The future of farming has been Professor Yongsheng Gao’s research focus for many years, and now the AI expert will expand on his impactful work within the agricultural and aquatecture sectors with the announcement of prestigious research funding.
Bay lobsters are monitored by the research team at Australian Bay Lobster Producers.
As one of eight new projects announced under the Australian Research Council’s (ARC) 2025 Industry Laureate Fellowships scheme, Professor Gao aims to overcome the major barriers in implementing machine solutions in agricultural environments to transform Australia’s farming industry.
His project, titled ‘Enabling Technology beyond Human Capability for Automated Farming’ valued at almost $4 million, includes industry partner Australian Bay Lobster Producers Limited (ABPL), based at Chinderah, New South Wales. ABPL have also committed another $1,750,000 cash support and $3,500,000 in-kind over five years.
This project will build a world-first automated sustainable aquaculture farming factory as an exemplar for the industry.
“Farming, with its integration of innovative technologies like automation and machine intelligence, holds the key to bridging this gap and usher agriculture into the modern era.”
Professor Yongsheng Gao
“At Australian Bay Lobster Producers Limited, we have integrated machine vision and robotics technology into many aspects of this world-first lobster farming facility, and this is an integral part of the company’s business strategy.
“Continuous, automated monitoring of larvae tanks allows for precision feeding and optimising growth rate of the larvae, whilst significantly reducing larvae mortality, and labour costs for this critical stage of lobster development
“We want to help growers grow better produce and lower their costs using the wealth of technologies that we have at our disposal, leading to more competitive prices at the supermarkets.”
Professor Yongsheng Gao
Expected outcomes from the project include significant advancement of theories, novel technologies, and highly productive industrial processes that will be broadly applicable in the generation of other automated sustainable farming.
Professor Gao said “this will bring significant economic benefits to the agriculture industry with higher yields, lower costs and environmental impact”.
Professor Gao is also Director of the ARC Research Hub for Driving Farming Productivity and Disease Prevention.
ARC Chief Executive Officer, Professor Ute Roessner, said the ARC Industry Fellowships Program is supporting academic researchers to build connections with industry, and industry-based researchers to contribute their expertise within university settings, helping address industry-identified challenges and opportunities.
“I am looking forward to seeing the exciting research outcomes and milestones achieved by these Fellows, and how these will be applied for the benefit of the Australian community,” Professor Roessner said.
Eighteen elite athletes from Griffith University have been selected to compete at the 2025 World Aquatic Championships and the World Para Swimming Championships in Singapore, starting on 11 July.
The athletes will compete across four disciplines: artistic swimming, diving, water polo, swimming, and para swimming.
Griffith Sports College Director Naomi McCarthy OAM said the impressive cohort reflected Griffith’s ongoing commitment to supporting high-performance sport.
Sports College Director Naomi McCarthy OAM.
“After an incredible year in 2024 at Paris, Griffith is so excited to be cheering on such a large number of our athletes competing in Singapore at the World Championships.
“Of the 18 competing, it’s fantastic to see a mixture of new athletes breaking onto the international stage and of course, many familiar faces.
“We love being able to support so many elite athletes as they start the journey towards 2028.”
Griffith Swim Club Head Coach Mel Marshall MBE will attend the championships after being named a team coach for the Australian Dolphins.
Griffith Swim Club Head Coach Mel Marshall MBE.
“It’s a privilege to work with such a talented and driven group of athletes,” Ms Marshall said.
“This will be my 11th world championships, and I’m proud to bring experience and strategic insight to support an exceptional team.
“Their dedication to both sport and study is remarkable, and I’m confident they’ll do Griffith and their country proud in Singapore.”
Artistic Swimming
Pam Kurosawa – Bachelor of Business student
Georgia Courage-Gardiner – Bachelor of Education student
Diving
Cassiel Rousseau – Bachelor of Psychology student
Water Polo
Charlize Andrews – Bachelor of Nursing student
Tenealle Fasala – Bachelor of Nursing student
Swimming
Josh Edwards-Smith – Bachelor of Psychology student & Griffith Swim Club
Zac Stubblety-Cook – Bachelor of Business student & Griffith Swim Club
Ella Ramsay – Griffith Swim Club
Nash Wilkes – Griffith Swim Club
Cam McEvoy – Bachelor of Science graduate
Jenna Forrester – Bachelor of Environmental Science and Bachelor of Business student
Kai Taylor – Bachelor of Psychological Science and Bachelor of Business student
Meg Harris – Bachelor of Nursing student
William Petric – Bachelor of Commerce student
Milana Tapper – Bachelor of Exercise Science and Bachelor of Business student & Griffith Swim Club (representing New Zealand)
Amani Alobaidli – Bachelor of Nursing student (representing Bahrain)
World Para Swimming Championships (September 2025)
Rowan Crothers – Bachelor of Business alumnus
Thomas Gallagher – Business graduate and Bachelor of Architectural Design student
Winners of the National Indigenous Business School business case challenge.
Seventeen Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanderhigh school students from across Queensland have embarked on a journey toward business leadership that celebrates First Peoples culture and communities, through their participation in the National Indigenous Business School (NIBS).
Hosted by Griffith University, the immersive seven-day camp introduced students to core principles of business leadership and provided firsthand exposure to a range of successful enterprises.
Students engaged in a business case challenge to test their emerging business skills and were under the guidance of Griffith academics, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mentors and business leaders.
First Peoples business education leader and proud Wakka Wakka woman Professor Kerry Bodle said Griffith University was proud to have hosted NIBS in 2025.
Department of Accounting, Finance and Economics Professor Kerry Bodle.
“It was inspiring to watch these 17 young leaders tackle the complex business case challenge related to First Peoples business participation and sustainability for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games,” Professor Bodle said.
“Their ability to engage in a real-world challenge with critical thinking, passion, and cultural insight was impressive, and it’s vital we continue to create spaces where First Peoples students can see themselves as future leaders in business and government.”
Titans and Indigenous All Stars veteran Corey Thompson talked and shared career insights with the students at CBUS stadium while they enjoyed the live Titans versus Cowboys game.
Several successful First Peoples business entrepreneurs shared their own business insights and stories, including:
Lane Stockton, founder of Yarn’n toilet paper business
Jolene Elliott CA, founder of Karlaya First Nations accounting firm
Delvene Cockatoo-Collins, artist and owner of a Brisbane CBD store
GUMURRII Student Success Unit Indigenous Outreach Coordinator Zania Ludovici.
GUMURRII Student Success Unit Indigenous Outreach Coordinator Zania Ludovici connected with the students during the camp and said it was a privilege to share the experience with them.
“The students brought such energy and positivity to the camp, and watching them form new friendships and grow their confidence was incredibly rewarding,” Ms Ludovici said.
“One of the most meaningful aspects of the week was the space we built together – a space where students felt safe to share their stories, listen to ours, and open up with honesty and courage – that sense of trust and connection made this camp feel genuinely unique.
“Our goal is to stay connected and continue engaging with these students throughout the rest of their high school journey to support their goals and walk alongside them as they work toward their futures.”
The program was hosted across Meanjin (Brisbane), and on the land of the Yugambeh and Kombumerri peoples (Gold Coast) by Griffith Business School in conjunction with Griffith’s GUMURRII Student Success Unit and was supported by collaborating universities including Queensland University of Technology, the University of Queensland, and Bond University.
The National Indigenous Business School (in Queensland) is an initiative of the Australian Business Deans Council.
Students attending the NIBS camp enjoyed Movie World on the Gold Coast.
New research has confirmed alarming coral mortality rates of 92 per cent after last year’s bleaching event at Lizard Island on Queensland’s Great Barrier Reef, marking one of the highest coral mortality rates ever documented globally.
Dr Vincent Raoult and Honours student Rebecca Licciardo. Credit: Karen Joyce
The team assessed the impact of the Fourth Global Coral Bleaching Event, declared by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in April 2024, which caused extensive bleaching and mortality across the reef system.
Lead author Dr Vincent Raoult from Griffith University’s School of Environment and Science, and collaborators from Macquarie University, James Cook University, the CSIRO and GeoNadir analysed 20 sections (each measuring 10m x 10m) across the northern and southern reefs of Lizard Island.
The average bleaching mortality rate reached was 92 per cent, with bleaching affecting an average of 96 per cent of living corals of the surveyed areas.
“This marks one of the highest coral mortality rates ever documented globally,” Dr Raoult said.
“Despite lower heat stress at Lizard Island compared with other parts of the Great Barrier Reef, the mortality rate is unprecedented.
“These results highlight the fragility of coral ecosystems facing increasing stress from climate change, and the possible devastation resulting from the 2024 global bleaching event.”
Dr Vincent Raoult
Professor Jane Williamson from the School of Natural Sciences at Macquarie University, senior author on the study, said the findings underscored the urgent need for action on climate change.
The research team used high-resolution drone imagery to map coral bleaching in March 2024, returning in June to assess survival and mortality rates across the same reef areas.
“Using drone-derived imagery, we followed the amount of bleached and living coral during and after the bleaching event,” Professor Williamson said.
“Use of this technology lets us upscale the effects of the bleaching event over larger areas but still at high precision.”
The team recorded the highest coral bleaching mortality on the Great Barrier Reef, with over 92 per cent of corals experiencing mortality.
“Our results are concerning for coral resilience, considering the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme heat events predicted for the near future, with potentially irreversible consequences for reef ecosystems such as those studied in our Great Barrier Reef,” Professor Williamson said.
The team used DJI Mini 3 Pro and Autel Evo II drones to collect the imagery, verified by in-water observations during June 2024.
A drone survey flyover of a patch of dead coral at Lizard Island. Credit Karen Joyce
Key findings:
Coral mortality exceeded 99 per cent in some areas.
No significant difference in mortality rates between northern (North Point Reef) and southern (Palfrey Island Reef) sites was observed.
Despite relatively moderate heat stress (6°C weeks) relative to the rest of the Great Barrier Reef, mortality surpassed historical levels documented at Lizard Island.
Coral reefs at Lizard Island have experienced repeated disturbances over the past decade, including severe bleaching in 2016 and 2017, cyclones, and Crown-of-Thorns outbreaks.
These events have compounded the ecosystem’s vulnerability, despite some signs of recovery in recent years.
The team responsible for this work are now running additional surveys at Lizard Island to track the recovery, if any, of corals into 2026 as part of an Australian Museum Lizard Island Critical Grant.
Part of this research was funded by the Great Barrier Reef Foundation grant for the Sea Cucumber Monitoring Project to Macquarie University.
A new transdermal drug delivery using pulsating, fabricated microneedles present a promising alternative to traditional subcutaneous injections.
The PIDES – pulsating in situ dried electro stretching – method, developed by Griffith University and University of Newcastle researchers, developed the needles to be less than 1mm in length to painlessly penetrate the outer layer of the skin and deliver medication into the body.
“Existing fabrication methods such as micro moulding, wet etching and 3D printing are often complex, expensive and may not be ideal for some temperature sensitive drugs,” said Luan Mai, a PhD candidate and co-author of the study.
“We wanted to make microneedle production simpler, more efficient and better suited for drug delivery,” said Dr Yuen Yong, a co-author from the University of Newcastle.
The team’s technique used pulsed electro hydrodynamic force generated between two metallic plates to stretch and shape polymer droplets into fine conical structures.
As the solvent evaporated, the polymer solidified into a microneedle with a sharp and rigid tip, ideal for painless skin penetration.
The researchers tested these microneedles on agarose gel and pig skins, confirming their mechanical strength and ability to pierce skin effectively.
They also tested drug encapsulation using curcumin, a model compound, and demonstrated a controlled time-dependent drug release profile, confirming the system’s compatibility with physiological conditions.
“Our technique represents an alternative way in microneedle manufacturing.”
“By integrating in situ drying with electrostretching, we’ve simplified the process while ensuring high performance, repeatability, and drug compatibility.
“The PIDES technique is low cost and scalable, allowing multiple microneedles to be fabricated without compromising quality.”
Looking ahead, the team planned to further optimise the technique and explore the development of an on-demand microneedle array system, aimed at enhancing flexibility and precision in drug delivery applications.
Dr Dau said it could lead to new pathways to more accessible and patient-friendly treatments for drug delivery, however the project was still in its early stages.
Bedtime can be tricky for parents, especially when their child is experiencing behavioural sleep problems, but help is on the way with an app in development designed to help parents manage their child’s sleep problems.
Professor Caroline Donovan
Griffith University researchers from the School of Applied Psychology are developing the Lights Out App, an evidence-based approach to provide children aged between three and 12 years of age accessible sleep interventions to improve their sleep.
Griffith’s Professor Caroline Donovan said around one third of Australian children have some kind of sleep difficulty, many of which are behavioural in nature.
“Behavioural sleep problems include difficulty initiating and/or maintaining sleep, bedtime resistance, and difficulty sleeping without parental presence or assistance,” Professor Donovan said.
“It’s a problem many families experience and need help with, as sleep is essential for physical and emotional health and wellbeing.”
In recent years, Professor Donovan and her team have researched the efficacy and success of the Lights Out program in face-to-face, vide-conferenced, and web-based formats, and found it to be successful in improving child sleep, anxiety and behaviour problems.
The Lights Out program covered:
Psychoeducation on sleep problems, nighttime fears and anxiety
Goal setting
Sleep hygiene
Bedtime routine reward charts
How to praise and reward children
Strategies for managing anxiety at night-time
Strategies for managing oppositional behaviours at night-time
Maintenance and relapse prevention
Interviews with parents suggested they want an app-based version of the Lights Out program.
Through winning the Cogniss Priority Digital Health Challenge, Professor Donovan said her team can take the Lights Out program to the next level by working with Cogniss, using its no-code platform, to turn the program into an app and thereby delivering the program in a format parents have asked for.
“We hope to have the app operational by the end of the year so families can have a user-friendly, evidence-based and efficient program at their fingertips,” she said.
What does going off-grid look like for residents who have chosen to “unplug” their homes?
Under their project, ‘Advancing Resilient Off-Grid Living’, the research team is hoping the findings improve the understanding of off-grid living in Queensland, because the social and environmental impacts of off-grid housing are currently not well understood.
A particular focus will be on architectural, energy, and environmental aspects of off-grid living, as well as its social impact on the community.
Dr Peyman Akhgar, one of the project leads and survey developers, said many unknowns still existed about why people chose to live off-grid, how long people have been off-grid, how they set up their homes, type of households, and what are the positives and negatives of living off-grid.
“Currently, off-grid living is not a common practice,” Dr Akhgar said.
“For instance, if you live in Brisbane or the Gold Coast, going off-grid might not be applicable or allowed.
“So, we want to know what are the social and environmental values of going off-grid that make it worthwhile?”
Dr Peyman Akhgar
The results of this research will help the team understand the regulatory framework and promote resilient and interconnected communities through off-grid solutions and sustainable strategies.
Griffith University is the newest gold-tier member of the Australian Institute of Sport’s (AIS) Elite Sport Education Network (ESEN), which recognises dedication to helping athletes thrive on the field and in the classroom.
The ESEN partners with universities and TAFEs to deliver flexible and holistic support for elite sportspeople with gold, silver and bronze levels to help support athletes, coaches and performance staff as they pursue higher education.
Griffith Sports College Director Naomi McCarthy.
Griffith Sports College Director Naomi McCarthy OAM said studying complements an athlete’s sporting goals, and support to help them achieve this dual goal was vital.
“Griffith is proud to be recognised as gold standard for elite athlete support across the AIS network,” Ms McCarthy said.
“We understand how vital this support is to all of our athletes whether they are emerging talents, seasoned professionals, or among the more than 30 current students who competed at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
“Providing balance for them to navigate sport and study is beneficial not only to their transition after sport, but to their performance now, allowing them to engage in study that complements their sport.”
Australian Sports Commission Executive General Manager of AIS Performance Matti Clements said Griffith’s commitment strengthens the sport system’s vision to Win Well.
“We want our athletes, coaches and officials thriving, not just in sport, but in all other elements of their life and that’s where the ESEN comes into play,” Ms Clements said.
“Griffith is a great example of how universities can help contribute to a sustainable high-performance system.
“Their support is crucial to helping athletes excel in sport while also setting them up for future success.”
The recognition follows the 2025 AIS-Griffith University Sport Scholarships which were awarded to Olympian Meg Harris (swimming), Paralympian Abby Craswell (athletics), Maguire Reid (Canoe Sprint) and Sidney Stephens (Freestyle Aerial Skiing).
Long believed to be a single, globally distributed species drifting freely across the open ocean, the bluebottle – also known as the Portuguese man o’ war – has been revealed to be a group of at least four distinct species, each with its own unique morphology, genetics, and distribution.
An international research team led by scientists at Yale University, and Australian researchers at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) and Griffith University, uncovered this biodiversity by sequencing the genomes of 151 Physalia specimens from around the world.
Professor Kylie Pitt.
The study, published in Current Biology, found strong evidence of reproductive isolation among five genetic lineages, challenging the long-held assumption that the open ocean supported single, well-mixed populations.
“The genetic data clearly show they’re not only different, they’re not even interbreeding despite overlapping ranges,” Griffith’s Professor Kylie Pitt said.
The bluebottle is uniquely suited to long-distance travel, using its gas-filled float and muscular crest to catch the wind and sail the sea surface.
Using an integrative approach, the team matched genomic lineages with four distinct physical forms identified from thousands of citizen-science images submitted to iNaturalist.org.
These morphologies – originally proposed as separate species in the 18th and 19th centuries but later dismissed – have now been verified by modern genomic evidence.
The study describes Physalia physalis, P. utriculus, and P. megalista, alongside a newly identified species, Physalia minuta, found near New Zealand and Australia.
Each species is further subdivided into genetically distinct subpopulations shaped by regional winds and ocean currents, according to advanced ocean circulation modelling.
“There’s this idea the open oceans are all connected, and it’s just one species of bluebottle and they’re all globally connected because they drift with the wind and the current – but that’s absolutely not the case.”
Professor Kylie Pitt
“And what’s really interesting in Eastern Australia is that we have multiple species that have evolved despite potentially co-existing.
The study found four distinct bluebottle species after a global analysis.
“So why is it that they developed into separate species when you think they’ll all be in the same environment, mixing up together? What was the selection pressure that led to the differentiation of the species?”
The researchers said future investigations into the physical, environmental, and biological processes that generated and maintained this genetic variation would be crucial in recalibrating science’s expectations towards open-ocean biodiversity.
In 2022, UNSW were awarded an Australian Research Council Linkage grant for the project ‘Bluebottle dynamics: towards a prediction tool for Surf Life Saving Australia’, which will develop a forecasting method to prevent bluebottle stings, in partnership with Griffith University, Seatech (University of Toulon, France), the Bureau of Meteorology, Surf Life Saving Australia and the NSW Department of Planning and Environment.
A new report released by the Griffith Asia Institute offers practical guidance for accelerating Asia’s shift to clean energy by improving collaboration between Chinese Independent Power Producers (IPPs) and their Asian partners. The report—Green Independent Power Producers in Asia: A Practical Guide for Negotiations and Agreements between Chinese and International Partners—provides a roadmap to overcome long-standing barriers to scaling renewable energy projects in the region.
Co-authored by Christoph Nedopil, Fabby Tumiwa, Mustafa Sayed, Muhammad Aulia Anis, Rika Isnarti, and Umar Farooq, the report identifies key strategies for delivering bankable, socially responsible, and technically sound solar, wind, and hydro power projects. It focuses particularly on practical steps across the full lifecycle of IPP development—from tenders and Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) to construction and long-term operations.
“Independent Power Producers are absolutely essential to meeting Asia’s energy and climate goals, but the way we develop, finance and manage these projects needs to improve—especially in collaboration with Chinese developers,” said Dr. Christoph Nedopil, one of the lead authors and Director of the Asia Institute at Griffith University.
“This guide aims to reduce costly misunderstandings and help both sponsors and off-takers build trust and deliver reliable, clean power.”
The report highlights that while electricity generation across emerging Asian economies has nearly quadrupled since 2000, much of that growth has come from coal. Renewable energy development still lags behind national targets—particularly due to regulatory risks, payment delays, grid constraints, and environmental and social opposition.
Professor Christoph Nedopil
Drawing on interviews with over 40 experts across 10 countries, the guide offers tailored advice for Chinese IPP sponsors to better navigate local legal frameworks, labour issues, and foreign exchange risk. For Asian utilities and policymakers, it recommends improved transparency in tenders, more bankable PPAs, and faster permitting and grid readiness.
With China playing an increasingly central role in financing and delivering large-scale infrastructure in Asia, the report urges stronger partnerships based on mutual understanding, fair risk-sharing, and local engagement.
“This isn’t just a technical challenge—it’s about creating trust and long-term value in one of the world’s most important energy markets,” said Nedopil.
“Getting it right could unlock billions in clean energy investment and avoid the worst impacts of climate change.”
The report is available online and intended for policymakers, utilities, investors, and IPP developers working to deliver Asia’s energy transition.
