We live in a time of rapid change. The biodiversity in Australia is declining and many plants and animals are in danger of being lost forever. One pernicious threat to Australian biodiversity are weeds, which hog space, light, water and nutrients, leaving none for neighbouring plants. Finding ways to cheaply and efficiently control weeds is key to safeguarding the future of the Australian environment. Enter the snotty gobble.

The snotty gobble (Cassytha pubescens) is a native parasitic plant. Snotty gobble has the ability to latch onto weeds and kill them, leaving other native plants unharmed. PhD student Robert Cirocco explains more about our new favourite Aussie Battler in the last issue of eScience.