[Music plays and an image appears of the Australian Government Coat of Arms and the Malcolm McIntosh Prize for Physical Scientist of the Year badge and text appears: Malcolm McIntosh Prize for Physical Scientist of the Year, Associate Professor Elizabeth New, The Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science, Celebrating 20 years]

[Image changes to show turrets on the university building and then the image changes to show a side and then facing view of Elizabeth walking along a path at the university]

Associate Professor Elizabeth New: I’m a Chemical Biologist at the University of Sydney

[Image changes to show Elizabeth talking to the camera]

…and my research interests are in developing chemical tools that allow us to see things in cells that we’ve never seen before.

[Images move through of a view through a glass window of Elizabeth looking into a microscope, a close-up shot of Elizabeth looking through the microscope, and Elizabeth looking at a computer]

When I was ten my parents showed me a drop of blood under the microscope and I remember being fascinated by seeing all of the different types of cells.

[Image changes to show Elizabeth talking to the camera]

I’m still amazed by the power of microscopy in allowing us to understand what’s going on inside a body.

[Images move through of Elizabeth and a colleague in a lab looking at a computer screen, a close-up view of their faces, and then the computer screen, and then Elizabeth swirling liquid in a beaker]

And now in my research, we’re able to develop imaging tools that allow us to look even deeper into the cell to see the very molecules

[Images flash through of Elizabeth adjusting a dial on some equipment, and then the beaker of liquid floating in water in a machine]

…that are responsible for health and that also cause disease.

[Images flash through to show Elizabeth talking, test tubes in a tray, Elizabeth looking at the tray, the tray lit up with fluorescent light, and Elizabeth picking up a test tube from the tray]

We develop small molecules that can enter a cell and they can light up or fluoresce in the presence of a chemical that causes disease.

[Image changes to show a profile view of Elizabeth talking to the camera]

So, an analogy I use is the children’s book “Where’s Wally?” where the real challenge is to find Wally from amongst all the other people in the picture.

[Image changes to show a facing view of Elizabeth talking to the camera]

Imagine how much easier it would be if we could give Wally a torch and turn off the lights.

[Images move through of Elizabeth holding up a test tube and looking at it with a torch in a darkened room and the test tube can be seen glowing with fluorescent light]

We’d very easily see where he is. And that’s exactly what we do in cells.

[Images move through of Elizabeth and a colleague looking at a computer screen, and then Elizabeth seated at a park table outside of a building working on a computer]

It’s really exciting now that our imaging tools are being used by researchers all over the world to investigate many different diseases and answer questions that we’ve not even thought of.

[Images move through of Elizabeth walking down a corridor towards the camera, and then Elizabeth and a colleague talking and looking at some equipment]

Our imaging tools are being used to uncover new ways that Parkinson’s disease can be treated.

[Image changes to show Elizabeth talking to the camera and then the image changes to show Elizabeth talking with various colleagues]

To me, this prize is really recognition of the hard work and the dedication of all those who share this research journey with me.

[Images move through to show Elizabeth and a colleague walking through the laboratory, Elizabeth and a colleague looking at a screen and talking, and then Elizabeth and a group of students at a table]

My two goals in the coming years are to find ways for more researchers around the world to use our imaging tools and to support the next generation of scientists.

[Music plays and the image changes to show Elizabeth standing outside the university and smiling at the camera]

[Image changes to show the Australian Government Coat of Arms and the Malcolm McIntosh Prize for Physical Scientist of the Year badge and text appears: Malcolm McIntosh Prize for Physical Scientist of the Year, Associate Professor Elizabeth New, The Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science, Celebrating 20 years]