Reducing the impact of heavy metals on the environment

Join junior scientist Ana as she guides us through building a small-scale hydroponic system for growing herbs and salad greens. All you need to follow along is a 2L soda bottle, string, perlite (amorphous volcanic rock), hydroponic fertiliser, the seedling you'd like to grow, and sunlight. Using a hydroponic system substitutes soil for a nutrient-rich water-based solution that allows the plants to photosynthesise efficiently in a compact environment.

Scientists in Queensland are hoping that by isolating and analysing koala gut microbes they can grow them in the lab to create a probiotic to assist koalas in moving to new habitats containing new types of eucalypts.

Scientists are researching the impact of microbeads on the environment in particular the effects they have on fish once they enter our waterways.