Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0989986
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$230,000.00
Summary
Hybrid Fourier Transform Dispersive Raman Micro-Spectrometer. This facility will be used in a wide range of existing and new research projects in government priority areas such as the development of new materials, frontier technologies for building and transforming existing industries, better understanding of diversity and functioning in mycorrhizal and other fungi in forest soils and plant roots and developing new characterisation methods for forensic investigations. The proposed equipment aims ....Hybrid Fourier Transform Dispersive Raman Micro-Spectrometer. This facility will be used in a wide range of existing and new research projects in government priority areas such as the development of new materials, frontier technologies for building and transforming existing industries, better understanding of diversity and functioning in mycorrhizal and other fungi in forest soils and plant roots and developing new characterisation methods for forensic investigations. The proposed equipment aims to provide outstanding opportunities for the training of research students, expanding research in the fields of materials, minerals, geological, environmental and forensic science enabling to maintain Australia's lead and competitiveness in cutting edge research and technology. Read moreRead less
Biomolecular chemical survival strategies of terrestrial extremophiles and the spectroscopic search for life on Mars. This project is aimed to place Australian research at the forefront of developments in the search for extraterrestrial life, the evolution of life on earth, and the design of new probes for the identification of microorganisms. The research will link key centres in Australia and the UK with international space agencies (NASA and the European Space Agency) in the search for cutti ....Biomolecular chemical survival strategies of terrestrial extremophiles and the spectroscopic search for life on Mars. This project is aimed to place Australian research at the forefront of developments in the search for extraterrestrial life, the evolution of life on earth, and the design of new probes for the identification of microorganisms. The research will link key centres in Australia and the UK with international space agencies (NASA and the European Space Agency) in the search for cutting edge techniques to be used in the search for extraterrestrial life forms and their links to paleo and extremophile life forms on Earth. Read moreRead less
Aggregate structure of humic organic matter. Soil aquatic organic matter is important in plant growth, nutrient supply and water quality and in affecting pollutants and metal ions in the environment. Indeed the survival of life on the planet depends on the way geo-organic matter functions. We have recently developed a new host guest theory on the way this material binds important substances such as metal ions and pollutants. This project aims to use this theory to investigate the structure of th ....Aggregate structure of humic organic matter. Soil aquatic organic matter is important in plant growth, nutrient supply and water quality and in affecting pollutants and metal ions in the environment. Indeed the survival of life on the planet depends on the way geo-organic matter functions. We have recently developed a new host guest theory on the way this material binds important substances such as metal ions and pollutants. This project aims to use this theory to investigate the structure of these materials and how they work in Nature by understanding molecular composition at a level hitherto thought impossible.Read moreRead less
Biosphere, hydrocarbon and ore fluid interactions in the Early Precambrian. Ore deposits and petroleum are important for economic and social areas of Australia's growth. New discoveries are needed to maintain Australia's wealth as mines reach the end of operations and petroleum supplies decrease. This project will demonstrate how ore fluids and hydrocarbons interact in the geological environment. It should, therefore greatly expand the conceptual framework in which to explore for both mineral an ....Biosphere, hydrocarbon and ore fluid interactions in the Early Precambrian. Ore deposits and petroleum are important for economic and social areas of Australia's growth. New discoveries are needed to maintain Australia's wealth as mines reach the end of operations and petroleum supplies decrease. This project will demonstrate how ore fluids and hydrocarbons interact in the geological environment. It should, therefore greatly expand the conceptual framework in which to explore for both mineral and hydrocarbon resources, particularly in old, deep and hot basins, which are considered to be the last frontiers of exploration. Outcomes concerning the nature of early life will be of global interest.Read moreRead less
Oxygenating the Earth: using innovative techniques to resolve the timing of the origin of oxygen-producing photosynthesis in cyanobacteria. The early Earth was a hostile place with little oxygen in the atmosphere. Then cyanobacteria ('blue-green algae') invented oxygen-releasing photosynthesis. That profound event affected many fundamental processes, from the course of evolution to the formation of ore deposits. However, estimates of when these bacteria originated are disputed with uncertainties ....Oxygenating the Earth: using innovative techniques to resolve the timing of the origin of oxygen-producing photosynthesis in cyanobacteria. The early Earth was a hostile place with little oxygen in the atmosphere. Then cyanobacteria ('blue-green algae') invented oxygen-releasing photosynthesis. That profound event affected many fundamental processes, from the course of evolution to the formation of ore deposits. However, estimates of when these bacteria originated are disputed with uncertainties of hundreds of millions of years. We will resolve those uncertainties. We have developed new analytical techniques that we will apply to well-preserved 2.7-2.8 billion-year-old rocks in Western Australia. We will couple that approach to the use of the latest genetic techniques to reveal the origins of living cyanobacteria.Read moreRead less
Host-guest structure of humic organic matter - the key to understanding soil organic properties. Soil and aquatic organic matter is important in plant growth, nutrient supply and water quality and in affecting pollutants and metal ions in the environment. Indeed, the survival of life on the planet depends on the way geo-organic matter functions. We have recently developed a new host?guest theory on the way this material binds important substances such as metal ions and pollutants. This proje ....Host-guest structure of humic organic matter - the key to understanding soil organic properties. Soil and aquatic organic matter is important in plant growth, nutrient supply and water quality and in affecting pollutants and metal ions in the environment. Indeed, the survival of life on the planet depends on the way geo-organic matter functions. We have recently developed a new host?guest theory on the way this material binds important substances such as metal ions and pollutants. This project aims to use this theory to investigate the structure of these materials and how they work in Nature by understanding molecular composition at a level hitherto thought impossible.Read moreRead less
Molecular fossils, environmental genomics and the natural history of an Australian salt lake. Increasing salinity of lakes is a critical problem for sustainable water supply in Australia. To comprehend the consequences of human-induced salinization, it is crucial to understand salt lakes at their most fundamental level. This project develops pioneering technologies to elucidate the microbial ecology and geochemistry of salt lakes in unprecedented detail. It will open new pathways to unravel how ....Molecular fossils, environmental genomics and the natural history of an Australian salt lake. Increasing salinity of lakes is a critical problem for sustainable water supply in Australia. To comprehend the consequences of human-induced salinization, it is crucial to understand salt lakes at their most fundamental level. This project develops pioneering technologies to elucidate the microbial ecology and geochemistry of salt lakes in unprecedented detail. It will open new pathways to unravel how microbial ecosystems adapt to increasing salinization, and how they reacted to climate fluctuations in the past. Students will gain multidisciplinary skills in environmental genomics, proteomics and geochemistry, a unique combination that will become decisive for understanding and preserving ecosystems on our continent.Read moreRead less
Ancient weather stations of Australia: charting a continent's descent into aridity and its ecological consequences. Australia has an enviable reputation as a leading innovator in geochronological and geochemical studies and this research will reinforce that standing. The outcomes will promote a better understanding of Australia's arid continent, contribute to studies of global climate change, and provide new insights into the response of ecosystems to such events. In these ways, the project addr ....Ancient weather stations of Australia: charting a continent's descent into aridity and its ecological consequences. Australia has an enviable reputation as a leading innovator in geochronological and geochemical studies and this research will reinforce that standing. The outcomes will promote a better understanding of Australia's arid continent, contribute to studies of global climate change, and provide new insights into the response of ecosystems to such events. In these ways, the project addresses directly our current national research priorities 'water - a critical resource', 'responding to climate change and variability' and 'the sustainable use of Australia's biodiversity'.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0668345
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$390,700.00
Summary
A highly sensitive mass spectrometer for trace analysis of biomarker molecules to study changes in recent and ancient environments. Maintaining the quality of water and soil is a critically important issue for Australia's economic and social development. To be able to predict and plan the future of our natural assets, it is critical to understand their ecological past and their state before and after European settlement. We will utilize the new instrument to develop and apply innovative technolo ....A highly sensitive mass spectrometer for trace analysis of biomarker molecules to study changes in recent and ancient environments. Maintaining the quality of water and soil is a critically important issue for Australia's economic and social development. To be able to predict and plan the future of our natural assets, it is critical to understand their ecological past and their state before and after European settlement. We will utilize the new instrument to develop and apply innovative technologies providing Australia with new knowledge about the causes and effects of toxic cyanobacterial blooms, eutrophication, and contamination of reservoirs by bush-fires. The new facility will also supply advanced oil fingerprinting techniques to the petroleum industry minimizing exploration risk and increasing the chance of the discovery of new oil deposits.Read moreRead less
Palaeobiology of hydrothermal mineral deposits. Mineral deposits that formed at up to 150 degrees C record the history of micro-organisms referred to as hyperthermophiles. Current biological studies predict that such organisms are the most primitive known. Thus by studying these deposits we have the opportunity to uncover the earliest history of life on Earth, and to improve our understanding of ore deposition. Such deposits are also prime targets for the search for life and former life elsewher ....Palaeobiology of hydrothermal mineral deposits. Mineral deposits that formed at up to 150 degrees C record the history of micro-organisms referred to as hyperthermophiles. Current biological studies predict that such organisms are the most primitive known. Thus by studying these deposits we have the opportunity to uncover the earliest history of life on Earth, and to improve our understanding of ore deposition. Such deposits are also prime targets for the search for life and former life elsewhere in the Solar System, and the proposed research will contribute to that search.Read moreRead less