Professor Justin Gooding from the School of Chemistry is involved in an intriguing research project, which uses molecular-scale biosensors to detect environmental pollutants using simple dipstick-like devices. This essentially means that you can take a glass of water, simply dip the device into it, and be told in seconds whether it was safe to drink. The biosensor’s key component is a biological molecule, called an analyte, which binds selectively with the pollutant you want to detect. Suitable molecules being used in devices include enzymes, antibodies and DNA. These molecules are turned into monitoring devices using electronic signals feeding into electrodes or optical devices.

The research group is already developing the next generation of biosensors in optical devices to detect pesticides in water samples. The aim is to build molecular-scale biosensors and other responsive materials that can detect a wide array of pollutants. The multi-disciplinary nature of this research means the group works with the nuclear reactor at Lucas Heights in Sydney, the new Australian Synchrotron and a range of Australian and international universities and companies.

Professor Chris Winder, Dr Amanda Hayes and Dr Christian Khall from the UNSW Chemical Safety and Applied Toxicology (CSAT) Group are developing methods to identify and assess the toxic effects of chemicals and other pollutants without using animal testing. As a result, the Group can now quickly and cheaply assess the toxicity of materials using living cells in tissue culture. The techniques they’ve developed are easier and less resource-intensive than traditional methods and can quickly detect contamination or toxic substances. Recently the group was involved in identifying the toxicity of soil and water samples affected by suspected environmental contamination in NSW and Tasmania and they have also been using the technology to measure contaminants in the atmosphere. In 2006, the work was awarded the Australian Museum Eureka Prize for research that replaces the use of animals.

Find out more about the UNSW School of Safety Science's research on safety, health, the environment and its management and environmental toxicology research.

For more information about UNSW research, please visit the UNSW Research website