Deep-sea coral ocean-climate records of the last glacial and recent eras. The project aims to predict the ocean carbon dioxide sink’s long-term capacity and future trajectories of global warming and increasing carbon dioxide. This project will use geochemical proxies encoded in the skeletons of deep-sea corals in the Perth Canyon, Tasman seas, and Antarctica, in the heart of the ocean-climate system, to reveal continuous long-term records of environmental change at annual-decadal resolution for ....Deep-sea coral ocean-climate records of the last glacial and recent eras. The project aims to predict the ocean carbon dioxide sink’s long-term capacity and future trajectories of global warming and increasing carbon dioxide. This project will use geochemical proxies encoded in the skeletons of deep-sea corals in the Perth Canyon, Tasman seas, and Antarctica, in the heart of the ocean-climate system, to reveal continuous long-term records of environmental change at annual-decadal resolution for our recent past (hundreds to thousands of years) and the Last Glacial Maximum. These records are expected to provide a more accurate understanding of Earth’s long-term responses to anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions and global warming.Read moreRead less
Reducing imprisonment rates in Australia: international experiences, marginal populations and a focus on the overrepresentation of Indigenous people. The purpose of this study is to test the validity of factors influencing imprisonment rates and initiatives that have been trialed in other jurisdictions to decrease prison numbers for the Australian situation. The expected outcome is to identify ways to reduce the prison population, most particularly the over-representation of Indigenous people.
Feeding the faintest black holes: the nature of low-luminosity accretion. The overwhelming majority of black holes are found in an extremely faint quiescent state. This project aims to improve understandings of this large population of black holes, determining the geometry of the inflowing gas, the source of the faint X-ray emission, and the fraction of energy pumped outwards in fast-moving jets. Building on recent ground-breaking results, this project aims to conduct a survey to detect a new po ....Feeding the faintest black holes: the nature of low-luminosity accretion. The overwhelming majority of black holes are found in an extremely faint quiescent state. This project aims to improve understandings of this large population of black holes, determining the geometry of the inflowing gas, the source of the faint X-ray emission, and the fraction of energy pumped outwards in fast-moving jets. Building on recent ground-breaking results, this project aims to conduct a survey to detect a new population of black holes in dense star clusters, providing new laboratories to explore accretion physics. It aims to measure the distances of the black holes and their motion through space, test evidence for the existence of event horizons, and provide new insights into how black holes form and how they affect their surroundings.Read moreRead less
Accessing the therapeutic potential of carbon monoxide. Despite carbon monoxide being regarded as the ”silent killer”, it is now established that this molecule has beneficial effects for a number of conditions and pathologies, including inflammation, organ transplant rejection, bacterial infection, acute liver failure and as an aid in cancer therapies. This project proposes to explore the photochemistry of rhenium-containing species to discover more efficient carbon monoxide delivery agents. By ....Accessing the therapeutic potential of carbon monoxide. Despite carbon monoxide being regarded as the ”silent killer”, it is now established that this molecule has beneficial effects for a number of conditions and pathologies, including inflammation, organ transplant rejection, bacterial infection, acute liver failure and as an aid in cancer therapies. This project proposes to explore the photochemistry of rhenium-containing species to discover more efficient carbon monoxide delivery agents. By combining synthetic chemistry, photochemistry and cellular biology it is anticipated that this multidisciplinary research programme will advance the area of carbon monoxide therapies by preparing safer agents for the targeted and controlled delivery of carbon monoxide.Read moreRead less
The Quest for Ultimate Measurement Precision. Precision measurement is the foundation upon which modern technological society is built. The highest quality measurement devices rely on stable clocks for their operation. The group's existing research has been aimed at developing some of the world's most precise measurement tools based on clocks and lasers. In parallel with this, other scientists have developed the means for exquisite control of light on the microscopic scale. By combining these tw ....The Quest for Ultimate Measurement Precision. Precision measurement is the foundation upon which modern technological society is built. The highest quality measurement devices rely on stable clocks for their operation. The group's existing research has been aimed at developing some of the world's most precise measurement tools based on clocks and lasers. In parallel with this, other scientists have developed the means for exquisite control of light on the microscopic scale. By combining these two technologies, both of which lie at the extreme limit of precision, the group will develop a new generation of technology for fundamental science objectives as well as for industrial needs.Read moreRead less
Building better Brassicas: Understanding disease resistance mechanisms across the Brassicaceae. Brassica species are important crops producing cooking oil, vegetables and biofuel, grown in diverse environments with a high economic and export value. Blackleg disease, caused by the fungus Leptospheria maculans, is the most important disease of brassica crops world-wide. The newly available brassica genome sequence provides the resources to study the co-evolution of this plant and pathogen. This pr ....Building better Brassicas: Understanding disease resistance mechanisms across the Brassicaceae. Brassica species are important crops producing cooking oil, vegetables and biofuel, grown in diverse environments with a high economic and export value. Blackleg disease, caused by the fungus Leptospheria maculans, is the most important disease of brassica crops world-wide. The newly available brassica genome sequence provides the resources to study the co-evolution of this plant and pathogen. This project will characterise the evolution and conservation of resistance genes in wild and cultivated brassicas, using next-generation sequencing technology, to assess their potential for crop improvement. An understanding of the evolution of genes responsible for resistance will lead to improved plant protection strategies for brassica crops.Read moreRead less
Lifting the veil on the Geological Dark Ages: The search for Hadean Crust on Earth. The project involves detailed field and isotopic study of some of the oldest known rocks and minerals to develop the first comprehensive picture of the earliest growth of the Australian continent. The data will reveal the timing and processes of continent formation and shed new light on the enigmatic early period of the Earth's evolution.
Plasmon mode lasers; smaller, faster, better. High speed Information Technology (IT) communication is using more and more of our global energy. Energy efficiency of IT hardware can be improved by incorporating small, high performance lasers for short distance optical communication. New metallic and plasmonic nano-lasers lasers are indeed smaller and in theory can have performance advantages over current dielectric cavity lasers. This project looks at developing new electrically pumped plasmonic ....Plasmon mode lasers; smaller, faster, better. High speed Information Technology (IT) communication is using more and more of our global energy. Energy efficiency of IT hardware can be improved by incorporating small, high performance lasers for short distance optical communication. New metallic and plasmonic nano-lasers lasers are indeed smaller and in theory can have performance advantages over current dielectric cavity lasers. This project looks at developing new electrically pumped plasmonic lasers with nano scale semiconductors that satisfy requirements for short distance optical communications. Complex systems of these small, fast lasers will also be investigated, with the aim of providing high speed digital processing capabilities exceeding those of electronics.Read moreRead less
Resolving multi-sensory conflict as we age: audio-visual integration and the role of normal and abnormal sensory decline. Australia has an ageing population. Even the healthiest older individuals undergo some deterioration of vision and hearing, however, these senses are almost invariably studied in isolation. The real world is multisensory. This project will enhance our knowledge of how ageing impacts on the interpretation of visual and auditory information regarding the timing and location of ....Resolving multi-sensory conflict as we age: audio-visual integration and the role of normal and abnormal sensory decline. Australia has an ageing population. Even the healthiest older individuals undergo some deterioration of vision and hearing, however, these senses are almost invariably studied in isolation. The real world is multisensory. This project will enhance our knowledge of how ageing impacts on the interpretation of visual and auditory information regarding the timing and location of objects; essential precursors to many real world tasks, for example: driving, interpreting speech, and hazard avoidance. This knowledge is essential for the optimisation of audio-visual environments for the elderly, and for the development of tools to improve performance in the presence of sensory decline due to age-related eye disease.Read moreRead less
Excessive sitting and population health: strengthening the science and the relevance to policy and practice. The majority of Australian adults spend most of their waking hours sitting; this increases the likelihood of developing diseases of inactivity, including diabetes, heart disease and some cancers. New research will investigate what factors encourage excessive sitting and what the health benefits are for people who deliberately do less sitting.