Most face-to-face events and all online events conducted by the Royal Society of New South Wales are recorded and made available for subsequent viewing on our YouTube channel: youtube.com/royalsocnsw.

The Society’s events program of 2025 commenced with a fascinating lecture on synthetic biology, “Inspired by Nature, Designed by Science“, by Distinguished Professor Ian Paulsen FRSN FAA FASN, Director, ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology at Macquarie University. Synthetic biology is a rapidly advancing field that treats genes and DNA as “Lego pieces” that can be used to construct novel biological systems. Developing novel synthetic microbes for the sustainable production of biochemical, biofuels and bioplastics is critical for the emergence of a new global bioeconomy. If you were not able to attend the lecture in the State Library of NSW on Wednesday 5th February 2025, a recording of this is available on our YouTube channel.

The first Ideas@theHouse event for 2025, and the twelfth in the series since its inception, was held on the evening of Thursday 20 February 2025 in the Ballroom of Government House Sydney. In her address, titled ‘Where Worlds Collide: Exploring the wild/domestic animal-human interface in One Health‘, Dr Sarah Britton, Director of the One Health Unit of the Interim Australian Centre for Disease Control, presented a fascinating insight into the wild-domestic-human interface —  the critical juncture where interactions between wildlife, domestic animals, and humans create opportunities for pathogen spillover, threatening global health, biodiversity, and economies. Her presentation explored the drivers of these interactions, including habitat encroachment, land-use changes, and human activities, and examined the risks and challenges posed by zoonotic diseases. Through the One Health approach, Dr Britton highlighted strategies for mitigating these risks, such as integrated surveillance, enhanced biosecurity, and cross-sector collaboration.A recording of his presentation is now available on the Society’s YouTube channel.