Probing nanoscale disorder in 3D with x-ray free-electron lasers. This project aims to reveal the 3D nanostructure of disordered matter with x-rays for the first time. Existing x-ray scattering techniques for disordered structures currently provide limited, one-dimensional information only. The expected outcomes of the project include an enhanced new capability for the Australian Synchrotron and international x-ray laser facilities, and new insights into the microscopic origins of the properties ....Probing nanoscale disorder in 3D with x-ray free-electron lasers. This project aims to reveal the 3D nanostructure of disordered matter with x-rays for the first time. Existing x-ray scattering techniques for disordered structures currently provide limited, one-dimensional information only. The expected outcomes of the project include an enhanced new capability for the Australian Synchrotron and international x-ray laser facilities, and new insights into the microscopic origins of the properties of liquids and biological membranes. This should benefit research areas that use x-ray scattering to probe the nanostructure of materials for diverse applications such as nanotechnology, fuel cells and drug design.Read moreRead less
Rational design of new synthetic antifreeze molecules for cryopreservation. This project aims to synthesise new carbohydrate-based surfactants optimised for use as cryoprotectants, and to accurately measure, model and optimise their performance. The project will use state-of-the-art experimental methods and advanced phase-field modelling techniques to optimise the cryoprotectants so that they reduce osmotic stress in cells and inhibit ice crystal growth during freezing and thawing. The expected ....Rational design of new synthetic antifreeze molecules for cryopreservation. This project aims to synthesise new carbohydrate-based surfactants optimised for use as cryoprotectants, and to accurately measure, model and optimise their performance. The project will use state-of-the-art experimental methods and advanced phase-field modelling techniques to optimise the cryoprotectants so that they reduce osmotic stress in cells and inhibit ice crystal growth during freezing and thawing. The expected outcomes will be novel cryoprotectants that are easy to synthesise, non-toxic and effective, opening up new possibilities for the cryopreservation of cells, organs and possibly even whole organisms. This will have broad impact in critical applications such as long-term blood storage, reproductive technology and stem cell therapy, as well as preservation of endangered species.Read moreRead less
Linking topology and rheology for designing supramolecular polymer networks. This project aims to develop a foundation for understanding how microscopic topology and intermolecular interactions control the flow behaviour of supramolecular polymer networks. Brownian dynamics algorithms will be developed to unravel the complex dynamics of the network and calibrated by comparison with carefully designed experiments. The expected outcome of the project is a quantitative framework for connecting the ....Linking topology and rheology for designing supramolecular polymer networks. This project aims to develop a foundation for understanding how microscopic topology and intermolecular interactions control the flow behaviour of supramolecular polymer networks. Brownian dynamics algorithms will be developed to unravel the complex dynamics of the network and calibrated by comparison with carefully designed experiments. The expected outcome of the project is a quantitative framework for connecting the molecular structure and energy landscape with resulting macroscopic properties. This project should yield significant benefit in the rational design of supramolecular systems in which the thermorheological properties can be tuned over a wide range of force/time scales with applications spanning from enhanced oil recovery to injectable hydrogels.Read moreRead less
Mechanisms and Platforms for Acoustomicrofluidic Intracellular Delivery . This project aims to advance a novel platform to facilitate faster and more effective molecular transport into cells as a means for enhancing cell engineering. Besides elucidating the fundamental physicochemical and biological mechanisms underpinning this new method of intracellular transport through a combination of theoretical modelling and advanced imaging and neutron diffraction, the project aims to show the scalabilit ....Mechanisms and Platforms for Acoustomicrofluidic Intracellular Delivery . This project aims to advance a novel platform to facilitate faster and more effective molecular transport into cells as a means for enhancing cell engineering. Besides elucidating the fundamental physicochemical and biological mechanisms underpinning this new method of intracellular transport through a combination of theoretical modelling and advanced imaging and neutron diffraction, the project aims to show the scalability of the technology for high throughput processing to handle the large cell numbers typically required for doses to be effective in practice. Given recent breakthroughs in cell therapies, it is expected that translation of the technology in the longer term will improve treatments for cancer and other infectious diseases.Read moreRead less
Improved cryopreservation protocols for long term storage of platelets. The aim of this project is to characterise human blood platelet deterioration during cold storage and cryopreservation, and accelerate the development of improved long-term storage options. The project expects to generate important new knowledge about how platelets deteriorate during storage, and how such deterioration can be minimized. The expected outcomes are improved methods for long term platelet storage. This should be ....Improved cryopreservation protocols for long term storage of platelets. The aim of this project is to characterise human blood platelet deterioration during cold storage and cryopreservation, and accelerate the development of improved long-term storage options. The project expects to generate important new knowledge about how platelets deteriorate during storage, and how such deterioration can be minimized. The expected outcomes are improved methods for long term platelet storage. This should benefit blood donation services and hospitals by improving platelet delivery to remote locations, reducing wasted blood and the number of donations required, leading to significant financial savings.Read moreRead less