Institute for Molecular Bioscience

17/04/2026

The stage is set… for superbugs 🦠

PhD researcher Lily Kenchington-Evans is searching for new antibiotics to tackle the growing threat of drug-resistant bacteria here at 's IMB.

From designing new compounds in the lab to sharing science with the community, Lily brings creativity to research and communication.

Read more about Lily’s work here 👉 https://bit.ly/4aNZnEs

Check out the Pint of Science Festival (18–20 May) and get amongst some mind-bending research.

16/04/2026

Australia is at risk of losing a generation of researchers.

Funding success rates have fallen below 10% and are now closer to 4%, for early and mid-career scientists, while MRFF funding remains underutilised.

An open letter led by the Critical Care Research Group (CCRG), backed by the Institute for Molecular Bioscience (IMB), is calling for urgent action:

• Unlock the full capacity of the MRFF
• Make science a sustainable career
• Build a connected innovation system

This is about more than research. It’s about Australia’s future health, economy and global competitiveness.

Researchers, clinicians and sector leaders are invited to add their name.

✍️ Sign the Open Letter: https://bit.ly/4cMFiiF

Join our Open Letter to Minister Mark Butler calling for the full capacity of the MRFF to be unlocked. Australia stands at a critical juncture for medical research and innovation. The decisions we make now will shape our health, economy and sovereign capability for decades.

16/04/2026

Green means go! 🚦

In just 24 hours, this algae has grown from pale green to a rich, dense dark green, ready to help lab-grown muscle cells thrive.

On the way to a next-generation, sustainable algae technology that supports cultivated meat—producing oxygen, clearing waste, and cutting costs.

Mother Nature meets lab innovation.

Read more about the research here 👉https://bit.ly/4cVCJvo

14/04/2026

Love hormone on, love hormone off....

IMB's Professor Markus Muttenthaler and his research team have developed a molecular light switch that allows oxytocin, the hormone linked to trust, bonding and emotional connection, to be activated with pinpoint precision inside the brain.

By controlling exactly when and where oxytocin is released, scientists can now observe how social behaviours and emotions are wired at the level of individual brain cells.

So why does this matter?

🧠 Helps reveal how the brain forms social connections
💛 Improves our understanding of conditions like anxiety, autism, PTSD and depression
🔬 Opens the door to more targeted future therapies

A powerful new tool for decoding the biology of human connection.

Read more here 👉 https://bit.ly/4tNpAcH

Tag someone below who helps your brain release a little extra oxytocin 💞

02/04/2026

Before cells begin their journey through the developing body, do they already know what they will become?

New research published in Nature suggests the answer is yes.

IMB scientists contributed to an international study with collaborators from the University of California San Diego and The University of Utah, revealing that neural crest cells – the cells that help form nerves, pigment cells and facial tissues – make key fate decisions much earlier than previously understood.

By combining live imaging in quail embryos with human and mouse data, the team tracked individual cells in real time, uncovering new insights into one of the most fundamental questions in developmental biology.

Read the paper here: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-026-10313-0

Image: Neural Cell Crest

31/03/2026

A remarkable achievement! IMB congratulates Dr Nicole Warrington on receiving the Ruth Stephens Gani Medal from the Australian Academy of Science 🎉

Dr Warrington is a leader in statistical genetics, working to understand how genetics shapes early life growth and influences health across the lifespan. After completing her PhD, she joined UQ to investigate the relationship between birth weight and cardio-metabolic disease risk later in life.

She developed a pioneering statistical approach that separates maternal and fetal genetic influences on birth weight, combining this with causal modelling to better understand lifelong health outcomes. Her research showed that the link between birth weight and adult hypertension is largely driven by genetic factors — reshaping 30 years of understanding about the role of the intrauterine environment.

Awarded in recognition of outstanding contributions to human genetics, spanning clinical, molecular, population and epidemiological genetics, this honour reflects Dr Warrington’s significant impact on the field.

We congratulate Nicole on this well-deserved recognition and look forward to seeing her research continue to advance our understanding of cardio-metabolic disease.

Read more about the winners here 👉https://bit.ly/4cepbKp

27/03/2026

👣 He’s going the distance for endometriosis research.

Marching this March for those still waiting for answers.

This Endometriosis Awareness Month, Professor Ian Henderson is walking the Camino from Portugal to Santiago—11 days dedicated to raising funds and awareness for endometriosis research.

With every step, he’s helping shine a light on the need for better understanding, faster diagnosis, and real solutions.

Every step brings us closer.

Be part of it. Donate today: https://bit.ly/4rQQL55

👣

26/03/2026

Marching for Endo this March.

This Endometriosis Awareness Month, Professor Ian Henderson is taking on the Camino—walking 11 days from Portugal to Santiago—to raise funds for endometriosis research. He’s walking alongside his daughter Katie, turning every step into action for change.

Because endometriosis impacts 1 in 9 women worldwide.

Because answers shouldn’t take years.

Because research can change lives.

Support Ian in marching for Endo.

Donate: https://bit.ly/4rQQL55

26/03/2026

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who attended IMB's 'Cheese and Chats: Endometriosis, Together in Discovery'.

It was inspiring to see researchers, clinicians, advocates and community members come together to spotlight a condition that affects so many lives.

We extend our sincere thanks to Victoria Carthew, Dr Brett McKinnon, Professor Gita Mishra AO, Associate Professor Akwasi Amoako, Gillian Gordon and Jess Taylor, CEO of Qendo, for sharing their knowledge and lived experiences, and for helping foster such an open and meaningful conversation.

Events like this highlight the importance of collaboration in advancing research, improving care, and ensuring people living with endometriosis feel heard and supported.

Thank you for being part of the conversation.



UQ Alumni
The University of Queensland
QENDO Australia

24/03/2026

This Thursday, IMB researcher Dr Fleur Garton will take part in the World Science Festival’s Gab Lab program, presenting “DNA, Disease, and New Hope for Motor Neuron Disease.”

Fleur’s research explores how advances in genetics are helping scientists better understand motor neuron disease, identifying the genes and biological pathways involved and opening new possibilities for earlier diagnosis and more effective treatments.

📅 Thursday 26 March
🕙 10:20am
📍 Squid Lounge,Level 2, Queensland Museum Kurilpa, South Brisbane

We look forward to seeing the community engage with the science shaping our future.

19/03/2026

A tiny fish helping tackle a massive global challenge 🐟

Antibiotic resistance is on track to become one of the world’s biggest health threats. Yet, developing safe new antibiotics remains slow, expensive, and often unsuccessful.

That’s where zebrafish come in.

By using zebrafish embryos, researchers can quickly and ethically assess whether new antibiotic compounds may cause kidney damage, a key reason drugs fail. Compounds are injected into the yolk, absorbed by the developing embryo, and monitored in real time. Because zebrafish kidneys function similarly to our own, they offer a powerful early indicator of safety.

The result? Faster identification of both harmful and promising drugs, helping accelerate the path to safer antibiotics.

Small model. Big impact.

📸 Zebrafish yolk ignites insights into kidney damage by Michelle Novais de Paula, 2025.

12/03/2026

Why do some newborns develop life-threatening sepsis, while others don’t?

Researchers from the University of Queensland’s Institute for Molecular Bioscience — Professor Mark Schembri and his team — have helped uncover a critical clue: babies who become severely ill lack protective antibodies against E. coli that are normally passed from mother to child before birth.

The discovery comes from an international collaborative study led by researchers at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Centre, showing these naturally transferred antibodies can actively protect newborns from infection. The findings open the door to identifying at-risk pregnancies earlier and even preventing neonatal sepsis before it begins.

Published in Nature, this research highlights how maternal immunity can be enhanced to save newborn lives worldwide.

Read more 👉 https://bit.ly/3NlGX4R