Diverse biomedical breakthroughs emerged across infectious disease, developmental biology, and neurodegenerative conditions. The University of the Sunshine Coast secured approval for the world’s first single-dose chlamydia vaccine for koalas, addressing critical conservation needs. Simultaneously, a novel mRNA vaccine demonstrated efficacy in mitigating pathological neovascularization in retinal degeneration models, offering less invasive treatment avenues. Fundamental molecular advances include the discovery of desmocollin 2 as a key receptor for Epstein-Barr virus epithelial infection and insights into inflammation-driven cellular senescence in multiple sclerosis brain organoids.