And given the speed and efficiency of modern communications technology, why waste time in lengthy meetings? Mr Cassella, a former executive-level data programmer for Microsoft in the United States, explains they're frequently in touch throughout the day, doing business via email, Facebook, text messages or a quick chat on Skype.

They've recently hired a sub-editor in Malaysia, a content editor in Sydney and are working with Hong Kong University to develop a Chinese language version of their science research news website, Science Alert.

Last Saturday night, just after 10pm, they notched up one million fans on Facebook, which means they've become the world's top science news site on social media.

On Facebook, they now have more fans than The Economist (943,000) or CNN India (996,000). Not bad for a business largely run from Mr Cassella's front room in Narrabundah.

''The majority of our fans are under 30, and 99 per cent are outside Australia. So, while we may not be making lots of money, we're thrilled to be taking Australian science out into a global market that was previously dominated by news from the US or Europe,'' he says.

Science Alert was established in 2004 by science writer and communications consultant Professor Cribb as a one-stop website to share scientific research news from Australian universities.

''I knew a lot of research didn't make it into mainstream news outlets, so how could you find out about it? It was scattered across 300 or so websites at universities and government agencies, so the idea was to create one website that brought it all together.''

The website ''ticked over nicely'' for several years, but gathered momentum in 2010 after embracing social media. Mr Cassella, who met Professor Cribb while studying for a masters degrees in science communication at the Australian National University, had joined Science Alert to develop new webtools.

''The internet is very competitive, and you've got to build a following - it doesn't just happen. You must have something people want. And with regard to science, they want news they can trust,'' he says.

''We publish news releases written by communications experts at universities, and we know that content has been approved by scientists. So, it's reliable, professional, trustworthy and accurate.''

But is it science news, or message-driven public relations? ''We don't run spin or puffery. We insist on a high level of quality, and we're selective,'' Professor Cribb says.

Mr Cassella says the site's popularity disproves claims that young people are not interested in science or find it boring.

''They love science - science is cool - and there's a hunger for it. I've sat at my laptop after posting a Facebook story on rainforest layers and watched it generate 400 likes within minutes. We had a news story on tropical fish hiding under corals, and it went nuts.''