When Nyikina Mangala West Kimberley Elder John Watson got his finger bitten off in a crocodile attack, his hunt for pain relief led him to the ancient powers of the Mudjala mangrove tree bark.
His subsequent collaboration with Professor Ronald Quinn AM FTSE from Griffith University saw the pair identify the plant’s anti-inflammatory compounds and pain relief properties. Today, this treatment holds promise as a gel for athletes at the 2032 Brisbane Olympics, and heralds widespread application for Traditional Knowledge, while maintaining Aboriginal ownership.
This week, that discovery was recognised when the men were named as the inaugural recipients of the Traditional Knowledge Innovation Award at the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering’s (ATSE) annual National Awards night.
Celebrating our leading scientists
The awards celebrated a range of groundbreaking researchers, engineers, and technologists who have used science to tackle the nation’s most challenging issues: climate change, mining, plastic waste, battery tech, and food security were among the many.
ATSE President, Dr Katherine Woodthorpe AO FTSE, says the winners’ innovation, drive, and impact were exemplars for the game-changing application of Australian research.
“The winners of the 2023 ATSE Awards are outstanding engineers, applied scientists, and leaders in technology; their shining example is an inspiration as we reflect on and celebrate the novel science and engineering endeavours that are bettering our world,” she says.
“Australian innovators are changing the world for the better. I am thrilled to see our national award winners’ critical work forging new territory in medical technology, climate solutions, critical minerals, food technology, and waste reduction.”
Celebrating leaders in technology
Recipient of the prestigious Batterham Medal for Engineering Excellence, Dr Conrad Wasko from the University of Melbourne, has revealed through his research that while small floods, crucial for water supplies, are decreasing, large catastrophic flooding events are becoming the norm. His work demonstrates the uneven impacts of climate change and the threat it poses for safe and sustainable water supplies Australia-wide.
Clunies Ross Innovation Award winner James Tickner was honoured for his work developing and commercialising Photon Assay, a technology used in gold, silver, and copper analysis.
“Our technology makes it easier, faster, and quicker for people involved in mining to analyse their materials,” he told EducationDaily.
“It also has substantial environmental benefits as it reduces energy usage and avoids producing assay waste.”
Mr Tickner says the technology will help expand the range of people who can work in gold, silver, and copper analysis. The award was significant, he says, for recognising scientific efforts and the effort to commercialise scientific achievements.
“It’s been great to see that a much greater cross-section of people can get involved in the industry,” he says.
Dr Marzi Barghamadi earned the David and Valerie Solomon Award for her work with the CSIRO on lithium-ion batteries, which will aid Australia’s transition to renewable energies.
“Everyone is trying to do their bit to deal with that [tackle climate change], and hopefully, we can have a better world and build a better future for our next generation,” she told EducationDaily.
“Moving to renewable energy is one of the solutions, and everyone needs to pay attention to that.
“To be able to use them effectively, we need energy storage devices and lithium batteries are one of the solutions.”
First-year PhD student Laila Halim received the Ezio Rizzardo Polymer Scholarship for her work creating polymeric membranes that improve depolymerisation products that recycle plastic waste.
“I’m hoping that my research will help to make plastic recycling more cost-effective and therefore more commercially feasible,” she says.
