A study showing that more muscular cattle more consistently deliver better meat, and the discovery of bacteria that could be used in the extraction of heavy metals from ores are among research findings to be presented at the Pathfinders 2010 Challenge and Change Conference at the Alice Springs Convention Centre this week (May 26–28).

Top early career scientists have been invited to present their research results at the conference, organised by the Cooperative Research Centres Association.

Children are good channels for getting fire safety messages into homes, according to new research.

Briony Towers, a research psychologist at the Bushfire Cooperative Research Centre and University of Tasmania, investigated, for the first time, how children understood and talked about bushfires.

She will present her results at the Pathfinders 2010: Challenge and Change Conference at the Alice Springs Convention Centre next week (May 26–28).

Are our volunteer firefighters fit enough? That’s one of the questions to be addressed at the Pathfinders: the Innovators Conference in Canberra this week (May 26–28).

Eight early career scientists have been selected to present their research results at the conference, organised by the Cooperative Research Centres Association.

Matt Phillips, of the Bushfire CRC, will report on a study that establishes for the first time the safe physical work standards that should be applied for Australia’s 220,000 volunteer firefighters.

Embargoed till 0900 AEST Tuesday, May 26