Chemistry

Insulin delivery without injections

Associate Professor Andrea Robinson and her research team in the School of Chemistry in the Faculty of Science are using molecular science in order to develop insulin in the form of an oral medication eliminating the use of needles.

“The benefit for insulin is that if you can stabilise the structure, then potentially you can take it by mouth instead of having to inject it,” explained Associate Professor Robinson.

“The other thing about sulphur containing peptide is that, over long periods of time, they like to open up and each unit joins to the next. So, you get sedimentation in the bottom of your vial. Insulin must be stored at four degrees Celsius. You can’t freeze it, you can’t keep it at room temperature, because it degrades too quickly.”

Read more about this discovery.

Chemistry is the science of matter and energy – the study of the makeup and structure of substances, how their atoms and molecules interact, and how that behaviour can be harnessed to transform materials, medicine, and technology.

Chemistry has the power to tackle some of society’s biggest, most interesting problems, such as protecting our environment, building a smaller, faster computer processor, or securing safe-water supplies for growing global populations.

It can explain how a cancer drug works, or why glue sticks.

Chemistry is the science of 'making and measuring stuff'.  As a chemistry undergraduate, you will study how substances are made at the molecular level, and learn how to measure the interactions between compounds and the dynamic behaviour within them, including plenty of hands-on laboratory work. We offer many specialist subject areas, for example, analytical, environmental, materials, medicinal, biological, and synthetic chemistry.

Chemistry is a core science – some say it is the core science – which means that it is the foundation of more specialised disciplines. This means graduates will have a huge range of career opportunities in industry, food and forensic sciences, academia, environmental sciences, teaching and medical research. Your analytical, logical-thinking, and numeracy skills will also be of interest to the legal, financial, and commercial worlds.

Find out more about what you'll study.

Why study chemistry at Monash?

Monash is the leading Australian university ranked in the global top 60 for chemistry, according to the influential Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU).

Green chemistry is integrated into the teaching and research practices of the School. In 2014, we open the new Green Chemical Futures building, which will house state-of-the-art undergraduate teaching laboratories and research facilities to help industry adopt more sustainable practices.

Our school is affiliated with a number of important research organisations, including the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) and Monash Medical Centre Clayton, and with various key industrial organisations such as Agilent Technologies and Dulux.

We host the Victorian Centre for Sustainable Chemical Manufacturing, and a node of the Australian Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science.

Chemistry is a research focus of the new alliance between Monash University and University of Warwick in the UK.

The courses

Undergraduate single degrees

Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science (Science Scholar Program)
Bachelor of Biotechnology
Bachelor of Environmental Science
Bachelor of Science Advanced with Honours

Double degrees

Bachelor of Arts (Global) and Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Biomedical Science and Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Journalism and Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Computer Science
Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Education (Primary)
Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Education (Secondary)
Bachelor of Aerospace Engineering and Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Environmental Engineering and Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Engineering
Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Laws

Honours

Honours degree of Bachelor of Science

Research

Doctor of Philosophy
Master of Philosophy
Master of Science