UNSW finalists for 2024 Eureka Prizes

Four UNSW Sydney researchers are finalists in the prestigious science awards.

UNSW researchers developing a recycling system for solar panels and investigating treatment of rare immune diseases are among four UNSW projects recognised in the 2024 Australian Museum Eureka Prizes.

The researchers from the faculties of Science, Engineering and Medicine & Health have been selected as finalists for their exceptional achievements in the fields of science, innovative technology and sustainability.

The Eureka Prizes are awarded annually, honouring outstanding research, innovation, leadership, science engagement and school science.

The 2024 Eureka Prizes will be presented on Wednesday 4 September at an awards dinner held at the Australian Museum, and broadcast live from the event.

The UNSW finalists are:

Professor David Keith

Australian Institute of Botanical Science Eureka Prize for Excellence in Botanical Science

Prof. Keith is a world leader in botany, ecology and conservation biology. He led a major international collaboration to develop the world’s first Global Ecosystem Typology – a framework for classifying, describing, conserving and restoring the ecosystems of the world.

Adopted by the United Nations and already applied in Australia, the framework has been instrumental in formulating effective conservation strategies and is helping to maintain plant diversity in the face of increasing environmental change.

“Plants are the foundations of ecosystems – they capture and cycle energy, nutrients and water, they shape the habitats of animals, and they sustain the resources and aesthetic values that humanity derives from nature. Maintaining healthy ecosystems is crucial for preserving the variety of plants in nature,” Prof. Keith said.

“The Global Ecosystem Typology helps us understand which ecosystems share similar responses to environmental change and management. This understanding is vital to conserving and restoring Earth's life support systems.”

The UNSW Night-time solar team

Team lead: Professor Ned Ekins-Daukes

ANSTO Eureka Prize for Innovative Use of Technology

The UNSW Night-time solar team have demonstrated a way to generate electricity from the emission of thermal radiation into the cold night sky using a new type of semiconductor device called a thermoradiative diode.  

This means it’s possible not only to generate solar power during the day, but also squeeze some electricity from the residual heat that the sun delivers to the Earth during the day as it radiates out into the universe at night.

“From the thermodynamics, it became clear to us that it should be possible to generate solar power at night by harnessing the infrared radiation emitted by the Earth as it cools down.  However, the question was ‘How?’”, team lead Prof. Ekins-Daukes said.

“In the end, we realised that a particular type of semiconductor diode would achieve this, and after quite a bit of experimentation, we managed to directly measure electrical power from the emission of infrared light for the first time.”

The most surprising application for this device is the ability to generate solar power at night, but it also allows electronics to be powered from any source of heat.  For example, the present technology could provide enough electricity to power a wristwatch from body heat.  

Members of the team include Prof. Ned Ekins-Daukes, Dr Andreas Pusch, Dr Michael Nielsen, Associate Professor Peter Reece, Dr Phoebe Pearce and Mr Muhammad Hasnan Sazzad.

Professor Stuart Tangye

UNSW Eureka Prize for Scientific Research

Prof. Tangye is a pioneering researcher in discovering, diagnosing, understanding and enabling treatment of rare immune diseases. His research focuses on inborn errors of immunity (IEIs), rare genetic conditions that affect the development and function of the immune system.

“Each IEI case we investigate gives us invaluable insights into how the immune system functions – often an entire pathway or process that we didn’t fully understand before. So, by studying these rare conditions, we’re not only helping affected individuals but also gaining knowledge that could benefit the broader population,” said Prof. Tangye.

Over the past two decades, he has made significant contributions to the field of human immunology. His research has identified new genetic variants linked to immune diseases, leading to many diagnoses and, in more than half of those cases, targeted treatment. This work has been crucial in reducing the ‘diagnostic odyssey’ that patients with rare diseases face.

“Being named a finalist is a humbling honour, but more importantly, it’s an opportunity to shine a light on rare immune diseases and the patients and their families affected by them. Our work is about improving lives, one gene at a time,” Prof. Tangye said.

Professor Yansong Shen

University of Sydney Eureka Prize for Sustainability Research

As millions of solar panels come to the end of their life, Prof. Shen has developed a recycling system for solar panels that diverts all waste from landfill and provides materials for new panels. The work has led to more than 10 patents and is expected to begin commercial scale production by December 2024.

“Photovoltaics solar panels play a vital role in global net zero targets. We have developed new highly efficient and viable technologies to recycle them at the end of their lives, using numerical experiments for technology design and selection, and physical experiments for verification and prototyping,” Prof. Shen said.

“The results have been published, patented and translated to industry, with measurable effectiveness and benefits, directly addressing Australia’s Net Zero Target and Waste Action Plan 2050.”