University of South Australia

While it's important to keep crops irrigated, you certainly don't want to overwater them – particularly where water is scarce. With that in mind, scientists have now developed a method of gauging the moisture levels in soil, using an ordinary camera.

Australian scientists have developed a world-first test claimed to accurately measure levels of a brain protein associated with depression and bipolar disorder. The test could offer doctors an objective diagnostic tool to assess patients.

When it comes to staying alert while working night shifts, some people choose to grab quick naps, while others pour back the coffee. A new study, however, suggests that coffee followed by a nap may work best.

It's important to maintain proper chlorine levels in a pool, as too much can cause skin and eye irritation, and too little won't kill bacteria. A new device could help, by cheaply and automatically checking a pool's pH and chlorine content.

An international team of scientists has turned to swifts for inspiration to produce a bird-inspired drone with flapping wings that can hover, dart, glide and dive, all while weighing the same as two tablespoons of flour.

Would you buy a cloudy white wine? Probably not, which is why vintners go to great lengths to clarify their product. Soon, they could do so more efficiently than ever, using newly created nanoparticles.

If you like spicy foods, then you're probably aware of the claimed anti-inflammatory qualities of turmeric. Scientists have now developed what they say is a more effective way of biologically delivering turmeric's active compound, curcumin.

Among the proposed uses for drones, one of the most compelling is the search for survivors at disaster sites. That process could soon be more efficient, thanks to a system that allows drone cameras to differentiate between living and dead bodies.

​Although it's important to get vaccines to people in developing nations and elsewhere, it's also crucial that those medications subsequently be administered in a safe and sterile manner. A new microneedle patch could help, as it incorporates bacteria-killing silver.

​While dieting and exercise certainly help people to lose weight, there are some cases where those approaches just aren't enough on their own. There could now be a new source of hope, however, as scientists have discovered that clay may cause ingested fat to pass right through the body.

​When it comes to human-machine interfaces, it would certainly help if computers could get a sense of what sort of people they were dealing with, so they could tailor their responses accordingly. Well, computers in the future may be able to do so, simply by watching how users move their eyes.

Skin cancer is the most common form of the disease, but it usually requires a biopsy to confirm whether a mark is malignant or not. Now, an Australian team has developed a microbiopsy device that’s far less invasive, basically painless, and won’t leave a scar.