Key points
- As 2024 comes to a close, we're looking back at some of the uplifting science stories from the year.
- Our 2024 research highlights include contributions to protecting endangered species, innovations in renewable energy and agriculture, and breakthroughs in space exploration and health.
- We're celebrating the creativity, dedication, and collaboration of the research teams behind these breakthroughs.
When you work to solve the greatest challenges through science and technology, there’s no such thing as an uneventful year. And 2024 is no exception.
As we reflect on the year that was, we’re looking back at some of our scientific breakthroughs that underscore science’s ability to make life better. From protecting endangered species to uncovering the secrets of our planet’s past and even exploring new frontiers in space. These stories remind us of the creativity, dedication, and collaboration behind the breakthroughs that are making our world a better place.
Here’s a look at some of the most inspiring science news from CSIRO you may have missed.
1. Secrets of the Night Parrot unlocked
Once thought to be extinct, the Night Parrot (Pezoporus occidentalis) is one of Australia’s most mysterious birds. In a major win for conservation, our researchers sequenced its genome for the first time, uncovering vital genetic information to help protect this critically endangered species.
By understanding its biology, scientists will be better equipped to ensure the survival of the Night Parrot for generations to come.
2. Shipwreck mysteries solved
In 2024, we helped solve the tragic mysteries of two shipwrecks: the SS Nemesis, which sank with all 32 lives lost in 1904, and the MV Noongah, which sank in 1968 with the loss of 21 of 26 crew aboard.
Our specialist teams aboard research vessel (RV) Investigator used the vessel’s advanced technology to conduct detailed seafloor mapping and camera investigations of both wrecks to help confirm their identify and final resting places.
3. Boosting crop disease resistance
Plant disease can devastate crops and threaten food security worldwide. This year, our scientists achieved a breakthrough using gene-editing technology to enhance disease resistance in crops.
This advancement has the potential to protect yields, improve food supply stability, and support sustainable farming practices – helping farmers grow more resilient crops for a changing world.
4. Flexible solar takes flight
Printable photovoltaics (PV), also known as flexible solar, are one of the most exciting innovations in the solar energy space. Where traditional silicon solar panels are rigid and heavy, our printed solar cells are highly flexible and portable and can be used in previously unimaginable ways.
This year, our researchers led an international team to a clean energy efficiency breakthrough with fully roll-to-roll printed solar cells. We developed a new method for producing fully roll-to-roll printed, flexible solar cells that deliver unprecedented levels of efficiency. Increased efficiency means more power is generated from the same amount of sunlight.
We also opened a new facility in Melbourne dedicated to taking our printed flexible solar technology out of the lab and into the real world, to help meet the growing demand for renewable energy around the world (and the solar system).
Flexible solar reached another high this year when we sent them to space. They were launched aboard Australia’s largest private satellite, Optimus-1, on Space X’s Transporter-10 mission. The flexible solar cells have to potential to transform spacecraft power systems and enable new possibilities for future space missions.
5. Unveiling the secrets of neutron stars
Murriyang, our Parkes radio telescope, made headlines twice this year with its groundbreaking discoveries about the universe.
In April, the telescope detected unexpected and unprecedented activity from a nearby magnetar – a type of neutron star that is the strongest magnet in the Universe – revealing clues about these extreme cosmic objects and their behaviour.
Our researchers also used the telescope to contribute to a NASA-led study that measured the mass of a neutron star, shedding light on their density and composition.
Together, these findings bring us closer to understanding these enigmatic remnants of stellar explosions and their role in shaping the cosmos.
6. Hope for Alzheimer’s treatments
Alzheimer’s disease affects millions of patients worldwide. But a discovery by our researchers at the Australian e-Health Research Centre has revealed new insights into the structure of key structures involved in the disease.
This breakthrough could help improve the design of drugs to treat Alzheimer’s, offering hope for more effective therapies to slow or stop its progression.
7. The science of snails
Here’s a science fact that probably wasn’t on your 2024 bingo card: snails love red and hate garlic.
Our researchers have been developing alternative management methods for invasive snails and slugs, which cost the grain industry over $170 million each year. As part of their research into finding out what attracts and deters snails from crops, a team of our researchers in France uncovered that snails are surprisingly drawn to red while actively avoiding garlic.
These findings will help pest control in agriculture, allowing farmers to manage snails without the use of harmful chemicals.
8. Scientists sequence the first ever Spotted Handfish genome
The Spotted Handfish (Brachionichthys hirsutus) is a critically endangered species known for its unique ability to scuttle across the ocean floor using its fins.
In 2024, our scientists sequenced the handfish genome for the first time. Understanding its genetic blueprint will help guide conservation efforts for this fascinating Australian species, alongside habitat restoration and a captive breeding program.
9. Protecting underwater forests
Giant Kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) is a species of seaweed that can reach well over 30 metres tall in the shallow seas around Tasmania. Giant Kelp forests play a vital role in supporting marine biodiversity, but have declined dramatically.
This year, our scientists have been working with partners to restore Tasmania’s Giant Kelp forests. By breeding Giant Kelp that is tolerant of warmer water and replanting it in the ocean, the team hopes to bring back the entire marine community.
10. Plants as fuel (for more than humans)
In a significant breakthrough for sustainable energy, our scientists took a step forward in the development of plants for biofuel without impacting food supply chains.
A breakthrough more than a decade in the making, the technology makes use of a plant’s leaves and stems to create oil, which has the potential to be used as a new global energy source.