Dr Susie, Dr Euan and Dr Shane talk to guest Dr Paul Gurr from the Dept. Chemical Engineering at the University of Melbourne about the delicate task of cornea surgery. Currently only 1 in 70 patients with corneal disease receive the necessary surgery. Bioengineers are develop a fully synthetic cornea to address the short supply of cornea in Australia and worldwide.

The team then talk to Dr Sophie Holland about SAEF: Securing Antarctica's Environmental Future, who's current project focuses on how microbes in Antarctic soils meet their energy, carbon and water needs, and how these microbial communities are influenced by climate change. Sophie is particularly interested in aerotrophs - bacteria that can “live on air” by harnessing energy from trace gases in the atmosphere.