To listen, just search for The Random Sample wherever you get your podcasts, or head to: www.therandomsample.com.au Thanks to Prof Kate Smith-Miles for hosting!

In our latest episode, we explore the Simplex Method - an algorithm that transformed optimisation and a question that continues to intrigue mathematicians: why is it so fast in practice, despite theoretical predictions that suggest it shouldn't be - with special guest @sophie.huiberts.me

MACSYS was proud to be a key sponsor of this week’s Yeast Products & Discovery (YPD) Conference in Brisbane! It was a fantastic opportunity to showcase the breadth of work being undertaken by our researchers and students to Australia’s yeast science community.

MACSYS is entering its next chapter, with Prof Jennifer Flegg appointed as Centre Director and Prof Mike McDonald appointed as Deputy Director. Together, they represent the complementary strengths of the wet- and dry-lab sciences that underpin our collaborative approach. 👉 macsys.org/new-director...

This week we hosted a Biotech Entrepreneurship Workshop in Sydney, with @macsys.bsky.social. Researchers, founders, VCs and industry leaders came together for practical discussions on investment readiness, mentorship and translating science into commercial impact. 🎯 @arc-gov-au.bsky.social

MACSYS members had the opportunity to tour the Australian Genome Foundry (AGF) at Macquarie University, a national, state-of-the-art synthetic biology facility. The tour provided a fascinating look at how AGF supports end-to-end synthetic biology research. Thanks @arccoesb.bsky.social for hosting!

MACSYS is proud to support the upcoming Yeast Products & Discovery Conference - bringing together emerging leaders, researchers, and innovators in yeast science from across Australia. 📆22-24 July 📌UQ Brisbane City (located in the CBD) 👉More info and/or register: ausyeastgroup.org/ypd-2026

This is one of the coolest projects I have had a chance to contribute to. Fabulous work by Thomas Williams @macsys.bsky.social modeling the consequences of proteins and LPS embedding into bacterial outer membranes doi.org/10.48550/arX...

To listen, just search for The Random Sample wherever you get your podcasts - or head to our website: www.therandomsample.com.au/podcast/nano...

📢 New episode alert! How small is "nano"? And how can something so tiny have such a big impact? Our latest episode features Prof Ngamta (Natalie) Thamwattana from the Uni of Newcastle. We explore her research into the behaviour of granular materials - all the way down to the world of nanotechnology.

Congrats Jen on this very well deserved honour

MACSYS@macsys.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Congratulations to MACSYS Deputy Director Professor Jennifer Flegg - just named a 2026 Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science, recognised for her internationally leading work in mathematical biology. 👉 Read the full story: macsys.org/jen-flegg-20...

Congratulations to MACSYS Deputy Director Professor Jennifer Flegg - just named a 2026 Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science, recognised for her internationally leading work in mathematical biology. 👉 Read the full story: macsys.org/jen-flegg-20...

The second episode explores how mathematical approaches can be used to understand anti‑vaccination sentiment - with guest Prof Stacey Smith? from the University of Ottawa. Our host is Dr Eva Stadler from the Kirby Institute at UNSW.

The first episode looks into how mathematics is playing an increasingly important role in understanding pregnancy, reproductive health, and chronic conditions that disproportionately affect women - with guests Prof Alys Clark & Dr Claire Miller from @aucklanduni.bsky.social Bioengineering Institute.

Happy International Women in Mathematics Day! We've released two episodes celebrating research excellence by women - and those who identify as women - in the mathematical sciences. To listen, just search for The Random Sample wherever you get your podcasts - or head to: www.therandomsample.com.au

Our latest episode features Dr Maria Kleshnina (QUT), the first mathematician to receive a L'Oréal–UNESCO For Women in Science Fellowship in Australia & New Zealand. We explore Maria’s field of interest, Game Theory, & why this mathematical way of thinking is so powerful! www.therandomsample.com.au

You can also watch a video of the podcast recording on the MACSYS YouTube channel: youtu.be/vc3To3w8FjU

The Kalman Filter: The Mathematics of Knowing Where You Are

YouTube video by MACSYS

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A piece of mathematics from the 1960s still quietly powers GPS, aviation, wearables - even space missions. In our latest episode, we explore the Kalman Filter with two men who've been working with it for decades! To listen, search your podcast app for The Random Sample. www.therandomsample.com.au

Thanks to The Random Sample podcast for featuring our Centre & our ambitious research mission to model a whole cell in a special 2-part series. To listen, just search for The Random Sample wherever you get your podcasts or head to the website: www.therandomsample.com.au @therandomsample.bsky.social

Thanks to Marvin Whiteley and the @asm.org @mbio.bsky.social for a good time on their podcast talking about a bacteriophage that flexes and contracts in impossible ways. Also detailed in an mBio paper here DOI: 10.1128/mbio.03829-25 @macsys.bsky.social youtu.be/eDGta8xc4_0?...

Phage JS1: The Virus Breaking the Rules - Editors in Conversation, mBio Edition

YouTube video by American Society for Microbiology

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🎙️Why MACSYS & why now? In this clip from The Random Sample podcast, Centre Director Trevor Lithgow explains that as biology increasingly moves into a quantitative space, the ability to work across maths & biology isn’t optional - it’s essential: 🎧 www.therandomsample.com.au/podcast/macs...

📢New episode alert! Bringing together the mathematical and computational sciences with biology🔬 to tackle one of science’s grand challenges - MACSYS leaders Trevor Lithgow & Jen Flegg explain why modelling a whole, living cell 🧬 matters. 👉 www.therandomsample.com.au/podcast/macs...

The first 2026 episode of The Random Sample podcast features Centre Chief Investigators Adelle Coster (UNSW) & Mat Simpson (QUT). They share how maths, combined with biological expertise, come together in MACSYS as our researchers work toward a predictive, computational model of a living cell.

🎙️We're launching a brand‑new season of our podcast this week & you’re invited to be part of the action! We're bringing a StudioPod recording booth straight to the Univ of Melbourne campus and will be recording new podcast episodes throughout our in-person launch event. Come watch the magic happen!

We’re proud to see MACSYS Associate Investigator, Dr Francesca Short, featured in this insightful ABC News story on hand hygiene and antibacterial soap. Dr Short is a Senior Lecturer in Microbiology at Monash University’s Centre to Impact Antimicrobial Resistance. www.abc.net.au/news/2026-03...

Which hand soap is best for killing germs?

Experts say there is an array of options when it comes to hand soaps, and some labels can be misleading.

abc.net.au

🎙️Come See a Podcast Come to Life! MACSYS is launching a brand‑new season of The Random Sample podcast by bringing a StudioPod recording booth straight to the University of Melbourne campus - and will be recording new podcast episodes throughout the launch event. Come watch the magic happen!

The M in MACSYS stands for Mathematical - so we'd like to wish everyone a Happy International Day of Mathematics (aka Pi Day)! This year's IDM theme is "Mathematics and Hope".

Five ARC Centres of Excellence with headquarters or nodes in Brisbane, including MACSYS, came together for a Women in Leadership breakfast event hosted at UQ. The event featured an inspiring panel discussion with representatives from each Centre, including our own Chief Investigator Prof Richi Nayak