Rare earths power EVs and wind turbines. Mine water runoff is full of them. A new colour-change test could flag which sites are worth recovering them from — once researchers solved an unexpected metal-interference problem. 💡 📖 Read the story: bit.ly/4A6uHYK @arc_gov_au

🎉 Big news: Centre researchers have secured a new $4.5M @arc_gov_au Industrial Transformation Training Centre in Engineering Biology for Sustainable Materials — training the workforce to move Australia off petrochemicals and build a bioeconomy. A true legacy of the ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology. 🧬 Read our story: coesb.com.au/new-arc-trainin…

Plastic problem? Microbe solution. 🧬🦠 Remediate! is the card game where YOU engineer plastic-eating microbes to save the planet (and beat your mates to it). Real science, real strategy, real fun. 🎥 Trailer out now ⬇️ 🛒 Grab your copy: bit.ly/4e3Z4GK @arc_gov_au

Should scientists take MORE risks to fight climate change? A new pilot study of 22 Australian "EngBio" experts says many already think so - the risk of acting is worth it, because the risk of doing nothing is worse. 📖 Read our story: coesb.com.au/should-scientis… @arc_gov_au

Synthetic Biology Australasia wants to know how the Industry Rep role can help strengthen connections between the synbio community and industry. Please complete the survey! Link below or scan the QR code, and please re-post forms.cloud.microsoft/pages/… @ARC_CoESB

A protein apple that keeps you buff? 🍏 Long-life eggs? 🥚 These are some fun ideas year 11 and 12 Barker College students came up with when asked: "What would you design to help with food in space?" 🚀 The students visited our team of synthetic biologists at @Macquarie_Uni to learn about how synthetic biology could be used in space to produce tasty and nutritious food on-demand. Check out some of their other ideas below ⬇️ Thanks to @erpfieee for sharing! @arc_gov_au

⏳ Have you submitted your abstract for the @arc_gov_au Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology Annual Conference?n #CoESB26 We've extended the submission due date to 11:59pm Sunday 11 October! Don't miss the chance to showcase your great research. 📥 forms.cloud.microsoft/r/R7S2…

We're pleased to welcome @idtdna on board as a Silver Sponsor at our 2026 ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology (CoESB) Annual Conference! #CoESB26 Integrated DNA Technologies (IDT) is a leading provider of genomics solutions supporting multi-omics research. IDT offers custom nucleic acids, NGS products, CRISPR tools, gene synthesis, and molecular biology reagents that enable researchers to advance genomic, transcriptomic, and other omics workflows, accelerating discoveries in life science and precision medicine. Thank you for your support! 🙏 @arc_gov_au

Centre members from our @Macquarie_Uni node (@AusBiofoundry) visited the QUT Pioneer BioPilot in Mackay last week. It's a state-of-the-art facility designed to fast-track the development and commercialisation of next-generation bio-based products. 🤩 The team was there as part of the NCRIS Synbio Retreat hosted by @BioplatformsAus. @arc_gov_au

Yeast powers so much of modern life - proteins, medicines, biofuels, bioplastics and food ingredients. But engineering better yeast strains has always been slow and costly. Enter RAIN (Random Assembly and INtegration): a new tool from researchers at the ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology at @Macquarie_Uni that assembles and inserts multiple DNA parts at once - generating many strains in one go. The result? Lower costs, faster research, and quicker paths to commercial products. The global bio-future looks bright. ✨ coesb.com.au/new-yeast-engin… @arc_gov_au

🎉 Congratulations to Centre research leader Professor @claudiaevickers on being named the 2026 Life Sciences Queensland Ltd (LSQ) @QIMRB_Institute Woman of Influence. Professor Vickers is celebrated as a trailblazing woman whose work has advanced the growth and success of the Queensland life sciences sector. 📖 Read the story: bit.ly/4yKkBMC @arc_gov_au

⭐ Synthetic biology on show at @Macquarie_Uni Astronomy Night 2026 On Saturday we returned to Astronomy Night to showcase three fun activities: a Space Food Fair, DNA jewellery making experience and a live demonstration of Remediate! - our synthetic biology card game. We also invited the iGEM Macquarie team to talk about their project MagniMO - which involves the bioremediation of a groundwater pollutant. Many thanks to our brilliant team of outreach volunteers, led by Nicholas Yang, PhD: Alice Coutts, Dr Angela Chilton, Daniel Pascoe, Edward (Huan) Hong, Jasperine Phetchareun, Natalie Roberts, Nishadi Samarakoon, Sarfraz S. and Sayeba Tabassum Aastha. 'The idea of a closed-circuit system in which waste products can be recycled by microbes to make raw materials, which can then be reused by the same microbes once we've finished with them piqued a lot of interest!' said Dr Yang. @arc_gov_au

Dr Taylor Szyszka (our @Sydney_Uni node) joins Dave Crisante on his new podcast, The Science of Being Funny, to chat about using comedy to build rapport, boost engagement, and connect with audiences as a scientist. She also dives into why science communication matters. Well worth a listen! @arc_gov_au 🎧 Can You Make Anything Funny? piped.video/Bh4C9_8lR_I?si=uAbP… via @YouTube

⏰ Reminder to CoESB Researchers: Get your abstracts in for #CoESB26! Poster, short talk and flash talk presentations are a great platform to showcase your research findings and innovations to a diverse audience of fellow researchers, industry professionals and academia. 📥 forms.cloud.microsoft/r/R7S2… 🗓️ Abstract submissions close Sunday 20 September @arc_gov_au

Today we farewelled our good friend and colleague Dr Rahau Shirazi 💜 Rahau has been a valued part of the Professional team and a driving force behind some of the Centre's key initiatives, such as supporting research translation and entrepreneurship. As our BDM she also grew and strengthened relationships with our industry partners and affiliates. ✨ Thank you Rahau! We wish you all the best 🌟 @arc_gov_au

Last week, our Centre Director Distinguished Professor Ian Paulsen presented the @AUSSOCMIC Goldsworthy Memorial Lecture 2026 at the Sydney Masonic Centre. 📷 Thanks Binod Rayamajhee for the snap! @arc_gov_au

Congratulations to Mayra Barrios Leguarca from our @QUT node on winning Best Poster Presentation at the 2nd Australian Future Sensing Conference 🎉 @arc_gov_au @KalexandrovAU

Scientists love to say their work is "for the public good." But new research from @Macquarie_Uni's ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology shows the two most common ways science tries to deliver on that promise both fall short - and pins down exactly why. 📖 Read the story: bit.ly/3SVGtFw @arc_gov_au

Our researchers have been on the move! ✈️🇻🇳🇨🇳 Dr Mica Fiorito (@QUT) kicked off in Ho Chi Minh City, visiting collaborators at HT Biotec and @vnuhcm_info, then headed to ICISE Quy Nhon to present alongside Prof Kirill Alexandrov @KalexandrovAU. Next stop: Shenzhen, China, for a workshop on designing and commercialising "protein machines" - joined by researchers and industry leaders from around the world. Highlights included a tour of Shenzhen's seven-floor biofoundry 🤯 and a lecture from Prof Alexandrov on AI-designed protein switches. Big things happen when great minds share a room... and we're excited to see how these partnerships develop! 🌏🤝 Thanks Dr Fiorito for the in-depth report! @arc_gov_au