The winners come from Brisbane, Sydney, Newcastle, Canberra and Melbourne.

The 2015 Prime Minister's Prizes for Science had winners across six categories who shared in $700,000 worth of prizes.

The prestigious awards, presented at Parliament House in Canberra, recognise Australia's brightest minds in the field of science.

Australia's Chief Scientist, Professor Ian Chubb, paid tribute to the science community, saying science is at the forefront of finding solutions to big challenges.

"So these prizes are, indeed, that tribute. They're tribute to the contributions of Australian scientists, but these are scientists who have made significant contribution to Australia and also globally, and there are direct and indirect benefits and value, in terms of public good."

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, who presented the prizes, says the awards play a key role in the nation's quest to become more agile, innovative and creative.

Two Fellows of the Australian Academy of Science won the top awards, worth $250,000 each, for their pioneering work in plant science and chemical engineering.

Professor Graham Farquhar, from the Australian National University, received the major Prime Minister's Prize for Science for his work in photosynthesis.

Professor Chubb has praised Professor Farquhar's contribution.

"Professor Farquhar's life's work combines physics and biology to understand how plants balance their competing needs for photosynthesis and for water. This has led to new water-efficient crops and challenged global climate models to explain why there's less wind than there used to be."

Another major prize, the inaugural Prime Minister's Prize for Innovation, was awarded to Laureate Professor Graeme Jameson, from the University of Newcastle.

Professor Chubb says Professor Jameson's work offers a unique understanding.

"Laureate Professor Jameson understands bubbles. We all have blown bubbles, but he understands them. He's used trillions of them to capture a coal dust that would otherwise have been waste. The Jameson cell has transformed the recovery of coal and minerals over the past 30 years. Graeme's latest invention could now slash the energy cost of mining."

Among the other prize-winners is Dr Jane Elith from the University of Melbourne, with the $50,000 Frank Fenner Prize for Life Scientist of the Year.

Associate Professor Cyrille Boyer, from the University of New South Wales, has won the $50,000 Malcolm McIntosh Prize for Physical Scientist of the Year.

Dr Ken Silburn, of Casula High School in Sydney's south-west, was granted $50,000 for the Prime Minister's Prize for Excellence in Science Teaching in Secondary Schools.

And Rebecca Johnson, from Windaroo State School in Queensland, has received the $50,000 Prime Minister's Prize for Excellence in Science Teaching in Primary Schools.