02 9541 3500Encouragement award winners November 2025
ATA Scientific would like to thank all those that participated in our November 2025 Encouragement Award promotion.
Ernest Rutherford, the New Zealand physicist and Nobel Prize winner, once remarked: “We have not got the money, so we have to think.”
Our latest competition asked students how they would personally respond if funding for their project were drastically reduced, to the point where their research could no longer continue as planned. Is their research work too important to abandon?
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR 3 WINNERS!
Three entries were selected to receive our award– first prize at $1500 and 2 runners up at $750 each.
Congratulations to Toby Black, PhD candidate from the School of Life and Environmental Sciences at the University of Sydney, working with his supervisor A/Prof Brian Jones.
I am sincerely grateful to ATA Scientific for this award. I will use the funding to attend the International Conference on Arabidopsis Research (ICAR 2026), where the breadth of topics will provide valuable insight into work by leaders in plant biotechnology and promoter engineering.
This conference will give me the opportunity to present my findings in the final year of my PhD, gain feedback to refine my promoter testing system, and ensure that my research remains aligned with the cutting edge of promoter targeted genome editing and its application to major global challenges.
For Toby’s current project, he has developed an integrated computational and experimental framework to fine tune plant promoters by targeting small sequence changes in cis regulatory elements to achieve large shifts in gene expression. Cis regulatory elements interact with the transcriptional machinery to modulate gene expression, and their activity typically requires validation on a gene-by-gene basis; Toby has developed a system to fast track this process and more readily customise expression. His proof-of-concept work in Arabidopsis, the model species, is showing promise for increasing carbon assimilation in the root system.
Toby’s career goals are to publish the methods he has developed during his PhD and to see these findings translated to agronomically important species in the future. Additionally, he wishes to expand his technical skills and develop new ways of thinking when approaching unique problems through postdoctoral researcher.
Congratulations to Hiro Wang, a PhD candidate in the School of Engineering at RMIT University, working under the supervision of Prof. Kevin Zhang.
Hiro’s research focuses on recycling of autoclaved aerated concrete. This work has the potential to turn a difficult construction waste stream into a valuable resource, helping industry move closer to genuine closed-loop recycling and supports Australia’s transition to more sustainable infrastructure. Hiro’s career goal is to work at the interface of academia and industry to develop practical circular economy solutions for the construction sector.
The Young Scientist Encouragement Award will be used to support Hiro’s attendance at the 31st International Symposium on Advancement of Construction Management and Real Estate in Sydney in July 2026, covering conference registration and associated travel costs.
This will allow me to present my findings, receive feedback from international experts and build collaborations that can strengthen and accelerate my research, said Hiro.
Congratulations to Dr Charu Deepika, who recently completed her PhD in algal biotechnology under the supervision of Prof. Ben Hankamer at the Institute of Molecular Biosciences (IMB), University of Queensland (UQ).
Charu is currently advancing innovative work across pigment production, omega-3 biosynthesis and CO₂ sequestration technologies. Her work spans bioprocess engineering, microbiology, and biochemistry, with a strong emphasis on designing scalable cultivation and screening strategies.
Charu has established several new high-performance algal strains and is systematically evaluating them for enhanced yields and production efficiency. She has also created a suite of novel screening and cultivation methodologies that accelerate the identification of commercially promising microalgal candidates. Her ongoing efforts contribute directly to sustainable bioproduct development and climate-positive technologies.
The award will support her participation in the International Conference on Algal Biotechnology and Applications (ICABA) on 16-17 March 2026 in New York, USA, enabling her to engage with global experts, share recent outcomes from her strain-development and CO₂ utilisation research, and explore pathways for translating her work into industrial applications, biotech collaborations and EU-focused environmental innovation projects.
Looking ahead, Charu aims to continue advancing microalgae-based solutions within both research and applied settings, with long-term commitment to circular bioeconomy innovation, green bioproducts, and science communication that benefits the broader community.
We would like to thank all those that participated. The next Encouragement Award will be posted on our website soon.
For more information or to stay informed of other upcoming promotions please follow us on LinkedIn, X & Facebook, or contact us.