australians live within 50 kilometres of the ocean, placing them within the ‘blue ribbon’—the interconnected waterways, coasts and seas that surround Australia and support major industries, provide recreation and cultural heritage to communities, and offer new economic frontiers like offshore energy.

But there is an urgent need to manage this blue ribbon in a more sustainable way, to both build resilience to threats and position Australia for the huge opportunities associated with a sustainable blue economy.

A ten-year strategy launched today by Future Earth Australia, a program of the Australian Academy of Science, presents a national implementation plan to ensure healthy coasts and oceans for a just and environmentally sustainable future.

The strategy was launched at the Sustainability Research & Innovation Congress 2021, the world’s first transdisciplinary gathering in sustainability. Representatives from research, industry, government and civil leaders from over 110 countries are attending the conference.   

The strategy is a bottom-up, cross-sectoral plan that was developed through deep consultation across the country, with strategic oversight from an Expert Working Group composed of leading ocean and coastal researchers and practitioners.

Director of Future Earth Australia, Dr Tayanah O'Donnell, says a lack of national coordination and integration has held our oceans and coasts back from being of benefit to all Australians.

“This strategy outlines the steps needed to transform how we think about, govern and protect oceans and coasts across Australia, and will serve as a blueprint for the national change that Australia’s oceans and coasts need,” says Dr O'Donnell.

“It also provides evidence-based ideas and frameworks that can support existing initiatives, such as the Government’s $100 million oceans and coasts investment package announced in April, and positions Australia to lead on the international stage during the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainability.”

Among the seven recommendations in the report is a call for a national agency to coordinate ocean and coastal governance across all tiers of government.

Emeritus Professor Nick Harvey, co-chair of the Expert Working Group, says that each state has a different approach to coastal management.

“The strategy recognises that our oceans and coasts do not respect state or other jurisdictional boundaries. We need a coordinated and sustainable management approach involving all levels of government.”

In addition to this top-down call for coordinated governance, the strategy highlights the key role of local, grassroots initiatives that increase community trust and promote local stewardship of oceans and coasts.

The success of this approach can be seen in Coastcare, a successful Australian community-based coastal stewardship program that linked three tiers of government and the community toward a common purpose, using a combination of local and federal funding for a network of regionally based staff working to manage our coasts.

CSIRO’s Dr Beth Fulton is co-chair of the Expert Working Group. She says multi-level approaches like these can provide great opportunities for coastal and remote communities without having to put ecosystems on the line.

“We are sitting on the cusp of a future based around the oceans, so it is important we get it right from the start because oceans are so central to how our ecosystems, atmosphere and communities work,” Dr Fulton says.

The strategy also recommends that First Peoples’ knowledge and practices be elevated into ocean and coastal management to empower Indigenous leadership.

Professor Martin Nakata of James Cook University, a member of the Expert Working Group, says the immense value of connecting across knowledge systems can be seen in the successful land and sea management strategy for the Torres Strait.

“This brought together western science, management experience and the knowledge of Traditional Owners to jointly determine a vision and agree on the best pathways and mechanisms to achieve that vision.”

Expert Working Group member Professor Emma Johnston from UNSW Sydney says the most difficult challenge will not be the development of sustainable practices, but their implementation.

“This is the decade of reckoning: reckoning the impact of humans on our oceans and coasts and reckoning for past mistakes (and misdeeds) in environmental management,” says Professor Johnston.

“Our future depends on the creation of just, agile and highly integrated governance for our rapidly changing oceans and coasts.”

Read the Sustainable oceans and coasts national strategy 2021–2030

Future Earth Australia

Future Earth is a global sustainability, research, and innovation network. Future Earth Australia is the Australian and Oceania arm of Future Earth. It enables Australian researchers, governments, industry and NGOs to collaborate with each other and with international networks.

A new report by Deloitte Access Economics has found every $1 invested in discovering all remaining Australian species will bring up to $35 of economic benefits to the nation.

The cost-benefit analysis of the value of discovering new species has never before been attempted in Australia. It comes as scientists launch a new mission to discover and document all Australian species that remain undiscovered and unnamed within a generation.

The 25-year mission being launched today is led by the Australian Academy of Science’s Director of Taxonomy Australia, Adjunct Associate Professor Kevin Thiele.

He says many Australians would be surprised to know that after more than 300 years of Western scientific exploration of Australia’s rich biodiversity, only 30% of Australia’s estimated 750,000 species have been named and documented so far.

“Without this mission, it’s likely to take more than 400 years to discover all remaining Australian plants, animals, fungi and other organisms. A 16-fold increase in the annual rate of discovery is required over the next 25 years to meet this ambitious goal.

“Combining the skills of our current and future scientists with new technologies such as genome sequencing, artificial intelligence and supercomputing makes this ambitious goal achievable by 2050.

Combining the skills of our current and future scientists with new technologies such as genome sequencing, artificial intelligence and supercomputing makes this ambitious goal achievable by 2050.

“The successful completion of this mission will help build a path to a sustainable and prosperous future and place Australia among the first nations in the world to benefit from a fully documented biodiversity,” he said.

The mission is also expected to:

• reduce green tape by providing more certainty to the resources sector
• help protect Australia’s agriculture and the environment from imported pests and diseases by reducing biosecurity risks
• stimulate new opportunities in agriculture, fisheries and aquaculture, pharmaceuticals and environmental management
• help ensure that conservation investments are targeted and effective
• lead to new industries in emerging fields such as industrial food technologies and bioengineering.

The estimated cost of building capability needed to document the remaining estimated 600,000 Australian species yet to be discovered is $824 million over 25 years.

Initial focus

The mission’s initial focus will be to develop assets, including a national biobank and DNA sequence library, to ensure DNA sequences are available for all known Australian species. This would unlock enormous potential, from eDNA sequencing for environmental monitoring to bioprospecting, bioindustries and bioengineering.

Adjunct Associate Professor Thiele says the collection of more than 70 million scientific specimens in museums and herbaria in every Australian state and territory represents a $7 billion national science infrastructure and a solid foundation on which to build such a national biobank.

Insect expert Dr Erinn Fagan-Jeffries from the University of Adelaide is one of the Australian scientists involved in Taxonomy Australia’s new mission. Dr Fagan-Jeffries is researching the biodiversity and taxonomy of parasitoid wasps in Australia. She recently discovered and named four new species of wasp in collaboration with primary schools in regional South Australia.

Deloitte Access Economics partner and principal report author, Matt Judkins, says the modelling and analysis indicate that Taxonomy Australia’s mission is both ambitious and has strong potential to create significant economic and social benefits for the country.

“Benefits in the sectors of biosecurity, biodiscovery, agricultural R&D and biodiversity conservation attributable to accelerated taxonomic discovery range from $3.7 billion to $28.9 billion over the period to 2045, depending on the low, medium or high scenario cases defined for each benefit stream. This compares to the costs of investment in seven key categories estimated at $824 million over the same period.

“While a significant investment, and a lot of good will, will be required, Australia will have access to a much better understanding of its biodiversity and the risks it faces,” Mr Judkins said.

This report aligns with the 10-year plan for taxonomy and biosystematics developed by the Australian Academy of Science and the Royal Society Te Apārangi. This decadal plan seeks to use new and emerging technologies, develop key infrastructure, and create a unified and dynamic science that will serve the needs of society, government, industry and our unique biodiversity.

Find out more about Taxonomy Australia, a program of the Australian Academy of Science.

National leadership and collaboration in support of Australia’s response to COVID-19 are among the many achievements highlighted in the Academy’s recently published annual report for 2020.

The Academy created a COVID-19 news and resources hub and played a proactive role in the Australian pandemic response by joining with the Chief Scientist and other learned academies to form the Rapid Research Information Forum, providing timely and expert advice to government.

The Academy also developed an expert database that connects 1800 experts with stakeholders, and shared accessible evidence-based information for a broad audience through its online communication channels. It developed and adapted education resources for teachers, parents and students to support emergency remote teaching, and initiated Global Science TV in partnership with the International Science Council.

“2020 was an extraordinary year for society and for science. The Academy demonstrated its strength and relevance in guiding decision-making and we were able to reinforce the importance of the Academy’s independent voice for science in Australia,” said Academy Chief Executive Anna-Maria Arabia in her introduction to the report.

“Through analysis of Australian media reports in June, the Australian Science Media Centre revealed that the Academy was among the top 10 most prominent institutions in the pandemic, illustrating the vital role experts play in building public confidence.”

Academy Fellows received many Australian and international honours and awards. Emeritus Professor David Blair, Professor David McClelland and Professor Susan Scott, with their colleague Professor Peter Veitch, were jointly awarded the Prime Minister’s Prize for Science for their significant contribution to the first direct detection of gravitational waves, while Professor Thomas Maschmeyer was awarded the Prime Minister’s Prize for Innovation.

Other achievements featured in the annual report included:

• publishing a statement on the link between the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events and climate change
• producing a series of evidence briefs on the 2019–20 bushfires
• announcing two new career honorific awards to start in 2021
• supporting early- and mid-career researchers in a variety of ways
• hosting the Catalysing Gender Equity conference in collaboration with SAGE.

The Academy welcomed more than 5.4 million visitors to its websites and published nearly 90 videos that were embedded in online mainstream media strories more than 700 times.

It also weathered a severe hailstorm that damaged its two historic Canberra buildings, including the heritage-listed Shine Dome.

“The bushfires, hailstorm and the pandemic have shown that when confronted by crises, the science sector is resilient, able and generous,” Ms Arabia said.

“I am immensely proud of the Academy’s work, made possible by the guidance and support of our Fellows and the generosity of our donors. We thank Fellows for generously giving their expertise and time to the Academy and recognise that their contribution to the pandemic response has been nothing short of extraordinary.”

The Australian Academy of Science has launched a new guide about the science of immunisation to help counter misinformation and uncertainty surrounding vaccines for COVID-19 and other diseases.

The guide, which was developed with the support of the Australian Government Department of Health, answers common questions including:

• What is immunisation?
• What is in a vaccine?
• Who benefits from vaccines?
• Are vaccines safe?
• What does the future hold for vaccination?

It highlights that the vaccines currently in use in Australian provide benefits that greatly outweigh the risks of associated adverse side effects.

Academy President, Professor John Shine, said despite the benefits of immunisation and vaccine development being well established after decades of scientific research, it can be challenging to understand how immunisation works or where to find trusted and independent information.

“The continuing spread of misinformation about vaccines is making it difficult to understand whether a claim is based on credible scientific evidence.

“Herd immunity, adverse events, efficacy: these are just some of the vaccine-related terms people are hearing regularly in the media that they may not understand as we manage the COVID-19 pandemic or in relation to vaccines that protect us from other diseases.

“This booklet explains these terms and provides up-to-date information about the science of immunisation in clear and easy-to-understand language with the aim of giving confidence to individuals to make informed health decisions based on science,” said Professor Shine.

‘Vaccination saves lives’

The guide was prepared by an expert working group comprising leading medical practitioners and researchers including Australian Academy of Science Fellow Professor Carola Vinuesa.

Professor Vinuesa said the guide is designed to build trust and understanding among the public of the scientific process behind vaccines.

“It is encouraging to see that immunisation rates for a range of diseases continues to rise and is historically high,” Professor Vinuesa said.

“The act of vaccination saves lives and can limit and prevent infectious diseases around the world, which still account for around 40 per cent of all recorded deaths globally.”

The guide makes clear that scientists and health authorities keep a close eye on the safety and effectiveness of vaccines, including after vaccines are rolled out to the public.

General Practitioner Dr Preeya Alexander was a member of the expert working group that developed the guide. She said discussing vaccine concerns with a trusted health professional is one of the best ways for people to understand what scientists and public health professionals know about a disease and the best protection against it.

“However, it is equally important for health professionals to listen openly to those concerns,” said Dr Alexander.

Read the guide

The guide is available fully online as web content and as a downloadable PDF, and there are short easy-to-understand videos to watch and share.

Read more at www.science.org.au/immunisation.

The Australian Academy of Science says the 2021–22 Federal Budget contains mixed news for science.

Academy President Professor John Shine says it is important for Australia’s future to ensure we have strong investment in basic research to be able to translate discoveries.

The Budget contains no significant new funding for fundamental discovery science and no initiatives to stem the loss of university science jobs.

“The Academy welcomes the commitment to develop an Australian mRNA manufacturing capability to fight COVID-19, the flu and future pandemics,” Professor Shine said.

“The Academy is pleased the Government has heeded our advice to future-proof Australia with the development of such a capability.

“Developing the capability will allow Australia to build resilience to future pandemics and potential biosecurity threats that require us to have the onshore capacity to mass produce vaccines.

“The Academy’s mid-term review of the 10-year plan for astronomy published last year recommended Australia pursue realisation of the full SKA Observatory. We are pleased the Government has honoured its commitment to this by providing $387.2 million over ten years,” he said.

The Academy also welcomes Budget measures including:

• A 10-year investment to support the implementation of the Technology Investment Roadmap and Low Emissions Technology Statements including $761.8 million over the forward estimates. These initiatives are welcome, however, remaining paramount are greater global efforts to further limit greenhouse gas emissions and Australia’s further participation in that effort.
• A range of measures to improve climate adaptation, including investments to stimulate the blue economy; support for a National Soils Strategy; support for biodiversity on agricultural lands; funding to establish an independent statutory Environment Assurance Commissioner; extension of recycling initiatives; and funding to establish the Australian Climate Service.
• $42.4 million to co-fund scholarships for women in STEM in partnership with industry.
• $10.4 million for medical research including support for more clinical trials in Australia and to introduce mitochondrial donation into research settings.
• The patent box initiative to encourage innovation in the medical and biotech sectors.

New Fellows

The Australian inventor of 3D-printed bone substitutes is among a group of scientists being acknowledged today for their outstanding contributions to science.

Professor Hala Zreiqat and her team developed world-first techniques for 3D-printing strong, bio-compatible ceramic materials that can bond to and help repair bones. This is leading to the development of new orthopaedic implants, including the world’s first synthetic material for healing large areas of bone while supporting weight.

The Jordanian migrant who came to Australia in 1991 to pursue her dream of medical research is one of 22 scientists newly elected a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science.

The 2021 Fellows also include Professor Ian Reid, whose work on real-time robotic vision has applications in self-driving cars and robot-assisted construction; and Professor Alison Rodger, whose techniques for understanding complex biological molecules using polarised light are now applied in pharmaceutical research and development around the world.

Other new Fellows’ contributions include developing statistical theories to improve weather forecasting, growing ‘qubits’ which form the architecture of quantum computers, and revealing how plant cells communicate with each other about changes in their environment.

Australian Academy of Science President, Professor John Shine, congratulated the new Fellows for their achievements on the international stage.

“These researchers have not only been at the forefront of Australia's scientific community, but have also been leaders in global science,” said Professor Shine.

“The 2021 Fellows were elected by their Academy peers after a rigorous evaluation. I warmly congratulate and welcome each Fellow on their election and for their extraordinary contribution to science and society.”

Fellows of the Australian Academy of Science are among the nation’s most distinguished scientists, elected by their peers for ground-breaking research and contributions that have had clear impact. This year’s cohort is made up of 41% women and 59% men. Over the past five years, 35% of the Fellows elected have been women. Following the 2021 election of our new Fellows, the Fellowship now stands at 576 Fellows.

The 2021 Fellows will be formally admitted to the Academy on 3 November, with each new Fellow presenting their work and achievements in talks aimed at a general audience on the following day.

The Academy’s new Fellows for 2021 are:

ACT

• Professor Dorrit Jacob FAA—Geochemist, Australian National University
• Professor Barry Pogson FAA—Plant biologist, Australian National University

QLD

• Professor Catherine Lovelock FAA—Ecologist, University of Queensland
• Professor Margaret Sheil AO FAA FTSE—Vice-Chancellor and President, Queensland University of Technology (Special Election)

SA

• Professor Ian Reid FAA FTSE—Computer vision researcher, University of Adelaide

TAS

• Professor Barbara Nowak FAA—Fish health researcher, University of Tasmania

VIC

• Professor Steven Chown FAA—Antarctic ecologist, Monash University
• Professor Arthur Christopoulos FAA FAHMS—Molecular pharmacologist, Monash University
• Professor Brendan Crabb AC FAA FAHMS—Microbiologist, Burnet Institute
• Professor Mark Dawson FAA FAHMS—Cancer biologist, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
• Professor Robin Gasser FAA—Parasitologist, University of Melbourne
• Professor Rob Hyndman FAA FASSA—Statistician (forecasting), Monash University
• Professor John Sader FAA—Applied mathematician (nanoscale systems), University of Melbourne
• Professor Gordon Smyth FAA—Statistician (genomics), Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research
• Professor Svetha Venkatesh FAA FTSE—Computer scientist (machine learning), Deakin University

NSW

• Dr Gregory Clark AC FAA FTSE—Non-Executive Director, NextDC (Special Election)
• Professor Susan Coppersmith FAA—Condensed matter physicist, University of New South Wales
• Professor Yihong Du FAA—Mathematician (differential equations), University of New England
• Professor Glenda Halliday FAA FAHMS—Neuroscientist, University of Sydney
• Professor Andrew Pitman AO FAA—Climatologist, University of New South Wales
• Professor Alison Rodger FAA—Biochemist, Macquarie University
• Professor Hala Zreiqat AM FAA FTSE FAHMS—Biomedical Engineer, University of Sydney

New Corresponding Members

Also admitted to the Academy this year are two Corresponding Members.

Corresponding Membership is a special category within the Fellowship, comprising eminent international scientists with strong ties to Australia who have made outstanding contributions to science. As of this year, there are 34 Corresponding Members of the Academy.

The Academy's new Corresponding Members for 2021 are:

Sir Fraser Stoddart FAA FRS Nobel Laureate—Chemist, Northwestern University, USA

Sir Fraser is a 2016 joint Nobel Laureate in chemistry and one of the few chemists during the past 35 years to have created a new field of chemistry: mechanostereochemistry. He pioneered the development of techniques now employed as molecular switches in the fabrication of molecular electronic devices and in the design and synthesis of artificial molecular machines.

Emeritus Professor Eleanor Dodson FAA FRS—Computational biologist, University of York, UK

Professor Dodson’s work has brought the ability to understand large molecule structures into the public realm, revolutionising science and medicine. Known as a great teacher and influencer in the field of protein crystallography, she has made major contributions to both theory and practice.

Critical priorities

A summit featuring climate, industry, community and government leaders has outlined critical priorities for future frameworks and collaboration for Australia to adapt to climate change.

Future Earth Australia, hosted by the Australian Academy of Science, held the Reimagining Climate Adaptation Summit from 19 to 21 April.

The summit attracted over 440 attendees and had 36 speakers and 4 keynotes. With speakers and attendees from all states and territories, and from across government, business, not-for-profits and community organisations, the event was able to gather diverse perspectives on adaptation as Australia mitigates its emissions.

The summit was underpinned by a comprehensive national consultation and is the latest milestone in an ongoing dialogue led by Future Earth Australia and its members about Australia’s climate adaptation agenda and action. Emerging from an increased national attention to community resilience and adaptation following the horrific 2019–20 bushfire season, the outcomes of the summit are particularly pertinent as the Australian Government refreshes its National Climate Resilience and Adaptation Strategy.

As well as defining priorities, the event acknowledged the pervasive nature of climate change effects on livelihoods, wellbeing, health, social life, economic and industry activities and our relationship with nature.

Climate adaptation manifests as a rich tapestry of priorities. While it might be adapting to the hotter, drier conditions which give rise to megafires, it also means having a plan to tackle intense heat waves, prolonged drought, coastal erosion, and floods. There are follow-on repercussions such as impacts on mental and physical health, damage and loss of property, significant changes to major industries like agriculture and tourism, and endangerment of culturally sacred and ecologically significant flora and fauna.

Diverse knowledge approaches to adaptation

Speakers on the first day of the summit, which centred on the importance of diverse knowledge approaches to adaptation, highlighted the need to create space and structure for First Peoples to define the conceptual basis for climate adaptation and define their priorities for how their knowledge is used.

“Aboriginal people have proven that cooperation can underpin human survival,” said Bruce Pascoe, author of the book Dark Emu and Yuin, Bunurong and Tasmanian man. Traditional methods for managing for bushfires after the 2019–20 summer, for example, have garnered attention in the national discourse.

“Addressing climate change, building resilience and social equality is the growth story of the 21st century,” said Dr Marcelo Mena, Chilean Minister for Environment 2014–18 and founder of the Coalition of Finance Ministers for Climate Action at the World Bank, in his keynote address on the second day.

The summit then defined key aspects of enabling practical adaptation through advancing frameworks which empower local communities to pursue their own vision and resilience in a warming world, collaboration across sectors and initiatives, and adapting business and finance to use a climate lens across their portfolios.

Zoe Whitton, Executive Director of Pollination Group, said that “investors are building the governance infrastructure themselves... at a point they need policy to enable the right decisions everyday across portfolios”.

Thriving future

The third day of the summit focused on transforming sectors and systems like agriculture, coastal and marine systems, and cities and towns to prepare and adapt. Proper valuing natural and social capital associated with healthy ecosystems and resilient communities in our governance and business planning is as a major priority. Building the capacity of practitioners across sectors to work with uncertain and constantly changing conditions, which can be informed by quality research, is also a central step.

Russ Wise, economist and adaptation specialist at CSIRO, emphasised that “our research, development, investment and strategies need to be based on an assessment of what we value, what we can’t stand to lose, and being aware of who is defining those priorities.”

Next step

The summit was recorded and will soon be made available on the Future Earth Australia website. A written synthesis of themes arising from the discussions will also be published on the website. 

It is envisaged that the next step will be a roadmap for enabling adaptation policy and practice across Australia, informed by extensive consultation with stakeholder groups already working in adaptation.

Future Earth Australia thanks all speakers, chairs and attendees for their invaluable contributions to advancing an inclusive, evidence-based and effective climate change adaptation agenda. Future Earth Australia was delighted to work with FEA members, the Sydney Environment Institute at the University of Sydney and the Institute for Culture and Society at Western Sydney University, to deliver this summit, and with 3M which sponsored the ‘Emerging Leaders’ forum for early career researchers and professionals.

Two Academy Fellows, Professor Marilyn Renfree and Professor David Craik, have been elected as Fellows of the Royal Society, the world’s oldest scientific academy in continuous existence.

Professor Renfree said that it was “a little surreal” to hear the news, and Professor Craik said he felt “very excited”.

“Stunned might be a better word,” he said. “Looking through the list of current and past fellows I am just awe-struck to be amongst them.”

They are among 49 Fellows, one Honorary Fellow and 10 Foreign Members worldwide who have been recognised for their outstanding contributions to scientific understanding.

Past Fellows and Foreign Members of the Royal Society have included Lise Meitner, Albert Einstein, Dorothy Hodgkin and Stephen Hawking.

Royal Society President, Sir Adrian Smith, said the global pandemic has “demonstrated the continuing importance of scientific thinking and collaboration across borders”.

“Each Fellow and Foreign Member brings their area of scientific expertise to the Royal Society and when combined, this expertise supports the use of science for the benefit of humanity.

“Our new Fellows and Foreign Members are all at the forefronts of their fields, from molecular genetics and cancer research to tropical open ecosystems and radar technology. It is an absolute pleasure and honour to have them join us,” said Sir Adrian.

The Fellowship of the Royal Society are the most eminent scientists, engineers and technologists from or living and working in the UK and the Commonwealth. Each year up to 52 Fellows and up to 10 Foreign Members are elected from a group of about 700 candidates.

We asked both Fellows about their election to the Royal Society and what has inspired their work.

Professor Marilyn Renfree

University Laureate Professor and Ian Potter Chair of Zoology, Department of Zoology, University of Melbourne

Royal Society citation

Professor Marilyn Renfree is a world authority on marsupial biology, conducting physiological, developmental, molecular, and epigenetic studies that greatly expanded our understanding of reproduction and development including original findings about the wallaby, platypus and koala genomes. She discovered that marsupials have functional placentae, sophisticated lactational strategies, and both lactational and seasonal controls of embryonic diapause. Her work on Australian marsupials has revealed novel aspects of mammalian evolution and reproduction giving deeper insights into eutherian mammal biology. She discovered how sexual dimorphisms can be controlled directly by sex-linked genes rather than gonadal hormones and discovered a new androgen pathway explaining certain human disorders of sexual differentiation.

How did it feel when you were notified that you had been elected, from a pool of up to 700 candidates?

It was very exciting to learn of my election and wonderful to have been recognised this way.

Are there any Fellows of the Royal Society who have been a particular source of inspiration for you?

Dame Anne McLaren, who was the first woman to hold office in the Royal Society and with whom I did a post-doctoral Fellowship in Edinburgh; E.C. [Emmanuel Ciprian] Amoroso, renowned placentologist, whom with I had the privilege of co-authoring one of his very last publications during a short sabbatical I had in Cambridge; and of course my husband, Roger Short, who is also a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science.

What inspired you to pursue your path in science?

My PhD supervisor and Academy Fellow, Hugh Tyndale-Biscoe, as well as my love of the outdoors and my passion to work on reproduction and development of Australian animals as alternative models to the ubiquitous mouse.

Why does science matter, particularly now?

There is nothing more important than science. We benefit from science in every way in our everyday lives, although most people do not think about this. The reason COVID vaccine development was so ‘fast’ is that it was the result of the previous decades' basic research that enabled, with amazing international cooperation, such rapid progress. In my field of reproduction and development, I quote my husband: “Reproduction is the science of the transmission of life! What could be more important than that?”

Professor David Craik

Director, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland

Royal Society citation

Professor David Craik has pioneered the discovery, structural characterisation and applications of circular proteins, including the cyclotide family of cyclic plant proteins. His findings have revolutionised the understanding of protein topology and of how cyclic peptides are biosynthesised. He has used insights into natural circular proteins to chemically redesign natural peptides to dramatically improve their biopharmaceutical properties. His methods are used worldwide to address fundamental problems in protein chemistry and have ushered in a new era of stable peptide-based therapeutics.

How did it feel when you were notified that you had been elected, from a pool of up to 700 candidates?

I happened to be at dinner with my wife at a restaurant overlooking the Brisbane River when the email came through on my phone, so we will always remember the moment I was officially notified. Perhaps the thing that touched me most was the kind emails of congratulations that I received from Fellows during the embargo period, amongst them were two Nobel Prize winners. That kindness and recognition is that something that I could never have dreamt of happening when I grew up as a boy in the outer suburbs of Melbourne when no one from my family had ever been to university before.

Are there any Fellows of the Royal Society who have been a particular source of inspiration for you?

Amongst recent fellows, Iain Campbell, a world leader in the field of NMR spectroscopy and structural biology was one I greatly admired, and I was most fortunate to spend a short sabbatical leave in his laboratory in 1991. Sadly, he passed away in 2014, but I remember him as a brilliant and humble role model who had welcomed many Australian scientists to his laboratory. Closer to home I have always been impressed with Peter Colman's work on the structure of neuraminidase that led to the development of the anti-flu drug Relenza.

What inspired you to pursue your path in science?

It was a sabbatical visit to Iain Campbell's laboratory at Oxford in the early 1990s where I determined the structure of an obscure peptide called ‘kalata B1’, which came from a weedy looking plant called Oldenlandia affinis that grew in the Congo and was used in traditional medicine. The cyclotide structure was quite unique at that time, [and] I wondered whether there might be other examples of such a weird structure in peptides from other plants. That was my excuse to travel around Australia and around the world looking for plants. When it became clear that kalata B1 was not just a one-off peptide, in collaboration with Professor Marilyn Anderson we were able to show that cyclotides are host defence molecules, protecting plants from insect pests. In summary, the inspiration to develop this field came from wanting to understand how nature uses molecules for survival of organisms: this was curiosity-driven research and little did I know it might lead to applied outcomes.

What makes cyclotides special for making pesticides?

Plants makes cyclotides to defend themselves against insects and other pests and pathogens, but not all plants have them. The butterfly pea has a particularly rich suite of cyclotides and defends itself very well against such pests. The Australian company Innovate Ag [which I worked with] has now developed a cyclotide-containing product which is an extract from the butterfly pea plant that is now approved for the protection of other crops such as cotton and macadamia nuts. The great thing about this product is that it is non-toxic to beneficial pollinators such as bees.