#National Research Collections Australia

Hands operating a pipette in a petri dish of liquid placed on a microscope stage.

Bug off! Protecting our collections from pests

The insects that clean up dead animal matter would love to get their mouthparts on our collections. Here’s how we stop them.

Why we love taxonomists

Each year, our taxonomists describe and name around 200 new species, from weevils and weedfish to weird plants.

An earthworm being held in front of a white background

Earthworms can sometimes surprise us

Australia is richly endowed with earthworm biodiversity, but of the 750 or so named species of earthworm in Australia, very few have been found in arid environments. The Broken Hill earthworm, a new genus and species, was a serendipitous find in an unexpected location.

Specimens in a jar on a table.

Old, goopy museum specimens can tell fascinating stories of wildlife history. Finally, we can read them

Recovering important historical genetic data has been severely impeded by the methods used to preserve specimens.

Breakthrough allows scientists to determine the age of endangered native fish using DNA

Determining the age of fish has been historically difficult, primarily involving lethal methods. A new DNA test solves this problem.

A child holding bread with edible insects on it.

Four reasons insects could be a staple in Aussie diets, from zesty tree ants to peanut-buttery bogong moths

Why don't many Australians eat insects? Our new industry roadmap for edible insects explains why we should bring bugs into mainstream diets.

Pinned specimens in our insect collection

Take a virtual tour of our insect collection

We're taking you on a virtual tour of our Australian National Insect Collection from your home. Come inside.

Does it taste like chicken? Australian insects a potential new snack

Edible insects are good for the environment as they require only a fraction of the land and water to farm them. Will you try the more sustainable snack?