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For a century, scientists have assumed that the Earth has same chemical make-up as the sun. But this belief has been challenged by scientists at The Australian National University. Professors Ian Campbell and Hugh O'Neill from the Research School of Earth Sciences at ANU said their research shakes up our understanding of the Earth's chemistry - right to the core.

Tamworth is famous as the home of Australian country music. But 350 million years ago, some hardcore rock 'n' roll was also happening. Scientists at The Australian National University have discovered that granites in the New England area near Tamworth were produced by a remarkable process, whereby the magmas erupted from volcanoes turned to mud, then back to magma again, in a very rapid cycle.

A recent spike in worldwide carbon emissions growth was caused by the rebound from the global financial crisis (GFC) and is likely to be a one-off, according to a new study from The Australian National University. The study found that global carbon emissions remain on a relentless upward trend, though efforts to shift to low-carbon energy and cut energy demand are bearing some fruit.

A study has revealed that injectable contraceptives that are widely used around the world influence the risk of developing several types of cancer. The study team was led by Ms Margaret Urban at the National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS) in Johannesburg and Professor Emily Banks of The Australian National University.

A new technique is helping researchers to pinpoint genetic information that contributes to cancer development. A research team, led by Professor Thomas Preiss from the John Curtin School of Medical Research at The Australian National University, has used a new mapping technique to reveal tell-tale "sign posts" in DNA's lesser-known relative, RNA - ribonucleic acid.

Researchers have mapped the genome of the Tasmanian Devil for the first time, a crucial step towards understanding the transmissible facial tumours decimating Devil populations and related human cancers. The international team, led by Janine Deakin of the Research School of Biology at The Australian National University, compared the normal Tasmanian Devil genome to that of the Devils with facial tumours and found that significant fragments of the chromosomes had been jumbled, like a jigsaw puzzle put together the wrong way.

Collaborative research is helping to shed light on how to close the gap on Indigenous health disadvantage, writes SIMON COPLAND. We hear a lot about 'closing the gap' between Indigenous and non-Indigenous health outcomes. With a 12-year difference in life expectancy between non-Indigenous and Indigenous males, and child mortality rates up to four times higher in Indigenous communities, Indigenous disadvantage is considered to be one of Australia's biggest health problems.

New research from The Australian National University has revealed for the first time the role large trees play in sustaining biodiversity and bird life in urban environments. The study, led by Karen Stagoll, a PhD candidate in the ANU Fenner School of Environment and Society, examined large eucalypt trees in small suburban parks across Canberra.

Clearing vegetation close to houses is the best way to reduce the impacts of severe bushfires, according to a team of scientists from Australia and the USA who examined house loss as a result of Black Saturday. The research involving 12,000 measurements at 500 houses affected by the Black Saturday fires was only made possible by the sheer size of the devastation of February 7, 2009.

Researchers from The Australian National University have discovered a new cellular communication process used by plants to respond to drought. The team, led by Gonzalo Estavillo and Professor Barry Pogson in the ANU Research School of Biology, examined a small, rapid-growing plant called Arabidopsis, a relative of canola.

The growth of Chinese cities is increasing wealth in the country, but it's coming at a cost, with farmers needing to make room for city dwellers as a consequence of the country's ongoing economic boom. The new study by Professor Xuemei Bai from the ANU Fenner School of Environment and Society has revealed that China is experiencing unprecedented and rapid urbanisation.

Researchers from The Australian National University have used the latest earthquake-measuring technology to image the tectonic plate beneath southeast Australia and reveal for the first time the continent's geological building blocks. Scientists from the ANU Research School of Earth Sciences and international colleagues conducted the research through seismometers placed throughout eastern Australia.

Researchers from The Australian National University have discovered a new treatment for Type-1 diabetes - an autoimmune disease which currently affects some 130,000 Australians. Charmaine Simeonovic and Professor Christopher Parish from The John Curtin School of Medical Research have identified a previously unknown process which causes destruction of the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas.

Scientists from The Australian National University have found that extensive regions of the sub-surface of Mars could contain water and be at comfortable temperatures for terrestrial - and potentially martian - microbes. In a paper published today, researchers from the ANU Planetary Science Institute modelled Mars to evaluate its potential for harbouring inhabitable water.

New research at ANU has revealed that poor work conditions can adversely affect people's health. The study, led by Peter Butterworth of the Centre for Mental Health Research, revealed that poor job quality and conditions are associated with increased risk of mental and physical health problems. "The psychosocial aspects of work, such as job demands, decision control, job strain and perceptions of job insecurity, can affect mental and physical health," said Butterworth.

The century-old mystery of a missing mineral in coral reefs has been solved by a team from The Australian National University. The team, led by Bradley Opdyke of the Research School of Earth Sciences, has uncovered a hidden stash of the mineral dolomite in coral reefs around the globe, ending a search that has lasted over 100 years.

Male infertility could soon have a boost through new treatments at a sub-DNA 'epigenetic' level, according to researchers from The Australian National University. The research team, led by Professor David Tremethick of The John Curtin School of Medical Research at ANU, have uncovered a new mechanism of gene activation which will have important implications in understanding how cellular differentiation is achieved.

The revival of a 150-year-old theory on how the human ear protects itself from damage caused by loud sounds could lead to better noise protection says a researcher from The Australian National University. In a paper published in the Journal of Hearing Science, Andrew Bell of the Research School of Biology at ANU urges reconsideration of the long-discarded 'pressure theory' that explains inconsistencies that have long puzzled hearing researchers.

A new study from The Australian National University shows that online therapy programs can play a major and long-lasting role in treating depression. Lou Farrer, from the ANU Centre for Mental Health Research (CMHR), trialled the effectiveness of online programs MoodGYM and BluePages when used in conjunction with telephone counselling services provided by Lifeline.

New research from The Australian National University has shown that women are more likely to make risky choices when they are surrounded by other women. The findings could help to reduce gender inequality in the workforce. In an experiment at the University of Essex, Professor Alison Booth from the ANU Research School of Economics and colleagues, tested whether single-sex classrooms in co-educational environments altered students' risk-taking attitudes.