Molecules, cells and organisms (MCO) research explores biological systems at the molecular level, providing a foundation for investigations across the life sciences. By focusing on molecular interactions—the basis of all life—our work connects diverse disciplines with the shared goal of advancing a molecular-level understanding.
This research underpins solutions to global challenges, from sustaining ecosystems and agriculture to tackling chronic diseases. Our aim is to apply molecular insights to address problems in human metabolic health, drug discovery, regenerative medicine, ecology, agriculture and sustainability.
Key researchers:ÌýÌýJoel Mackay,ÌýJacqui Matthews,ÌýJennifer Potts,ÌýSandro Ataide,ÌýAnn Kwan,ÌýMin Chen.
Structural biology is a technology-focused discipline that seeks a molecular-level understanding of biology by understanding the three-dimensional shapes of biomolecules and the complexes and interactions that they form. It plays a crucial role in uncovering the molecular basis and revealing mechanistic insights of all cellular processes, including gene regulation, microbial pathogenesis, RNA biology, photosynthesis, and antimicrobial action.Ìý Not only does work in this discipline reveal the molecular underpinnings of life itself, but it is a critical tool in the translation of basic science through drug discovery, biotechnology and synthetic biology.
Key researchers:ÌýAlyson Ashe,ÌýJoel Mackay,ÌýGreg Neely,ÌýMarcel Dinger,ÌýMarcus Heisler,ÌýMary Byrne,ÌýMin Chen,ÌýYi Ding,ÌýEmily Remnant,ÌýRuth Hall.
Genetics and genome biology is a foundational field that sheds light on how genetic information is organised, regulated, and inherited across all forms of life. Insights from this field underpin our understanding of development, adaptation, disease, and evolution. By revealing how genomes function and change, Genetics and Genome Biology provides a powerful framework that informs diverse research areas - from microbial resistance and epigenetics to ecology and biotechnology.
Key researchers:ÌýDavid James,ÌýErin Shanahan,ÌýDavid Raubenheimer,ÌýKim Bell-Anderson,ÌýCarsten Schmitz-Peiffer,ÌýAlistair Senior, Stuart Cordwell,ÌýNikki Lee, Stephen Simpson,ÌýAndrew Holmes,ÌýMin Chen.
Metabolic Systems Biology is a dynamic area of research that connects a wide range of disciplines to better understand how metabolism works as an integrated system. From nutrition, microbiology, and neuroscience to cell signalling, proteomics, and biostatistics, this systems-level perspective offers new ways to explore and integrate how our bodies respond to diet, disease, and the environment. By looking at metabolism not in isolation but as part of a complex biological network, Metabolic Systems Biology provides valuable insights that are relevant across many areas of health and biomedical research.
Key researchers:ÌýAnthony Weiss,ÌýGiselle Yeo, Min Chen,ÌýMary Byrne,ÌýMaria Byrne,ÌýMarcus Heisler,ÌýDavid James,ÌýMurray Thomson,ÌýAlyson Ashe,ÌýTim ¸ßÇ帣ÀûƬome.
Cell, developmental and regenerative biology investigates how cells function, differentiate, and work together to build, maintain, and repair living organisms. This field provides a unifying framework for understanding processes as varied as tissue regeneration, developmental patterning, environmental adaptation, and cellular response to stress or infection. By revealing how life is shaped and reshaped from cells upward, it informs a wide range of research - rom stem cell science and wound healing to crop architecture and evolutionary biology.
Key researchers:ÌýMarkus Hofer,ÌýNikki Lee,ÌýGreg Neely.
Molecular neuroscience explores the cellular and molecular foundations of brain function, helping to unravel how neural systems develop, communicate, and respond to injury or disease. By investigating the genetic, biochemical, and signalling mechanisms that underlie brain activity and behaviour, this field provides vital insights into areas such as neuroinflammation, metabolic regulation, pain and neurodegeneration. Molecular Neuroscience serves as a critical link between fundamental biology and our understanding of the brain in health and disease.
Key researchers:ÌýMary Byrne,ÌýMarcus Heisler,ÌýMin Chen,ÌýYi Ding.
Plant Molecular Biology focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms that drive plant growth, development, and responses to the environment. By studying how genes, proteins, and signalling pathways shape processes like photosynthesis, development, and immune responses, this field provides essential insights into plant biology. These discoveries have wide-reaching implications - from improving crop resilience to deepening our understanding of how plants adapt and evolve in changing environments.
Key researchers:ÌýRuth Hall,ÌýErin Shanahan,ÌýTim ¸ßÇ帣ÀûƬome,ÌýMarkus Hofer,ÌýAndrew Holmes,ÌýMichael Kertesz,ÌýOsu Lilje,ÌýAnn Kwan,ÌýZiggy Marzinelli,ÌýMin Chen,ÌýYi Ding,ÌýEmily Remnant,ÌýGary Muscatello.
Microbiology is the study of microscopic organisms - bacteria, viruses, fungi, and other microbes - and their interactions with each other, their hosts, and the environment. Whether focused on infectious disease, antibiotic resistance, gut health, developing life-saving antibiotics and vaccines, or enhancing crop resilience and cleaning up environmental pollutants, microbiology offers a powerful lens for understanding the invisible but essential roles microbes play in life on Earth.
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Key researchers:ÌýAlice Huang, Angela Sun, Matthew Clemson, Reece Sophocleous, James Tsatsaronis, Michael Widjaja.
Bioscience EducationÌýbrings together biology expertise and educational research to strengthen how the life sciences are taught. Academics in this area use the latest research and teaching methods to create engaging and effective learning experiences for students. By combining hands-on learning, new technologies, and real-world examples, Bioscience Education helps students build a strong understanding of biology and the skills they need to tackle challenges in health, agriculture, and the environment.
Research groups
We’re driving climate-positive agriculture that restores biodiversity, rebuilds soils, secures water and food systems, and delivers quality food and fibre - working from genes to plates, across the full supply chain.
We aim to advance scientific knowledge and develop technology that enhance food security and sustainability, that safeguard environmental health and biodiversity while meeting industry and community needs. In addition toÌýadvocating for the role of science and research in agricultural and food policy and education.
Key researchers:ÌýJoy Becker,ÌýMac Campbell,ÌýAlex Chaves,ÌýSimon de Graaf,ÌýSergio Garcia,ÌýLuciano Gonzalez,ÌýSonia Liu,ÌýSabrina Lomax,ÌýHamutal Mazrier,ÌýWendy Muir,ÌýGary Muscatello,ÌýJessica Rickard,ÌýBrandon Velie,ÌýEmily Remnant,ÌýJanuar Harianto,ÌýAaron Greenville,ÌýAlice Shirley.
¸ßÇ帣ÀûƬ focuses on improving the health, welfare, quality and economic and environmental sustainability of production animals. ¸ßÇ帣ÀûƬ integrates aspects of genetics, nutrition, physiology, behaviour, health, and environmental sustainability.
Research groups
Key researchers:ÌýTina Bell,ÌýThomas Bishop,ÌýStephen Cattle,ÌýFeike Dijkstra,ÌýDamien Field,ÌýPatrick Filippi,ÌýAlex McBratney,ÌýBudiman Minasny,ÌýMalcolm Possell,ÌýLiana Pozza,ÌýGuy Roth,ÌýBalwant Singh,ÌýFloris van Ogtrop,ÌýWillem Vervoort.
¸ßÇ帣ÀûƬ focuses on basic and applied research including understanding on the causes and controls of soil distribution, the cycling of water, carbon and nutrients, and soil constraints for crop production. Our world-leading research has created changes in practice, from farm and landscape-scale carbon, water, and soil management to national and global digital soil mapping.
Research groups
Key researchers:ÌýThomas Bishop,ÌýPatrick Filippi,ÌýLuciano Gonzalez,ÌýJanuar Harianto,ÌýSabrina Lomax,ÌýAlex McBratney,ÌýBudiman Minasny,ÌýLiana Pozza,ÌýWilliam Salter.
¸ßÇ帣ÀûƬ focuses on providing knowledge in delivering a functioning digitally-enabled production and supply chain for agricultural food and fibre. We use novel methods and tools, such as precision agriculture, satellite imagery, proximal sensors, machine learning and AI, to meet the global challenge of increasing food production for a growing population, while not degrading our soil and water resources in the process.
Research groups
Key researchers:ÌýKedar Adhikari,ÌýPeter Banks,ÌýMary Byrne,ÌýRosalind Deaker,ÌýYi Ding,ÌýPatrick Filippi,ÌýPeter Franks,ÌýAaron Greenville,ÌýDavid Guest,ÌýMarcus Heisler,ÌýBrian Jones,ÌýBrent Kaiser,ÌýClaudia Keitel,ÌýAndrew Merchant,ÌýFloris van Ogtrop,ÌýRobert Park,ÌýMaxim Prokchorchik,ÌýGuy Roth,ÌýWilliam Salter,ÌýDaniel Tan,ÌýPeri Tobias,ÌýRichard Trethowan,ÌýTim Weaver,ÌýPeng Zhang.
¸ßÇ帣ÀûƬ focuses on advancing plant sciences for sustainable production to meet the global challenge of providing enough quality food for a growing population. With research strengths in plant breeding and molecular biology, our research aspires to identify solutions to production problems caused by environmental variability, the presence of disease and pests as well as meeting end-point quality requirements of industry and consumers.
Research groups
Key researchers:ÌýTina Bell,ÌýKim Bell-Anderson,ÌýRosalind Deaker,ÌýAlison Jones,ÌýBrian Jones,ÌýBrent Kaiser,ÌýClaudia Keitel,ÌýMichael Kertesz,ÌýAli Khoddami,ÌýKim-yen Phan-thien, Malcolm Possell,ÌýThomas Roberts,ÌýAndrew Merchant.
Food science is an interdisciplinary field that combines principles from a range of core disciplines to enhance our understanding of food and its production. It draws on chemistry, biology, physics, engineering, and nutrition to explore the nature of food, the causes and mechanisms of changes over time, and the principles underlying food processing. Understanding the human experience of food through the nutritional and sensory sciences is another vital component of Food Science that that examines how consumers perceive and interact with food products.
The University of Sydney has a burgeoning Food Science group with expertise in the various core disciplines. We conduct collaborative industry-focused research to improve the quality, safety, efficiency, and sustainability of food products and production methods. Food science research has a vital role if we are to meet sustainable development goals related to the global challenges of food security and sustainability. Through our research as well as our teaching activities in Food Science and Nutrition Science, we aim to advance the science of food and to inspire the next generation of food science scholars, leaders, and innovators.
We look at the world from an ecological and evolutionary perspective. ¸ßÇ帣ÀûƬ combines the controlled precision of the lab with field experiments and large-scale sampling of organisms in their natural habitats in both water and on land. Our vision is to advance our understanding of the ecological and evolutionary processes that generate, maintain and impact biodiversity, to provide critical data and knowledge to inform effective conservation strategies for a sustainable future and enhanced planetary health. 
Our goals is to conduct innovative research in ecology, evolution, conservation, and management—collaborating with partners to address complex environmental challenges such as biodiversity loss drivenÌýassociated with climate change and other anthropogenic stressors. 
Key researchers:ÌýGlenda Wardle,ÌýAaron Greenville,ÌýThomas ¸ßÇ帣ÀûƬome,ÌýMathew Crowther,ÌýCatherine Herbert,  Brigitte Sommer,ÌýWill Figueira,ÌýMaria Byrne,ÌýZiggy Marzinelli,ÌýShawna Foo,ÌýTom Bishop.
Ecosystem monitoring and forecasting research focuses on understanding environmental change and predicting its impacts on natural systems. By combining field-based observations with advanced modelling, remote sensing and data analytics, our researchers track ecological trends, biodiversity and climate-driven shifts across landscapes. This work informs conservation strategies, land management and policy decisions, enabling proactive responses to environmental challenges and supporting long-term ecosystem resilience.
Key researchers:ÌýPeter Banks,ÌýClare McArthur,ÌýMathew Crowther,ÌýThomas White,ÌýTanya Latty,ÌýCatherine Price.
Sensory ecology research investigates how animals perceive and respond to their environments through their sensory systems. By exploring vision, hearing, smell and other sensory modalities, our researchers uncover how sensory information shapes behaviour, communication, navigation and predator–prey interactions. This interdisciplinary work enhances our understanding of animal ecology and evolution and informs conservation strategies by revealing how environmental changes and human activities affect animal perception and survival.
Key researchers:ÌýFrank Seebacher,ÌýThomas White,ÌýTanya Latty,ÌýCamilla Whittington,ÌýCatherine Herbert,ÌýMurray Thomson,ÌýDieter Hochuli,ÌýCatherine Price,ÌýMaria Byrne,ÌýPeter Banks.
Integrative behaviour and physiology research explores how animals function and adapt by linking behaviour with underlying physiological mechanisms. ¸ßÇ帣ÀûƬers study how internal processes - such as neurobiology, endocrinology and metabolism - interact with environmental and social factors to influence animal behaviour, health and performance. This interdisciplinary approach provides insights into animal welfare, adaptation to stress and evolutionary biology, supporting advances in both fundamental science and applied animal management.
Key researchers:ÌýPauline Ross,ÌýZiggy Marzinelli,ÌýShawna Foo,ÌýWill Figueira,ÌýBrigitte Sommer,ÌýMurray Thomson,ÌýMaria Byrne,ÌýJoy Becker,ÌýEmma Thompson.
This research area investigates how marine ecosystems respond to environmental stressors such as climate change, pollution, habitat degradation and overexploitation. ¸ßÇ帣ÀûƬers examine the ecological, physiological and molecular responses of marine organisms and communities to changing conditions, aiming to identify thresholds of resilience and recovery. Through long-term monitoring, experimental studies and modelling, this work supports the development of strategies to conserve marine biodiversity, sustain ecosystem services and enhance the adaptive capacity of ocean systems in a rapidly changing world.
Key researchers:ÌýFrank Seebacher,ÌýThomas ¸ßÇ帣ÀûƬome,ÌýAaron Greenville,ÌýCharles Warren,ÌýZiggy Marzinelli,ÌýCatherine Grueber,ÌýShawna Foo,ÌýWill Figueira,ÌýCatherine Herbert,ÌýBrigitte Sommer,ÌýTanya Latty,ÌýPauline Ross,ÌýDieter Hochuli,ÌýMaria Byrne,ÌýFeike Dijkstra,ÌýMurray Thomson,ÌýPeter Banks,ÌýAndrew Merchant,ÌýMathew Crowther,ÌýEmma Thompson.
Global change biology research examines how biological systems respond to large-scale environmental changes such as climate change, land-use transformation, invasive species and altered biogeochemical cycles. ¸ßÇ帣ÀûƬers study the impacts of these drivers on biodiversity, ecosystem function, species interactions and evolutionary processes. By integrating fieldwork, laboratory experiments and modelling, this research informs strategies to predict and mitigate the effects of global change, supporting the conservation of ecosystems and the services they provide to society.
Key researchers:ÌýÌýKathy Belov,ÌýCarolyn Hogg,ÌýCatherine Grueber,ÌýCamilla Whittington,ÌýEmily Remnant,ÌýRos Gloag,ÌýSimon Ho,ÌýNathan Lo,ÌýZiggy Marzinelli,ÌýMaria Byrne,ÌýPeter Banks,ÌýMac Campbell,ÌýMary Byrne,ÌýMarcus Heisler,ÌýAndrew Merchant,ÌýMatthew Pye.
This research area uses genetic and genomic tools to understand biodiversity, evolutionary processes, and the genetic basis of adaptation. ¸ßÇ帣ÀûƬers investigate population structure, gene flow, genetic diversity and evolutionary history to inform conservation strategies for threatened species and ecosystems. By integrating cutting-edge molecular techniques with ecological and evolutionary theory, this work supports evidence-based management, enhances species resilience and helps preserve genetic resources critical to future environmental change.
Key researchers:ÌýDieter Hochuli,ÌýThomas ¸ßÇ帣ÀûƬome,ÌýZiggy Marzinelli,ÌýWill Figueira,ÌýTanya Latty,ÌýPeter Banks,ÌýCatherine Price.
Urban ecology research explores the interactions between living organisms and urban environments, focusing on how cities shape ecological processes and biodiversity. ¸ßÇ帣ÀûƬers examine the impacts of urbanisation on species distribution, ecosystem function and human–nature relationships, while identifying opportunities to enhance green infrastructure, connectivity and sustainability. This work supports the design of more liveable, resilient cities by integrating ecological principles into urban planning and fostering coexistence between people and nature.
Key researchers:ÌýCharles Warren,ÌýZiggy Marzinelli,ÌýThomas ¸ßÇ帣ÀûƬome,ÌýFeike Dijkstra,ÌýAndrew Merchant.
Plant–soil interactions research investigates the dynamic relationships between plants and the soils they inhabit, which are fundamental to ecosystem health, productivity and resilience. ¸ßÇ帣ÀûƬers explore how roots, microbes, and soil properties influence nutrient cycling, plant growth, carbon storage and adaptation to environmental change. This interdisciplinary work informs sustainable agriculture, land restoration and climate mitigation by uncovering the complex feedback between vegetation and the belowground environment.
Key researchers:ÌýTanya Latty,ÌýThomas White,ÌýDieter Hochuli,ÌýThomas ¸ßÇ帣ÀûƬome,ÌýNathan Lo,ÌýRos Gloag,ÌýEmily Remnant,ÌýMaria Byrne,ÌýShawna Foo,ÌýBrigitte Sommer.
Invertebrate ecology and evolution research focuses on the diversity, biology, and evolutionary history of invertebrate animals. ¸ßÇ帣ÀûƬers investigate invertebrate behaviour, life histories, species interactions, and responses to environmental change, as well as their evolutionary relationships and adaptations. This work enhances our understanding of ecological processes, biodiversity patterns, and evolutionary mechanisms, with applications in conservation, agriculture, and bioindicator monitoring.
Key researchers:ÌýThomas ¸ßÇ帣ÀûƬome, ÌýPeter Banks,ÌýMathew Crowther,ÌýZiggy Marzinelli,ÌýWill Figueira, Tanya Latty,ÌýThomas White,ÌýAaron Greenville,ÌýDieter Hochuli,ÌýCatherine Price,ÌýAndrew Merchant,ÌýBrigitte Sommer,ÌýTim Lee ,ÌýFran van Den Berg ,ÌýManuel Lequerica Tamara,ÌýHong Nguyen,ÌýJanuar Harianto,ÌýEmma Thompson,ÌýMatthew Pye,ÌýPauline Ross.Ìý
This research area explores how degraded ecosystems can be restored through ecological processes such as rewilding and the reintroduction of key species. ¸ßÇ帣ÀûƬers examine the roles of predators, herbivores and other keystone species in driving trophic cascades that shape ecosystem structure and function. By combining field experiments, ecological modelling and long-term monitoring, this work informs innovative restoration strategies that rebuild biodiversity, enhance ecosystem resilience and support nature-based solutions to environmental challenges.
Research groups
