Separation science grants 'could help combat terrorism'

Australian universities are being given grants to develop separation science techniques that could help to target terrorism.

The finance initiatives are the result of the 2002 Bali bombings, in which 88 people from the country were killed, the Australian newspaper reports.

According to the information source, 18 academic institutions have so far been recipients, with money going towards chemical, biological and radiological projects.

University of Tasmania Future fellow Emily Hilder, who is part of an Australian Centre for Research on Separation Science team, is currently developing a small-scale instrument to analyse residues left after a blast.

"The faster we can identify what explosive is being used, the more quickly we can identify the perpetrators," she remarked.

Dr Hilder added: "This developed after the Bali bombings and the bombing of the Australian embassy in Jakarta."

Last week, the Associated Press reported that one of the militants wanted for planning the Bali incident had been shot dead during a police raid on the island of Java.