Commonwealth Scientific And Industrial Research Organisation Research Articles

Australia burning

Australia burning

An Overview of Cold Spray Additive Technology in Australia for Melt-less Manufacture of Titanium

The difficulty in significantly reducing the cost of titanium products is partly related to the high cost of manufacturing. This includes additive manufacturing; e.g. Electron Beam Melting (EBM) and Selective Laser Melting (SLM), as well as traditional approaches that are based on a melting process. In particular, the cost of titanium powder has placed limits on the application of additive manufacturing approaches that involve melting to broader commercial applications beyond military, aerospace and implants. More than a decade ago, Australia adopted cold spray technology as a meltless additive manufacturing technique to fabricate titanium through a strategic initiative at Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO). The high deposition rate, ~100 times faster than the other additive technologies, and the solid state deposition were amongst the rationales for investment in cold spray technology. A combination of carefully designed experiments and sophisticated 3D models were developed to assess performance of the current industrial-scale cold spray systems for commercial clients. The success and challenges of this solid state deposition technology will be detailed with a focus on real industrial impact. The future development of melt-less titanium manufacturing using cold spray will be discussed with consideration of commercial and environmental benefits.

Robert Donald Bruce Fraser 1924–2019

Robert Donald Bruce (Bruce) Fraser was a biophysicist who gained world-wide distinction for his extensive structural studies of fibrous proteins. Bruce began a part-time BSc degree at Birkbeck College, London, while working as a laboratory assistant. In 1942, aged 18, he interrupted his studies and volunteered for training as a pilot in the Royal Air Force (RAF). He was sent to the Union of South Africa and was selected for instructor training, specialising in teaching pilot navigation. At the end of the war he completed his BSc at King’s College, London, and followed this with a PhD. Bruce studied the structure of biological molecules, including DNA, using infra-red micro-spectroscopy in the Biophysics Unit at King’s led by physicist J. T. Randall FRS. During that time Bruce built a structure for DNA that was close to the Watson-Crick structure that gained them and Maurice Wilkins at Kings College, the Nobel Prize in 1962. In 1952, he immigrated to Australia with his family to a position in the newly formed Wool Textile Research Laboratories at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO). Here, Bruce established a biophysics group for research on the structure of wool and other fibrous proteins that flourished until his retirement. Over that period he was internationally recognized as the pre-eminent fibrous protein structuralist world-wide. Having been acting chief, Bruce was subsequently appointed chief of the Division of Protein Chemistry and he remained in that role until he took retirement in 1987.

An Exciting Time for Polymer Chemists in Australia

Over the last 50 years, Australian researchers have made significant contributions to polymer science. Australian scientists have participated in the discovery of many polymerization techniques such as nitroxide‐mediated polymerization (NMP), addition‐fragmentation polymerization (AFT), and the well‐known Reversible Addition‐Fragmentation Chain Transfer polymerization (RAFT), as well as the successful commercialization of products utilizing polymers, most notably the plastic banknote. These contributions have been led by the Australian scientists working at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) and Australian universities. Despite previous attempts by other reserve banks in different countries, the Reserve Bank of Australia introduced the first plastic banknote developed by the CSIRO in collaboration with Note Printing Australia.

On the Origins of Econometrics in Australia. The Contributions of Maurice Belz and Robert W. James

In the second half of the 1930s Maurice Belz, a senior lecturer in mathematics at the University of Melbourne, and Robert W. James, a master’s student in economics at the same university, accomplished a remarkable achievement: they published three articles in Econometrica. These publications were the result of their explorations into the study of economic questions by means of statistical and mathematical methods. Both Belz and James travelled to Europe to get acquainted with leading econometricians and to present their work at the meetings of the Econometric Society.In this paper I focus on the contributions to econometrics of these largely forgotten pioneers. Using archival documents from the University of Melbourne and from other sources, I reconstruct how Belz and James became interested in econometric research and wrote their first papers on econometrics. I also provide evidence on their contacts in Europe, with Ragnar Frisch as a pivotal figure.World War II put an end to their collaboration and to their econometric research. Belz pursued his academic career at the University of Melbourne, where he was promoted to Foundation Professor of Statistics in 1955. James completely abandoned economics and turned to meteorology. During the war he served in the British army. After the war he returned to Australia, where he worked for some time in the meteorological division of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) in Melbourne.

From trainees to trainers to instructors: Sustainably building a national capacity in bioinformatics training.

Demand for training life scientists in bioinformatics skills led to the development of a train-the-trainer collaboration between the European Molecular Biology Laboratory–European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI) and 2 Australian organisations, Bioplatforms Australia and Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) in 2012. The goal of the collaboration was to establish a group of trained instructors who could develop and deliver short bioinformatics courses nationally. A train-the-trainer course introduces instructors to aspects of andragogy and evidence-based learning principles to help them better design, develop, and deliver high-quality training. Since then, both the number of trainers in the network and the course portfolio have grown. Best practises have been developed and shared between the Australian cohort and EMBL-EBI to address common challenges in bioinformatics training. The Australian trainer cohort undertook a train-the-trainer instructor course, again with EMBL-EBI, and subsequently successfully delivered train-the-trainer courses to interested bioinformatics trainers within Australia. We conclude that a train-the-trainer approach can help build national capacity and maintain a critical mass of trained instructors.

Rethinking Tasmania’s Regionality from an Antarctic Perspective: Flipping the Map

Tasmania hangs from the map of Australia like a drop in freefall from the substance of the mainland. Often the whole state is mislaid from Australian maps and logos (Reddit). Tasmania has, at least since federation, been considered peripheral—a region seen as isolated, a ‘problem’ economically, politically, and culturally. However, Tasmania not only cleaves to the ‘north island’ of Australia but is also subject to the gravitational pull of an even greater land mass—Antarctica. In this article, we upturn the political conventions of map-making that place both Antarctica and Tasmania in obscure positions at the base of the globe. We show how a changing global climate re-frames Antarctica and the Southern Ocean as key drivers of worldwide environmental shifts. The liquid and solid water between Tasmania and Antarctica is revealed not as a homogenous barrier, but as a dynamic and relational medium linking the Tasmanian archipelago with Antarctica. When Antarctica becomes the focus, the script is flipped: Tasmania is no longer on the edge, but core to a network of gateways into the southern land. The state’s capital of Hobart can from this perspective be understood as an "Antarctic city", central to the geopolitics, economy, and culture of the frozen continent (Salazar et al.). Viewed from the south, we argue, Tasmania is not a problem, but an opportunity for a form of ecological, cultural, economic, and political sustainability that opens up the southern continent to science, discovery, and imagination.

Determination of Extreme Hydrological Index using HBV Model Simulation Results (Case Study : Upper Ciliwung Watershed)

The study of climate change on hydrological response is a crucial as climate change impact will drive the change in hydrological regimes of river. Upper Ciliwung watershed is one of the critical rivers in Java Island, which has been affected by climate change. This study aims to: (i) simulate the discharge flow using the Hydrologiska Byrans Vattenbalansavdelning (HBV) model; (ii) simulate future flow using three general circulation models (GCM) namely Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) Mk.3.6.0, Model for Interdisciplinary Research on Climate version 5 (MIROC5), and Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory-Coupled Model generation 3 (GFDL-CM3); (iii) determine the changes of extreme hydrological index during historical period (2001-2015) and projected period (2031-2045). The historical year simulation and projections are used to determine eight hydrologic extreme indices for high flow and low flow. We calibrated the HBV model for two years (2001-2002) and validated it for two years (2003-2004). Our model performed well in discharge simulation as shown by the NSE values (0.66 for calibration and validation). Then we calculated the indices for each period used (historical and projected). To show the changes in hydrological regimes, we compare the indices between two periods. Changes in the index of the two periods tend to decrease in value on the index parameters that characterize the minimum extreme events. Hence, that it is possible in the projected period there will be extreme hydrological events in the form of drought.

Orthodox Soil Science versus Alternative Philosophies: A Clash of Cultures in a Modern Context

In Australia, orthodox soil scientists dealing with land management and alternative practitioners who promote ‘regenerative agriculture’ have not been communicating and engaging effectively with each other. Over many years, scientists in the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), state departments and universities have made significant achievements in mapping soil distribution, describing soil behaviour and identifying key soil properties and processes that are fundamental to healthy soil function. However, many alternative practitioners are dismissive of these achievements and highly critical of orthodox soil science. Yet many of the tools of soil science are essential to conduct evidence-based research towards elucidating how and why the exceptional results claimed by some alternative practitioners are achieved. We stress the importance of effective engagement and communication among all parties to resolve this ‘clash of cultures’.

Conceptualising the DAIS: Implications of the ‘Digitalisation of Agricultural Innovation Systems’ on technology and policy at multiple levels

As digitalisation transforms agriculture, the implications of cumulative innovation processes are essential to consider in order to mitigate risk and capitalise on opportunities. One project that involves imagining the future of the sector and aims to develop the necessary tools and infrastructure is the Australian Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) Digiscape Future Science Platform (FSP). This paper explores the policy framework encompassing these technologies and elucidates considerations for future governance in Australia and beyond. Conceptually, we draw on Agricultural Innovation Systems (AIS) theorisation in the context of implications of digital technological development on policy. Methodologically, we utilise multi-level exploratory interviews with Digiscape FSP and prawn aquaculture value chain stakeholders. We argue society is at a critical point in time when the implications of digital agriculture need to be considered at broader regime and landscape levels. Questions around data privacy and ownership are prevalent in agricultural settings, although appropriate institutional guidance is lacking. Three propositions are made as a result of the analysis of scoping research involving innovation community stakeholders. We suggest that agricultural industries stand to benefit from the ‘Digitalisation of Agricultural Innovation Systems’ ex ante socio-technical transition, what we introduce as the DAIS, if forums for discussion and associated technological policy are enacted with emphasis placed on the underlying values of society-technology interaction.

Being a Bad Vegan

Being a Bad Vegan

Retraction Note to: Substrates specificity of tannase from Streptomyces sviceus and Lactobacillus plantarum

The Editor-in-Chief has retracted this article (Wang et al. 2018) because the authors do not have ownership of the data they report. An investigation by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) has concluded that the data reported in this article are the sole property of the CSIRO. Mingbo Wu agrees with this retraction. Dan Wang, Yao Liu, Die Lv, Xueli Hu, Qiumei Zhong and Ye Zhao have not responded to correspondence about this retraction.

Atmospheric histories, growth rates and solubilities in seawater and other natural waters of the potential transient tracers HCFC-22, HCFC-141b, HCFC-142b, HFC-134a, HFC-125, HFC-23, PFC-14 and PFC-116

Abstract. We present consistent annual mean atmospheric histories and growth rates for the mainly anthropogenic halogenated compounds HCFC-22, HCFC-141b, HCFC-142b, HFC-134a, HFC-125, HFC-23, PFC-14 and PFC-116, which are all potentially useful oceanic transient tracers (tracers of water transport within the ocean), for the Northern and Southern Hemisphere with the aim of providing input histories of these compounds for the equilibrium between the atmosphere and surface ocean. We use observations of these halogenated compounds made by the Advanced Global Atmospheric Gases Experiment (AGAGE), the Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO), the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the University of East Anglia (UEA). Prior to the direct observational record, we use archived air measurements, firn air measurements and published model calculations to estimate the atmospheric mole fraction histories. The results show that the atmospheric mole fractions for each species, except HCFC-141b and HCFC-142b, have been increasing since they were initially produced. Recently, the atmospheric growth rates have been decreasing for the HCFCs (HCFC-22, HCFC-141b and HCFC-142b), increasing for the HFCs (HFC-134a, HFC-125, HFC-23) and stable with little fluctuation for the PFCs (PFC-14 and PFC-116) investigated here. The atmospheric histories (source functions) and natural background mole fractions show that HCFC-22, HCFC-141b, HCFC-142b, HFC-134a, HFC-125 and HFC-23 have the potential to be oceanic transient tracers for the next few decades only because of the recently imposed bans on production and consumption. When the atmospheric histories of the compounds are not monotonically changing, the equilibrium atmospheric mole fraction (and ultimately the age associated with that mole fraction) calculated from their concentration in the ocean is not unique, reducing their potential as transient tracers. Moreover, HFCs have potential to be oceanic transient tracers for a longer period in the future than HCFCs as the growth rates of HFCs are increasing and those of HCFCs are decreasing in the background atmosphere. PFC-14 and PFC-116, however, have the potential to be tracers for longer periods into the future due to their extremely long lifetimes, steady atmospheric growth rates and no explicit ban on their emissions. In this work, we also derive solubility functions for HCFC-22, HCFC-141b, HCFC-142b, HFC-134a, HFC-125, HFC-23, PFC-14 and PFC-116 in water and seawater to facilitate their use as oceanic transient tracers. These functions are based on the Clark–Glew–Weiss (CGW) water solubility function fit and salting-out coefficients estimated by the poly-parameter linear free-energy relationships (pp-LFERs). Here we also provide three methods of seawater solubility estimation for more compounds. Even though our intention is for application in oceanic research, the work described in this paper is potentially useful for tracer studies in a wide range of natural waters, including freshwater and saline lakes, and, for the more stable compounds, groundwaters.

Corrigendum to: An introduction to the CSIRO Oral History Collection

This paper describes a project to record specialised oral histories of key individuals involved with Australia's principal scientific research organisation, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO). The oral histories are intended to complement official governance documents in a larger project to write a history of CSIRO. Oral histories typically include perspectives on family backgrounds and childhood, professional training and career histories. Of particular interest in these interviews is the involvement of interviewees in the management of CSIRO and their reflections on the place of CSIRO in the Australian and international scientific environments. The interviews were conducted mainly by two of the authors (Spurling and Healy), both of whom were well known to the interviewees because they were themselves senior managers in CSIRO and familiar with the topics discussed. These histories are intended to illuminate important personal factors that have influenced decision-making in CSIRO. Also covered are plans to use other collections of interview materials in the CSIRO History Project (CHP), including those conducted by CSIRO historian Boris Schedvin, the Australian Academy of Science and the National Library of Australia. Details are provided of preparations for interviews, recording and transcription and preparation of materials for public access through CSIROpedia.

An introduction to the CSIRO Oral History Collection

This paper describes a project to record specialised oral histories of key individuals involved with Australia’s principal scientific research organisation, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO). The oral histories are intended to complement official governance documents in a larger project to write a history of CSIRO. Oral histories typically include perspectives on family backgrounds and childhood, professional training and career histories. Of particular interest in these interviews is the involvement of interviewees in the management of CSIRO and their reflections on the place of CSIRO in the Australian and international scientific environments. The interviews were conducted mainly by two of the authors (Spurling and Healy), both of whom were well known to the interviewees because they were themselves senior managers in CSIRO and familiar with the topics discussed. These histories are intended to illuminate important personal factors that have influenced decision-making in CSIRO. Also covered are plans to use other collections of interview materials in the CSIRO History Project (CHP), including those conducted by CSIRO historian Boris Schedvin, the Australian Academy of Science and the National Library of Australia. Details are provided of preparations for interviews, recording and transcription and preparation of materials for public access through CSIROpedia.

CSIRO and land research in Papua New Guinea 1950–2000: part 2: post-Independence

Following Papua New Guinea (PNG) Independence in 1975, the new administration approached Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) directly concerning the need to address issues related to food security and village-based agriculture. A subsequent series of collaborative research projects between CSIRO and PNG government departments built upon the existing survey information to provide PNG with one of the earliest national-level, computer-based resource information systems, with widespread applications, particularly in agriculture, forestry, environmental management and planning. Part 1 of this historical review discussed the evolution, conduct and outcomes of the CSIRO integrated surveys over the period 1950–75, while Part 2 describes the subsequent research projects that arose from the surveys and concluded in 2000. In addition, the legacy of CSIRO involvement in land research in PNG is examined in relation to advances made both within individual scientific disciplines and in other relevant technological fields, and to operational challenges and structural change within the organisation.

CSIRO and land research in Papua New Guinea 1950–2000: part 1: pre-Independence

During the period 1953–69, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) conducted fourteen integrated land resource surveys in the Territory of Papua and New Guinea with the aim of identifying areas suitable for accelerated development. The resulting reconnaissance-level regional survey reports and maps provided extensive baseline information for national development planning. Related disciplinary publications expanded scientific knowledge of land resources and resource use in the wet tropics more generally. Substantial botanical collections carried out during the surveys contributed to building the Papua New Guinea (PNG) national collection at the Lae Herbarium and to the establishment of what is now the Australian National Herbarium.

Methods for reproducible shipboard SFA nutrient measurement using RMNS and automated data processing

AbstractOcean observations are critical in developing our understanding of the interaction between the ocean and climate. Detailed information about the nutrient composition of the ocean is achieved using in situ sensing and the collection and analysis of physical samples from research vessels. The analysis of nutrients underpins work in understanding both the carbon cycle and biological productivity in oceans. Although in situ sensors are becoming more common for some nutrients, the best and most reliable method for making these measurements is to conduct analysis of physical samples at sea. This article discusses the analysis and data processing methods developed by the hydrochemistry team at Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) to provide repeatable and accurate analysis of nutrient samples at sea. Nutrients are measured by segmented flow analysis and data are processed using in‐house software (Hydrology Processor [HyPro]). These methods were used during the Global Ocean Ship‐based Hydrographic Investigations Program (GO‐SHIP) P15S voyage in 2016. Accuracy and precision of the analyses during the voyage was determined from measurement of the certified reference material for nutrients in seawater (RMNS) for silicate, phosphate, nitrate, and nitrite and is presented and discussed here. The accuracy of the silicate and phosphate RMNS measurements was within 1–3% of the certified values, and nitrate + nitrite within 1–2%. The precision for silicate, nitrate + nitrite, and phosphate was greater than 0.2%. The hydrochemistry team has established a standard operating procedure which assures the quality of nutrient data obtained is accurate and precise.

Joseph Mark Gani 1924–2016

Joe Gani, as he was universally known, was born in Cairo, Egypt, on 15 December 1924 and died in Canberra on 12 April 2016. A visionary leader, mentor, and brilliant organizer, he created the Journal of Applied Probability, and was Chief of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) Division of Mathematics and Statistics. A distinguished academic career included posts at the Universities of Sheffield, Kentucky, California at Santa Barbara, and the Australian National University. His numerous research contributions are dominated by stochastic modelling, especially epidemic theory.

Promoting Australian industry: CSIRO 1949–79

This paper addresses the manner in which the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) transferred its technology to Australian industry during the period 1949 to 1979. The analysis is framed within the changing economic and political scene in Australia and the changing expectations for public research organisations such as CSIRO. During the 1950s and 1960s CSIRO gave little direct attention to the processes of technology transfer but instead, following the prevailing wisdom, focused on high quality science and relied on existing extension services and patenting to capture the benefits from its research. This ‘science-push’ approach proved successful for Australia’s rural industries but, with a few exceptions, less so for the country’s secondary industries. By the early 1970s CSIRO faced pressures for change, induced by a tougher economic climate and changing views on the role of public research institutions. A shift toward greater customer relevance in its research would also need to be matched by new thinking about technology transfer.