Unseen Worlds: A Microscopic Marvel at the World Science Festival

The World Science Festival’s Unseen Worlds exhibition, was held in the Whale Mall at Queensland Museum over the weekend. The event captivated over 1000 visitors of all ages with its intricate displays and interactive experiences, showcasing a stunning array of microscopic wonders, from bugs and natural items to quantum chips. Visitors had the opportunity to explore these hidden micro-worlds through ten Zeiss microscopes, revealing microscopic mysteries that are usually invisible to the naked eye.

The exhibition featured a visual projection with images curated by some of Queensland’s leading scientific researchers and organisations, including QBiotics Group; donna davis – artist-in-residence, Queensland Herbarium and Biodiversity Science Unit; Geoff Thompson and Lily Kumpe, Queensland Museum; The University of Queensland’s Institute for Molecular Bioscience (IMB) and QUBIC; with soundscape design by Luke Lickfold. Attendees were thrilled by the detailed displays and the chance to engage with the science that shapes our world. The interactive microscopy activation allowed participants to dive deep into the microscopic universe, sparking curiosity and wonder among both young and old.

QUBIC would like to thank Chief Investigator Prof. Jennifer Stow, Associate Investigator Dr Nicholas Condon, and Dr Xichun Li, Hongyu Shen and Sylvia Tan from IMB for their expertise and dedication in collating images and samples, and for being at the event to share their passion for science with the public.

The Unseen Worlds exhibition not only highlighted the beauty and complexity of the microscopic world but also underscored the importance of scientific research and innovation.

Cracking a Cancer Code: How Simulations Are Guiding Smarter Drug Design

Some of the most important breakthroughs in medicine happen at the tiniest scales, like inside our cells, where proteins quietly control life and disease. One such protein, NHE1, plays a key role in helping cancer cells survive in harsh environments.

In a study published in The Journal of Physical Chemistry B, Centre researchers from the University of Wollongong use powerful molecular simulations to reveal detailed insights into how this protein interacts with potential drug molecules. Their findings offer a detailed map of how to block NHE1’s activity, paving the way for more targeted and effective cancer treatments.

This work reflects QUBIC’s mission to understand life at the molecular level using advanced computational tools. While this study uses classical simulations, it lays the foundation for future quantum-enhanced approaches that could model even more complex biological systems with greater precision. By showing how drug molecules can latch onto NHE1 and shut it down, the research provides a critical piece of the puzzle in designing next-generation therapies, not just for cancer, but also for heart disease and other conditions where this protein plays a role.

By unlocking molecular-level insights through advanced simulation, this work lays the foundation for a new era of precision medicine.

Published paper: Ion Transport and Inhibitor Binding by Human NHE1: Insights from Molecular Dynamics Simulations and Free Energy Calculations (2024)

Cover of the 2024 Annual ReportThis impact story is an extract from QUBIC’s 2024 Annual Report: read more.