Prof Peter Karuso, has 30+ years’ experience at Macquarie University including roles as head of department, program director and numerous other leadership roles within the University and the Royal Australian Chemical Institute.  He is experienced in all aspects of chemistry, project management and research commercialisation, having published over 200 research outputs related to natural products and their application to industry.  He has co-founded two companies (Fluorotechnics; CSO and Hyperdrive Science, CEO), is a Fellow of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute and the Royal Society of NSW.

My research interests lie in the application of small molecules to biological systems, which involves new and exciting multidisciplinary approaches incorporating natural products chemistry, molecular biology, organic synthesis, analytical chemistry, NMR spectroscopy, computational chemistry and biochemistry to solving medicinally relevant problems. We are particularly interested in the chemical ecology of insects and marine natural products.  A recent focus has been on translational research related to natural product. Examples include chemical and biological control of cattle tick (CRC(P) grant), controling methane emissions from sheep and cattle (MLA-MDC and MERiL grants) and novel detection modalities for invasive insects relevant to Australia's biosecurity interests.