University of Newcastle: Dog vaccine and steel recycling projects awarded nearly $800,000 in Australian Research Council funding

The projects could see breakthroughs in steel recycling production and giardia vaccinations for dogs.

reflecting the University’s strong commitment to sustainability and innovation.

Associate Professor Tom Honeyands $473,854

Associate Professor Tom Honeyands and his team are working to develop a process to separate phosphorus from steelmaking slag while the slag is still molten, reducing the time it makes to produce the steel.The process also upgrades the phosphorous to use for valuable fertiliser. Benefits are anticipated to include increased utilisation of steel slag, creation of a valuable fertiliser co-product, decreased greenhouse gas emissions, and a reduction in the penalty applied to Australian iron ores. The project will be carried out in collaboration with BHP Steelworks and Wollongong University.

Professor Adam McCluskey $282,339

Professor Adam McCluskey and his team are creating a vaccine for dog infections. Companion animals play a pivotal role in the lifestyle of the average Australian family and provide significant health and well-being benefits to owners. Giardia infections is the most prevalent enteric parasite identified globally in dogs. Infection rates can be as high as 75% in puppies. Current treatments are failing due to poor efficacy, resistance, and poor adherence to treatment schedules. The research team have identified a novel, extremely rapid acting series of compounds capable of single shot eradication of Giardia.